Canine officer joins Madison Police force to detect devices, offer therapy Officer Bear
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –Madison Police Department has welcomed its newest recruit, Bear the dog. Bear is expertly trained in locating electronics and calming victims experiencing trauma.
An anonymous donation paid for Bear’s acquisition in full, along with his complete training and equipment. The donation and sponsorship of Bear was brought to Madison Police Department by the non-profit organization Operation Underground Railroad Rescue or O.U.R. Rescue. This organization supports law enforcement agencies with the fight against child exploitation and human trafficking.
With his training, Bear can detect and locate electronic devices. This skill will aid investigators, especially during cases involving crimes against children and other major crimes.
See BEAR Page 8A
Aldi construction date announced, new recreation fee schedule debuts
Cops’ Kids scholarship recipient announced
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - Last week’s Madison City Council meeting kicked off by recognizing the local winner of the Cops’ Kids scholarship Evan Stout, son of Lieutenant Jon Stout. Cops’ Kids is a North Alabama organization that offers higher education financial assistance to the children of area law enforcement
through a yearly essay competition. Stout won this year’s competition and the $2,000 scholarship with his essay on “What it is like growing up as a child of a law enforcement officer.”
Stout’s essay detailed the worry and sacrifice that can characterize the lives of cops’ children but also showcased the bravery and selflessness of law enforcement and their families.
“It has been our belief that children of police officers have extra special issues and different and unique issues to deal with, some of which are very
See CITY COUNCIL Page 8A
Limestone has already approved more subdivision lots this year than in 2023
District 2 includes part of the
By ERICA SMITH news@themadisonrecord.com
LIMESTONE COUNTY – As of July 1, Limestone County has already had more subdivision lots receive final approval than in all of 2023, however the district commissioner with the most growth said there are both pros and cons to the county’s increasing growth and it would be easier if the growth were put on hold.
“Growth maintains and improves the standard of living for everyone in your community,” said Limestone County District 2 Commissioner Danny Barksdale. “It provides additional choices, where to live and where to work, provides additional jobs and helps maintain a vibrant local economy.”
Barksdale said there are also cons to the county’s growth.
“The cons of that growth, essentially, are costs, the cost of that growth,” he said. “The growth demands more and better roads, schools — and, Limestone County, we’re essentially losing a way of life, I guess a more laid-back way of life.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Limestone County’s population in 2010 was 82,782 and grew to 103,570 in 2020. The estimated population in 2023 was 114,654, which was a 10.7% increase from 2020.
During the last two Limestone County Commission meetings, 279 lots in 10 subdivisions received either preliminary or final approval. District 1 added three lots, District 3 added 10 lots, and District 4 added nine lots. Barksdale’s District 2, which includes part of the city of Madison, is in the mid-eastern portion of the county. It is the smallest of all the county’s districts in area, and in-
Evan Stout received a $2,000 scholarship from Cops’ Kids representative Tom Borcher. Evan, son of MPD Lieutenant Jon Stout (above), was selected after submitting an essay for “What it is like growing up as a child of a law enforcement officer.” Evan will be attending Mississippi State University this fall, beginning his studies in veterinary medicine.
Bear is the newest member of Madison Police Department. Bear has been trained to detect electronics, like thumb drives and tracking devices, and to provide comfort to victims.
Officer Bear and Detective Ted Thiele will visit the community to educate groups on the canine’s inspirational work.
city of Madison
See GROWTH Page 3A
DISCOVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER - The Madison City Board of Education last week celebrated the Discovery Middle girls soccer team for its championship season. The DMS players, under the direction of then-coach Seth Tarrer, went undefeated in claiming the 2024 County Championship. Tarrer is now women’s soccer coach at Bob Jones High School where DMS players could play once they reach high school.
Coach Clint Woodfin was recently hired as an assistant principal at Bob Jones High School
By STAFF REPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - The mother of an East Limestone High School student filed a lawsuit last Wednesday against the Limestone County Board of Education and a coach, claiming the coach received no disciplinary action for being absent during an incident which resulted in the suspension of her son and other students.
According to the lawsuit, the son of Alicia Grissom was involved in an incident on the campus of East Limestone High
School which involved a group of students “horseplaying” in the weight room. Grissom received a letter the same month informing her of a hearing with the school board on May 21.
The lawsuit said then East Limestone head football coach Zachery Clint Woodfin was responsible for supervising the students who were involved in the incident and said video surveillance showed he was not present in the classroom when it occurred. The students were suspended for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year and given 90 days in alternative school at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
Neither Principal Matt Scott nor Director of Discipline Shaun Butler held
CORRECTIONS The Madison Record will be happy to correct any errors which appear in the newspaper or clarify any statements which are unclear. To request a correction or clarification, call 256-7631150 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday - Friday, or email news@ themadisonrecord.com.
Von Braun Center announces next televised tribute show
George Strait, Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Riley Green, Justin Moore, Jamey Johnson, ERNEST, Larry Fleet, Billy Currington, Pam Tillis, Mark Chesnutt, Zach Top, Gramps Morgan, and Due West Confirmed To Perform
the night - Dean Dillon.
HUNTSVILLE - Country Music
Hall of Fame member, Dean Dillon, will be the center of attention at the Von Braun Center Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama, on Wednesday, October 9, as many of country music’s biggest stars honor the legendary singer/songwriter. The event dubbed “Songs and Stories of Dean Dillon,” will be filmed for a television special to broadcast at a later date.
Tickets will be available to the general public on Thursday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m. in person at the VBC Box Office or online at Ticketmaster.com.
Dillon has composed or co-written 55 songs for George Strait, including 19 singles, 11 of which went to No. 1. Even in a career like Strait’s, the Dillon titles stand out: “Marina del Rey,” “The Chair,” “I’ve Come to Expect it From You,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “She Let Herself Go,” and “The Best Day.” His songs all pair instantly catchy melodies with gutbucket country lyrics, signature qualities of a Dillon composition that would also become hallmarks of Strait’s own style and sound.
ducers Bradford Van Demark and Michael Johnson, Director Mike Johnson, Lighting Director Mark Carver, Stage Designer Scott Morre, and Music Director Brent Rader. Go to songsandstoriesof.com
Von Braun Center Propst Arena General Admission Tickets $35
5:30 pm doors open
3 drownings over July Fourth travel period
By JEAN COLE staff@themadisonrecord.com
NORTH ALABAMA – A North Alabama drowning as well as a statewide total of nine traffic fatalities and two other drownings were reported amid a possible record-breaking July Fourth holiday travel, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Despite the drownings, however, this was the third year in a row that the state had no deaths from boating collisions on Alabama waterways over the five-day enforcement period, ALEA reported.
AAA predicted record-breaking travel volume this year, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers. The official Fourth of July travel period began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 3, and ended at midnight Sunday, July 7. Clay Ingram, spokesman for AAA Alabama, said AAA predicted July Fourth would have almost 71 million people traveling 50 miles or more, which would be a record high.
ly, this holiday period ended in tragedy for 12 individuals and their loved ones, which we extend our deepest condolences.”
In neighboring Morgan County, rescue divers found the body of Justin Shane Letson in the Tennessee River next to Point Mallard Park about 2:30 p.m. Friday. He was last seen about 10 p.m. July 4, with some other boats off the shore of Point Mallard. Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn confirmed the 35-year-old drowned. Decatur Police said no foul play is suspected. Lt. Danny Kelso with the Morgan County Rescue Squad said it is unknown exactly what happened to Letson.
“I don’t know the true story of why he was in the water,” Kelso said. “He may have been swimming and sometimes people will wear a life jacket when they swim and sometimes they don’t.”
During the one-night only concert event, artists will pay tribute to songs written or co-written by Dean Dillon and made famous by Toby Keith, Vern Gosdin, Waylon Jennings, and Keith Whitley, while others will perform songs that became hits for their own career. Artists confirmed to perform include George Strait, Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Riley Green, Justin Moore, ERNEST, Larry Fleet, Jamey Johnson, Pam Tillis, Zach Top, Mark Chesnutt, Billy Currington, Gramps Morgan, Due West and the man of
Dillon is a three-time Grammy nominee with 26 No. 1 singles to his songwriting credit and was named the 1985 Billboard Country Artist of the Year. In 1986, Dillon was awarded the Nashville Songwriters award. The Country Music Association (CMA) honored Dillon with the CMA Triple Play Award in 1995, 1996, 1998 for penning three No. 1 songs in a 12-month period. In 2002, Dillon was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Bob Dylan and Shel Silverstein.
6:30 pm VIP dinner for those with select premium seating
7 pm Dean Dillon & Friends performance begins
Songwriters Include: Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon, and more!
Songs and Stories of Dean Dillon
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Von Braun Center Propst Arena Public On-Sale, Friday, July 12th; Prices start at $125
5:30 pm doors open
7 pm concert begins
See ALEA Page 8A By
The concert event is produced by EMG Presents. The television property is produced by Encore Music Group with executive producers Dean Dillon and Justin Ward, pro-
cludes 192 miles of roads. District 2 added 257 total lots over both meetings.
“Mazda Toyota (Manufacturing), the Redstone Arsenal, just the additional jobs, people moving in here, we’re essentially a bedroom community,” Barksdale said. “I believe they’re beginning to get more industries that locate just in Limestone County, but we’ll always be a bedroom community for Huntsville and Madison.”
Preliminary approval means the construction plans have been approved by the county, so the developer and contractor can begin subdivision construction. Heath Black, assistant Limestone County engineer, said as of June 17, “a total of 550 lots have been granted preliminary approval for construction to begin since the beginning of 2024.”
Final approval means the homes are complete and can be sold. Black said that in 2013, only 47 lots received final approval. In 2018, he said, 141 lots received final approval. Black said last year 621 lots received final approval, however from Jan. 1 to July 1 this year, 635 lots have already received final approval.
“The lower cost of land compared to living in Huntsville is one reason (for the growth),” Barksdale said. “I would bet that you could get a three-bedroom traditional home in Limestone County $50,000 or $100,000 cheaper than you could in
Huntsville.”
Performances by: George Strait, Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Riley Green, Justin Moore, Zach Top, Pam Tillis, Jamey Johnson, Billy Currington, Mark Chesnutt, ERNEST, Larry Fleet, Gramps Morgan, Due West and Dean Dillon. More to be announced.
The largest subdivision lot amount in the last two commission meetings was the first phase of Sonoma Valley on June 17, located on the west side of Meadows Road at the southwest corner of the intersection of Meadows Road and Barksdale.
“The majority of the lots in the Sonoma Valley development vary from 0.17 to 0.22 acres in size,” Black said. “One to two additional phases are expected for Sonoma Valley.”
Barksdale said they are addressing damaged roads due to subdivision construction by repaving.
“Somewhere down the road, somewhere in the future, you’re going to have to have three-lane roads to deal with the traffic,” he said. “It’s practically impossible to build a new road in an unincorporated county, with the land cost, acquisition, all that. So, you’re going to have to work on the existing roads by adding another lane to them.”
Barksdale said he has not heard from the commission where the money to expand roads is going to come from.
“I’m at the point that we have swallowed an elephant in the development that we’ve already had,” he said. “We kind of need to digest what we’ve already got for a few years instead of aggressively pursuing new growth.”
“It’s going to be quite a while before all those numbers come out as to what the totals are, but it looks like we have a very good chance of setting the record high for the number of people traveling for a given year.” Ingram said. “Right now, 2019 holds that title. But it appears we are breaking the record on every holiday so far this year. I feel confident we will set the new record this year for the busiest travel year of all time.”
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said “unfortunate-
Statewide, highway fatalities occurred in Calhoun, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Cullman, Escambia, Jackson, Marshall and Tuscaloosa counties with July 3 being the only zero-fatality day, ALEA reported. Of those killed, six were drivers, one was a passenger and two were motorcyclists. Both motorcyclists were using helmets at the time of their crashes, but only one of the seven traveling in vehicles equipped with seat belts was buckled up at the time of the crash, ALEA said. The three drownings occurred at Wheeler Lake in Morgan County, Oak Mountain State Park
SCHOOLS
Even during summer break, Madison City Schools campuses have myriad of study and fun
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Teachers and students alike look forward to summer break. However, the learning environment continues to flourish with numerous camps, learning programs and traditional summer school on campuses of Madison City Schools.
Early planning is a must for the sessions that students can attend during summer. In 2024, Madison Board of Education approved learning programs for students all the way back at its March 7 meeting. Eligibility is tied to student academic need.
The MCS Instruction Department arranged for a generous number of camps for English Learners or EL students. Midtown Elementary School hosted the Elementary EL Summer Camp, while James Clemens High School welcomed the Secondary EL Summer Camp.
For reading and math sessions, the Elementary Summer Learning Program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade met at Midtown. Classes were held on Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Middle-schoolers attended Summer School during June (3-27) in halfday classes. Students were invited to attend based on the greatest academic need. Courses offered included math and English for grades 6-8.
High School Summer School lasted longer, open from June 3 until July 18 at both Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools. Students have chosen from career prep, health, PE, government and economics.
Courses also available for credit recovery were English 9-12, biology, physical science, environmental science, chemistry, physics, algebra I with probability, geometry with data analysis, algebra II with statistics, world history, U.S. history I, U.S. history II, government and economics.
World Records
Snapshot
In addition, high school students could enroll in driver’s education and ACT bootcamp.
Elementary ESY or Extended School Year sessions were held at Columbia Elementary School. (ESY sessions are open to students in special education, if needed, for classes and related services.)
Secondary ESY was open June 3-27. School board members visited during the Summer Learning Showcase on June 25.
One of the most popular and venerable summer camps in Madison is the week-long Camp Invention, which was conducted at Columbia Elementary. More than 140 campers in grades 1-6 spent an exciting week of STEM activities, with leadership by 10 MCS teachers and one from Madison Academy.
“Camp Invention’s 2024 theme, ‘Illuminate,’ was especially evident in Kristy Stundtner and Bethany Kachelman’s ‘Let’s Glow!’ module. Other modules were led by MCS teachers Heidi Clemons and Kasie Wilson, ‘Prototyping Studio’; Brittany Post and Sydney Chapman-Wilkes, ‘Operation HydroDrop’; and Rebecca White, ‘In the Game,’” MCS Public Relations Manager John Peck said.
Madison Academy’s Holly Ahlbin led a second section of “In the Game.” Wendy Tibbs, an original founder of the camp, directed the 2024 camp with assistance from Misty Farmer and Elizabeth Bero. Roxana Herschelman served as Camp Parent, along with six parent volunteers. Several Bob Jones and James Clemens students helped as volunteers, Peck said.
Camp Invention curricula focus on the development of creative, inventive-thinking skills, with no single right or wrong answer but a bigger focus on the process. Students learned through trial and error. For more information, visit madisoncity.k12. al.us.
Teachers
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Teachers in Madison City Schools are participating with the Project Designing Instruction for Academic Literacies or Project DIAL scholarship program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Project DIAL provides support for educators as they meet the needs of English Learner or EL students in classrooms. At a recent meeting,
Madison Board of Education recognized Madison teachers for their interest in Project DIAL: Amy Carter and Teresa Boyajian at Heritage Elementary School, Tracie Wade at Bob Jones High School and Hannah Napier and Elizabeth Milam at Discovery Middle School.
have participated in the Designing Instruction for Academic Literacies or Project DIAL scholarship program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The recognition included Dr.
Elizabeth Milam.
ition for a master’s degree in education at UAH.
Dr. Andrea Word, Principal Investigator and Director of Project DIAL, joined MCS Federal Programs Coordinator Dr. Natalia Dooley in recognizing the teachers. MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols commended the English Learner focus of the program, noting that Madison City Schools has families from 50 different countries representing 60 languages.
Project DIAL offers training and degree support for educators, while focusing on enhancing instruction for EL students. The DIAL scholarship supports pre-service teachers who complete the English to Speakers of Other Languages or ESOL Bundle at UAH. The scholarship covers tuition and fees for courses up to a total of $2,500. English Learners need support. Teachers with English Learners need support. Project DIAL is that support.
National Professional Development within the U.S. Department of Education funds the scholarship through a grant. Secondary-content teachers who are instructing EL students can receive a 54-percent discount on tu-
Project DIAL provides training and degree support for educators as they meet the needs of English Learners in classrooms. Teachers who are interested can pursue their master’s degree or obtaining an endorsement in TESOL or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
TESOL is a field that prepares practicing and
prospective teachers, researchers and leaders with a firm foundation in applied linguistics/ language and literacy development to meet needs of students from diverse backgrounds. A TESOL master’s degree prepares an educator to teach English in college classrooms and other instructional settings where English is a second, foreign or international language. The programs in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages or TESOL are designed to prepare practicing and prospective teachers, researchers and leaders with a firm foundation in applied linguistics, language and literacy development to meet students’ needs from diverse backgrounds. (steinhardt.nyu. edu/programs)
Several Madison educators have worked to complete a master’s degree in TESOL or to receive a TESOL certificate.
Summer break for Madison City Schools has teachers and administrators working with students to reinforce various subjects and to experience new concepts. In the photo, students in grades 7-9 attended the first Summer Code Camp at James Clemens High School.
SERVE DAY - The Memory Garden at Mill Creek Elementary School received a beautiful facelift on Saturday from an amazing
group of volunteers from The Highlands Church. From painting to planting, a lot of sweat was given to make this a space for our students to enjoy. Thousands of volunteers with Church of the Highlands
hands
morning, during its annual Serve Day. The worked to help with yard work, home repairs and even car maintenance for those in need. They also assisted getting school campuses ready for the upcoming school year, like at Mill Creek and other campuses throughout
Madison Board of Education endorsed the work of teachers in Madison City Schools who
Natalia Dooley, from left, Teresa Boyajian, Amy Carter, Dr. Andrea Word and Dr. Ed Nichols. Not pictured are teachers Tracie Wade, Hannah Napier and
LIVING
Featured in Madison Living Magazine
Sarah Gayle’s Legacy
Two families. Two tragedies. One
The Wells Clayton Whitworth Memorial Foundation’s Southern Social will be held Thursday, Aug. 22 at Mars Music Hall. The concert will feature ‘90s country cover artist Josh Weathers along with Julianna Rankin as the opening act.
By ERIN COGGINS news@themadisonrecord.com
HUNTSVILLE - In November of 2021, Brandon and Meredith Gibbs held their 17-month-old daughter, Sarah Gayle, as she gained her angel wings. In just an instant, their world forever changed, and they knew they wanted to spend the rest of their days carrying on Sarah Gayle’s legacy.
Knowing Brandon, Chad Whitworth and his wife, Kelley reached out to the Gibbs family to offer what comfort they could. They knew the hurt of losing a child. Their son, Wells, was stillborn. “We wanted the Gibbs’ to have
someone to reach out to. Chad wanted Brandon to know he was there, and likewise, I wanted Meredith to have someone she could reach out to if she needed to,” Kelley said.
ICE CREAM MONTH: We
for a couple of homemade ice cream recipes to include in this issue of Madison Living Magazine. I came across this one from Premier Protein. It uses their high protein shakes as an ingredient. They can be found in area grocery stores, including WalMart.
Peanut Butter Jelly Ice
large, heavy saucepan, heat milk, protein shake, brown sugar and salt until bubbles form around sides of pan. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg. Return to pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon. Remove from heat, whisk in peanut butter. Quickly transfer to bowl; place in ice water and stir for
To keep Well’s memory alive, the Whitworths’ created the Wells Clayton Whitworth Memorial Foundation in 2019 in order to help families that experience the
THE STORYTELLER
On Walker’s Bend
By BRUCE WALKER Columnist
On Walker’s Bend, in the 1960s, when a loved one died, we didn’t have a proper funeral home; we had Brother Rannie. He was a mortician and part-time taxidermist. He didn’t advertise it, but if you used him for your funeralizing needs, he would mount your next deer head free.
When he got the call, Brother Rannie would go by the Piggly Wiggly in town and pick up a threeinch slab of Talladega Marble from the meat freezer. He would bungee cord it on top of his Rambler station wagon and head to your home. Because of the natural properties of marble, it was used to keep the dearly departed “fresh.”
All the families in our community believed in sitting up with the dead. We did not do the quick visitations that are socially acceptable today. There were no 30-minute funerals in our community, they lasted all night and into the next day. Family came from all over and packed the front yard with out-of-state, local cars, and pickups, (even a few Harleys) spilling up and down both sides of the gravel road. A large floral wreath hung on the front door to mark the occasion.
In fact, when grandma and grandpa re-did their living room, they measured for a little alcove on one side of the fireplace that was just the length of a coffin. When not in use, a couch occupied the space; I never cared much to sit there; it seemed a little
2 minutes. Stir in cream and vanilla. Press wax paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer 2/3 full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. When ice cream is frozen, spoon into freezer container, layering with jelly; freeze 2-4 hours before serving. Chocolate Ice Cream with “Caramel” Sauce Recipe courtesy of “Chelsea’s Messy Apron” Servings: 8 • 1 large sweet potato • 1 bag (10 ounces) dark chocolate
disrespectful. Throughout the night you were sure to hear funeral phrases that may or may not be true; “I’m sorry for your loss,” or “I know they’ve gone to a better place.” When my irascible old Uncle Otto died you heard, “He’s gone to his just reward,” now that covered both sides of his moral dilemma. The one I heard when Aunt Earline died was just doubly wrong, “God needed another angel in his choir.” She was never an angel; three ex-husbands would attest to that! When she sang, if that were the criteria for dying, she would have lived forever!!!
Our funeralizing was up close and personal, it was expected someone would go into histrionics and according to how close a kin, how far you could go with the flailing, crying, and fainting. If someone got too carried away, the old ladies would cluck their tongues and whisper to each other…” Well, they were only second cousins.”
When sitting up all night, my job was “flyswatter boy” …. On a sultry southern summer night with no air conditioning and the windows wide open, the mixture of fried chicken aroma and the sickly-sweet smell of flowers gave a siren call to ”visitors” of the bright green variety. A cheesecloth was pulled over the viewing area of the casket and my job was to “flyswat.” This is an important job and there is an art to it, don’t swat straight down; you’ll leave a greasy spot; do not swat too hard or you will spread bug parts everywhere. At my Uncle Lester’s funeral, I was doing my usual duties and Cousin
Brandon and Meredith Gibbs with their children Grant and Brewer.
Chad Whitworth and his wife, Kelley, with their two children.
“VAN GOGH: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE” When you step into Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, you’re not stepping into an ordinary art gallery. You’re stepping into a full experience that, more than just hanging paintings on a wall, surrounds you in the moving and skillful pieces of Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience opened recently at 6123 University Drive Unit 100 in Huntsville. You can get tickets and information concerning what days and hours it is open at www.vangoghexpo.com/huntsville. The exhibit uses high-tech projection technology to display and animate more than 400 Of Van Gogh’s works including both sketches and completed pieces. It has traveled the country and is now arriving in Huntsville.
Burritt’s City Lights & Stars continues with Eric Essix
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
HUNTSVILLE - Burritt on the Mountain’s long running summer concert series, The City Lights & Stars Concert Series continues with the next artist, Eric Essix, performing this Friday evening, July 19.
The concert will be held on the Isenberg Gazebo stage at Burritt starting at 7:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy being entertained under the Alabama stars with the breathtaking view of the city of Huntsville only Burritt can provide.
A casual atmosphere encourages attendees to bring chairs, blankets and picnic food to enjoy a relaxed musical experience. Food trucks will be onsite and wine, beer and other drinks are sold at every concert. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.burrittonthemountain.com.
Eric Essix
Eric Essix has released 28 fulllength albums over a period of more than 32 years, maintaining a steady flow of new music that continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. He has toured relentlessly with his own Eric Essix Group and with dozens of A-list artists as a sideman, constantly refining every aspect of his craft, with legacy always in the forefront of his purpose.
Following the success of his 2020 album “Songs From The Deep,” Eric
released his 28th album, “STRiDE,” on July 1, 2022, under his Essential Recordings label. The album was distributed by Lightyear Entertainment/Virgin Music. His two most recent singles, “My Heartbeat” and
“Time To Chill,” serve as previews for a new album scheduled for release in the fall of 2024. Eric’s primary goal is to create high-quality art through music or
The concert will be held on the Isenberg Gazebo stage at Burritt. Guests can enjoy being entertained under the Alabama stars with the breathtaking view of the city of Huntsville only Burritt can provide.
Eric Essix
COMMUNITY
Madison Senior Center assists in TARCOG’s ‘Live and Live Well’ launch
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON – Top of Alabama
Regional Council of Governments or TARCOG has launched a new campaign, “Live and Live Well,” and members of Madison Senior Center assisted in the video.
TARCOG officials shared ideas about healthy living at the launch on July 11 at Madison Senior Center, 1282 Hughes Road.
Information in this campaign applies to anyone, but the focus targets the aging population, Sheila Dessau-Ivey said. Dessau-Ivey serves as TARCOG’s Director of Aging Programs.
“To my understanding, we haven’t done anything like this in a long time, if ever,” Dessau-Ivey said. “We’re excited to bring this information to everyone in the community in an easy-to-use format. We believe it will be useful on many levels.”
In coming months, TARCOG case managers will present the information to 1,000-plus cli-
ents. Each Council on Aging in the region will receive program information. TARCOG staff will provide educational material at outreach events throughout the region.
The program features a short video, thanks to participation for several members of Madison Senior Center and Center Director Levoneia ‘Bonnie’ Ayers. The video highlights aspects of the campaign, such as staying active, socialization and eating healthy meals.
At Madison Senior Center, 77-year-old Linda Morton was one of the participants in the Live and Live Well video. Morton picked up printed materials for Live and Live Well and was excited about reading the educational information related to healthy aging.
Morton takes morning walks with friends, but then, basically found herself sitting at home alone, on the sofa watching TV or solving a crossword puzzle.
“I was feeling really lonely,” she said. Some time ago, Morton’s hair
stylist suggested that she try visiting Madison Senior Center. “I signed up but never came to the center,” Morton said. “But as time went by, I was starting to feel more and more alone so I thought I’d come up here to the center.”
On July 9, Morton stopped by Madison Senior Center and signed up for some classes, participated in an exercise class and then ate lunch.
“I can get a meal here, which is nice, because at home I’d maybe eat a couple of cookies and a glass of milk or a handful of candy because I don’t want to fix anything,” Morton said. “So, if nothing else, even if I don’t do a lot of activities at the center, I can come and get a lunch, meet new people and hear other voices.”
In addition, Morton is excited about the offerings at Madison Senior Center, and that willingness will help her stay on track.
TARCOG appreciates the senior center’s help to create a visual message for everyone in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone,
SOUNDS OF SUMMER - Calypso Vision drew a crowd to the July 11 Madison Arts Alliance summer concert series, “Sounds of Summer”. The free concerts have been held at Home Place Park, 100 Shorter Street in Madison during the past couple of months. Madison Arts Alliance sponsors this concert series and presents the event in partnership with Madison Visionary Partners. Calypso Vision has been entertaining audiences for the past 10 years. The band gives a relaxed beachfront spirit, with a heavy dose of Buffett-style classics. The last concert in the series will be held July 25. It will feature “Second Hand Smoke” This group may be a duo but their sound can compete with a larger set of musicians. Their music will keep the audience moving to the beat. Food trucks will offer tempting food and snack options at the concerts. In addition, downtown eateries are nearby for a ‘sit-down meal.’ Madison Arts Alliance seeks to foster and promote the arts in Madison and the surrounding area. Rosalie Holcombe is President of Madison Arts Alliance. Madison Visionary Partners is the alliance’s fiscal sponsor. For more information, visit madisonartsalliance.org.
Continued from page 6A
his lifelong passion for photography, always striving to create emotional and spiritual connections with people.
Upcoming concert:
August 9 – Gwen & The Retro Kats
This is the rare band that brings together the deep-pocket swing of the 1930s and 1940s and contemporary beats like
Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk” and Lizzo’s “Juice!” A veteran on the Southeast music scene, Gwen is one of the busiest bandleaders in Atlanta, along the way being named “Favorite Jazz Artist” by the readers of Creative Loafing magazine and taking her act overseas to France, Eastern Europe and Turkey.
Madison and Marshall counties -- and beyond. “This is useful information, and we encourage people to use it so that we may all live and live well,” Dessau-Ivey said.
To access campaign information, visit tarcog.us. At the top left of the page, click the “Live and Live Well” section (below the TARCOG logo). For more information, call 256-830-0818.
Linda Morton volunteered with other members of Madison Senior Center to participate in TARCOG’s announcement for the launch of “Live and Live Well” campaign.
Continued from page 1A
Woodfin accountable for the incident, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said Woodfin was allowed to complete his contract for the school term and he was hired last month as an assistant principal with Bob Jones High School, according to Madison City Schools.
ALEA
Grissom is being represented by attorney Roderick Van Daniel of Birmingham. “The lawsuit is for $500,000,” Van Daniel said in an email. “College education is very expensive. This will harm the student’s chances of getting a scholarship in the future.”
Continued from page 1A
in Shelby County and Palmetto Creek in Baldwin County.
ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division investigated 206 traffic crashes, made 48 driving under the influence arrests, issued 2,429 citations for speeding, and issued 1,211 citations for seat belts or improper child restraints.
ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division investigated 14 boating incidents, made 14 boating under the influence arrests, issued 206 marine safety citations and issued 852
marine safety warnings. Troopers also conducted 671 vessel inspections and patrolled 36 marine-related events across the state, many of which were firework shows over the water.
ALEA’s Department of Public Safety Director Col. Jonathan Archer warned motorists to “wear your seat belts, put down your phone and other distractions, and never operate a vehicle or boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
Ice Cream Continued from page 5A
chips, plus additional for topping (optional)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Premier Protein Chocolate Protein Shake
“Caramel” Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (measured when solid)
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 -1/2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Wash and scrub sweet potato. Pierce with fork several times. Place on microwave-safe plate and microwave 5 minutes; flip and microwave 5 minutes. Allow it to cool. In microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips in 20-second increments, stirring between each increment until smooth and melted. Set it aside. Remove sweet potato skin and thoroughly mash. Pack into 3/4 cup
City Council
difficult and they’re peculiar to police officers. So, our organization wanted to find a way to support children, specifically those of law enforcement. “We are a local organization strictly dealing with North Alabama law enforcement agencies and we’ve been doing that since 2018,” stated Executive Director Tom Borcher.
Mayor Paul Finley also issued an official proclamation congratulating the Madison Station Historical Preservation Society on their 40th anniversary.
“The Society has worked tirelessly to enhance the national, state, and local historic, architectural, archaeological, and aesthetic heritage of Madison, enriching the fabric of the community and fostering a sense of pride among its residents and…has played a pivotal role in promoting Madison’s historic and aesthetic allure to tourists and visitors, actively contributing to the revitalization of Madison Station and further solidifying its status as a destination of choice,” states the proclamation.
The council went on to approve a Development Agreement for the property housing the future Aldi location on the south side of Madison Boulevard at the Hughes Road intersection. The agreement includes modifying the existing traffic signal and
Bear
Continued from page 1A
Bear’s arrival could not come at a more crucial time as Madison Police Department joins the fight with Internet Crimes Against Children or ICAC task force. His keen nose can detect hidden electronics such as thumb drives, laptops and hard drives, tracking devices and even micro Secure Digital or SD and Subscriber Identity Module or SIM cards.
In addition, the Jordan Detection K9 company has certified Bear to serve as a therapy dog. Bear can apply trauma-informed practices on scene.
“Many child exploitation criminals think they can beat the system with a good hiding spot for evidence. We want them to know that Bear is a formidable weapon against their crimes,” Madison Police Chief Johnny Gandy said.
“We are incredibly grateful to the anonymous donor for supporting Bear through his training,” Gandy said. “Our community is safer with his service.”
Detective Ted Thiele serves as Bear’s handler. Thiele and Bear work together, live together and serve the community as a team. Unlike other working K9s on duty, Bear is trained so people can approach him on the job.
“Bear can bring down the bad guys
but also provide comfort to victims,” Thiele said. “His impact is invaluable in helping to protect and rescue our most vulnerable population. Bear’s skills are a critical tool to help us investigate and bring criminals to justice while also making a social-emotional impact on those around him.”
Madison Police Department is
measuring cup. Place in large blender. Add melted chocolate to blender along with vanilla, sea salt, coconut sugar and chocolate protein shake. Place lid on blender and blend on high for at least 1 minute, or until ingredients are smooth and incorporated. Transfer to ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer’s directions then transfer to airtight container and freeze 2-3 hours.
To make “caramel” sauce: In microwave-safe bowl, microwave coconut oil and syrup 30 seconds. Stir and microwave 30 seconds, or until melted and smooth. Stir in almond butter and whisk until smooth. Add sea salt and vanilla extract; whisk to combine.
Set
“caramel” sauce aside at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Top ice cream with sauce and additional chocolate chips, if desired.
Continued from page 1A
adding a turn lane into the property, which is expected to house three businesses, including Aldi.
Mary Beth Broeren, Director of Development Services, said, “We’re anticipating that the grocery store would start roughly in January of next year and that that grocer would be open in December of ’25.”
“This is a great economic development project that will bring in much-needed tax dollars and my favorite grocery store. So, thank you,” commented Councilwoman Maura Wroblewski.
Hearing aids are now exempt from Sales and Use taxes in the city of Madison. The ordinance was first brought before the council at the June 26 work session. It adds exemption from municipal taxes to the state policy taking effect October 1, 2024, that exempts hearing aids from state sales taxes.
A new fee schedule for parks and recreation facilities is now in effect that includes facilities at the new Community Center, Sunshine Oaks Park, and Town Madison Park at the former Hexagon fitness center.
A work session will take place Wednesday, July 17 at 5:30 pm, and the next city council meeting will take place Monday July 22 at 6pm. City Hall is located at 100 Hughes Rd.
Sarah Continued from page 5A
loss of a child outside of the hospital. In 2021, their Foundation dedicated their annual Pheasant Shoot fundraiser in Sarah Gayle’s memory.
“We wanted to do something special for them and we knew that it helped us to see Wells’ name. As a parent, you worry that people will forget your child. Seeing others remember your little one is really special,” Kelley said. “Since Sarah Gayle has passed away, we have become close to the Gibbs family. We are just connected in a way that is hard to describe. There is just so much understanding. Our situations are different, but we understand each other.”
The Gibbs appreciated the support the Whitworths’ provided and understanding the need to help others who have lost a child led to the creation of the Sarah Gayle Gibbs Foundation. Through their annual Clay Shoot, held every May, the Foundation has donated over $100,000 to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation for the Pediatric Intensive Care Center. This year, in addition to their monetary donation, they were able to donate gift cards for patient family care. The Foundation also provides care bags that include a few comfort items, as well as a way to get in touch with the Gibbs, for those families who find themselves in the PICU.
“When we were in the hospital with Sarah Gayle, we were fortunate that we were able to be with her every day. We had family close by that helped with our other two children and jobs that we were able to step away from without causing a disruption of income,” Meredith said. “This, however, is not the case for everyone. We learned this quickly by noticing that there were small children in rooms around us by themselves. It broke our hearts.”
Like the Sarah Gayle Gibbs Foundation, the Wells Clayton Whitworth Memorial Foundation has given back. The Foundation has grown to assist 12 area hospitals and numerous funeral homes. They have raised over $500,000 to date and helped more than 325 families with expenses such as burial, cremation, plots, headstones and grief counseling.
“We have also been able to purchase cooling tables at several hospitals which allows the family more time with their child while in the hospital,” Kelley said.
Now, the two families and Foundations are teaming up for a joint fundraiser. The Foundations’
The Storyteller
Southern Social will be held Thursday, Aug. 22 at Mars Music Hall. The concert, Kelley’s idea, will feature ‘90s country cover artist Josh Weathers along with Julianna Rankin as the opening act.
“Our pheasant shoot is very limited in the number of people who can attend. It is also limited to hunters and people who enjoy those types of outdoor sporting events. So, we wanted to do something that would reach a broader audience, while still being something that we enjoy,” Kelley said.
To properly coordinate the event, the families have been working with Chris Hendley from the Hendley Group. They searched social media for the perfect artist which is how Kelley found Weathers and fell in love with his style.
“Juliana Rankin, who is the opening artist, was suggested by my dad. He had met her at The Princess in Decatur and thought she would be a good fit for what we were envisioning,” Meredith said. “It is important to us that tickets remain reasonable, but still bring in a profit, as we are raising money for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation.”
The Gibbs consider the nurses and doctors who took care of Sarah Gayle in the PICU family. Sarah Gayle spent 12 days in PICU in May 2021 after being diagnosed with a febrile seizure. Just six months later, another seizure landed her back in the PICU where the Gibbs held her for the last time.
“They made sure that they explained everything to us in a way that we could understand. They made sure that we were taking care of ourselves while they took care of Sarah Gayle,” Meredith said. “They have continued to support us in the years since. Every single person in the unit from the doctors to the janitors is an angel on earth.”
The PICU recently dedicated a room in honor of Sarah Gayle on her birthday, May 29. After revealing the plaque with her name on it, the nurses opened the curtain of “her room” to a birthday party that they had planned, complete with a cake and a banner that included her signature bow and ponytail.”
“Seeing the plaque with Sarah Gayle’s name on it in a place that means so much to us was very bittersweet. We are devastated that our girl isn’t here,” Meredith said. “We are also proud of the difference that she is making in the lives of other families who find themselves with critically ill children.”
Like the Gibbs’, the Whitworths’
Continued from page 5A
Kenny was helping. We were alone in Grandma’s living room. Everyone was either in the kitchen or had gone outback to “refresh” themselves. Grandma did not allow any alcohol in her house. I don’t know what possessed him, but Kenny walked up to the coffin, pulled back the cheesecloth, and stuck his finger on Uncle Lester’s cheek, part of it sunk right in, we were horrified!! We tried to smooth it out, but
dedicated to the fight against child exploitation, Gandy said. Bear and Thiele will visit the community to educate groups on the canine’s inspirational work. Bear happily earns well-deserved attention and belly rubs daily as he serves the City of Madison and the North Alabama region.
feel indebted to the nurses and doctors at the Huntsville Hospital NICU. Kelley had an ultrasound visit just three days before her scheduled c-section to deliver Wells and everything looked great. But the morning they were prepping her for surgery, they were unable to detect Wells’ heartbeat. An ultrasound confirmed he had passed away.
“We were devastated. We delivered Wells and he was 7lbs, 13 ounces, a beautiful baby boy. He looked so much like his older brother, Miller, with a little dimple in his chin,” Kelley said. “We do not have an answer to what caused Wells to pass away. In most stillbirth cases, about 40-50% remain unexplained. We were so thankful to my doctor and the nurses at Huntsville Hospital that did their best to comfort us during our time there. They were some of the only people to meet Wells, other than our family. We will forever be connected to them.”
The Whitworths experienced the same bittersweet moment as the Gibbs’ family when Huntsville Hospital NICU named a room in Wells’ honor. They delivered their third son, Tuck, in Wells’ room.
“This is such a huge honor for us and a wonderful reminder of how many people came to love and support us in those early days after losing Wells,” Kelley said. “We have had numerous friends send us pictures of their newborns being born in Wells’ room and that really brings us joy.” Meredith and Brandon remember their baby girl as one who radiated pure joy. She was her brother’s biggest fan and her sister’s best friend. And as they realized immediately on that dark day in November 2021, they are committed to spending the rest of their lives carrying on Sarah Gayle’s legacy.
“Losing a child is very isolating.
It is an out of body experience to see everyone else’s world keep spinning when yours has stopped. I vividly remember the days following Sarah Gayle’s funeral when people around us were going back to work.
I couldn’t comprehend how things were going back to ‘normal’ when our normal was so uprooted,” Meredith said. “The biggest thing that we want families who have lost a child to know is that they are not alone. It is not a club that we would wish on our worst enemy, but it is one that is filled with people who are willing to support others.”
Tickets to the Foundations’ Southern Social are on sale now at Ticketmaster.
it just looked worse; now there was a bulge like Uncle Lester had a plug of chewing tobacco in his cheek. We hurriedly pulled the cheesecloth back up as his widow, Aunt Leoma, walked in. Holding our breath, we knew we were done for; she would be a volcano when she saw Uncle Lester’s cheek. Aunt Leoma walked over to the casket, straightened out the cheesecloth, looked at her dearly departed, and said, “That’s just perfect, you never saw your Uncle Lester without a chaw of his Red Hound chewing tobacco, who thought to do that?” I sighed in relief and whispered a prayer, “Ain’t God Good!!”
Bruce Walker chooses to see the humor in life’s situations and he speaks to a wide spectrum of organizations. To contact him, email: bruce.walker2@gmail.com.
Detective Ted Thiele serves as Bear’s handler. Thiele and Bear work together, live together and serve the community as a team.
Madison County West FCA Sports Camp gets underway at Bob Jones
By BOB LABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - Bob Jones High
School is the host site for this week’s Madison County West FCA Sports Camp July 15-19 as hundreds of young Christian athletes ages 7-13 converged onto Madison for the week-long gathering for spiritual leadership and athletics.
Professional instructors will take to their designated sessions of their expertise in their individual sport. The list of the instructors for the FCA is impressive:
Baseball - Will Noles, high
school baseball state champion currently a junior and player for the UAH Chargers baseball team.
Basketball - Tommy Murr, Alabama high school all-time scoring leader (5,716 points) while attending Lindsay Lane Christian Academy. He’s now a senior guard for UAH.
Cheerleading - Erica Bell, nine-year head coach at Cullman High where her squads have won 10 state championships.
Fishing - Kevin Walls, Arab High fishing coach and leads ministry through his church with a soup kitchen called Con-
nect Kitchen.
Football - Devin Wyman, former NFL defensive tackle and indoor football league head coach.
Golf - Jimmy Taylor, co-owner and golf instructor at Madison Golf Center. He’s a certified PGA Class A Professional.
Karate - Dr. Jim Scott, Liberty University Taekwondo Team coach. Seven-time World Champion and retired Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force. Quarterback Clinic - Zak Burnell, Samford and Liberty signal caller and team spiritual leader.
Two current members of the Sparkman High football team have been selected for the Academic All-America Team. James Cangelosi and Zayden Bodner were chosen along with two current members of the Bob Jones football program for the elite group of student-athletes.
Local high school football players named Academic All-American
By BOB LABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
HARVEST - High School
Football America has selected 118 student-athletes from Alabama for its fourth annual Academic All-America Team. All the honorees attained a grade point average of 3.7 or higher while being a contributor to the varsity team in 2023. Both Bob Jones and Spark-
man Highs each had three players selected among the squad representing Alabama for the elite team.
From Bob Jones, Jackson Dean (6-1, 170, 2024, WR), Kaleb Christopher (5-6, 160, 2026, RB) and Colt Dixon (5-10, 170, 2025, WR) were chosen as the trio of Patriots were big blocks of the solid program in 2023 as Bob Jones was 5-6 on the season losing in the first round
of the Class 7A playoffs. In the 11 games, the Pats scored 300 points while allowing 352.
“I feel I was very versatile on the field making the correct calls and able to adjust,” said James Cangelosi, one of three players from Sparkman to make the Academic All-America list. “I’m a super hard worker on the field and very attentive in the classroom.”
See ALL-AMERICAN Page 2B
Joe Davis Stadium to host UNA vs. Jax State collegiate soccer Aug. 18
HUNTSVILLE – Women’s soccer will make its debut in Joe Davis Stadium on Aug. 18 as in-state rivals University of North Alabama (UNA) and Jacksonville State (Jax State) square off, bringing their annual match to a neutral site for the first time.
“We can’t wait to see Jax State and UNA face off for the first women’s soccer match in the newly renovated Joe Davis Stadium!” stated Mark Russell, Huntsville Sports Commission Executive Director. It’ll make for a fun soccer-filled weekend in Rocket City!”
The match will kick off at 7 p.m., and tickets are available through the Huntsville City FC box office website. Tickets are $10 and
“Bringing a women’s soccer rivalry match to Wicks Family Field is going to make this a great weekend of soccer for our fans to enjoy,” said Chad Emerson, Managing Director of HCFC. “Thanks to our partners at the Sports Commission and CVB, we look forward to more of these events in the future.”
UNA is coming off a strong season in 2023, going 11-5-6 and advancing to the ASUN Conference championship game – losing in penalty kicks to Florida Gulf Coast. Head coach Chris Walker returns with 19 players from his squad a year ago.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the city of Huntsville and host our game against Jacksonville State at the fantastic Joe Davis Stadium,” said UNA head coach Chris Walker. “We would love to invite the Huntsville community and UNA alumni in the area to come out and enjoy a great night of women’s college soccer.”
Jax State is continuing its rebuild under second-year head coach Sean Fraser, who led the Gamecocks to a 6-9-2 record in his first campaign in 2023. Jax State’s Head Coach Sean Fraser stated, “We are thrilled to partner with UNA and our friends in Huntsville to provide this unique opportunity for our student athletes, families, alumni, and friends. I appreciate Joel and his team for all of their effort in making this happen.”
The UNA-Jax State match starts a big fall season of soccer events in Huntsville. The Rocket City will host the Gulf South Conference championship in November, followed by the 24-team National Junior College Athletic Association Division II men’s and women’s soccer national championships.
Hundreds of young student-athletes join the festivities that include fellowship and faith at the FCA Sports
Former Sparkman player goes pro; Dell Pettus signs with New England Patriots
By BOB LABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
HARVEST - On July 18, Dell Pettus will report to mini-camp as pre-season workouts officially begin for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. It’s a day he has looked forward to since he began playing youth football for the Monrovia Panthers and worked his way through Sparkman High and soon after for Troy University.
“I feel blessed as I now see all of the hard work I put in since middle school is now coming to the forefront, but I know I still have a lot of work to do,” said Pettus.
The 22-year old was a three-star recruit out of Sparkman where he signed to attend college at Troy. Upon not only earning his college degree, he played five seasons for the Trojans where he was a constant starter with 61 consecutive
FCA
starts and outstanding performer at safety where he had 310 total tackles. His last season with Troy he finished with 74 total tackles in 14 games as Troy was 11-3 on the season including a 17-10 loss to Duke in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 23.
When his college career ended, Pettus, who still calls Harvest home, began looking to the NFL Draft where he was hoping to be chosen to play professional football, which was a childhood dream through all the hard work and hard knocks as a Panther in Monrovia. Each round of the draft came and went without Pettus hearing his name. “I knew there was that possibility, but I just wanted the opportunity to prove myself. I spoke with both Green Bay and New England and finally chose to sign a threeyear contract with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent,” said Pettus.
Continued from page 1B
Soccer - Lenny Muckle, founder of Youth Enjoying Soccer Athletic Club of Pittsburgh. Former professional soccer player.
Softball - Marisa Dunn, former player at Auburn-Montgomery winning two National Championships and is current coach at Albertville High.
Tennis - Steve Machen, collegiate player and coach for two decades.
Track & Field - David Cain, in his 24th season as coach of the UAH track programs. He was inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
Volleybal l- Alex Owen, a Huntsville High graduate who later was an All-American player at Lee University. She now coaches club volleyball teams.
New England needs good defensive players in the style of Pettus as the Pats were 4-13 last season giving up 366 points while scoring just 236.
The rookie class had numerous workouts with the team earlier this year as Pettus said it was efforts to develop each player’s talent, learn the playbook and get accustomed to the life of professional football. It’s more than just a game. Pettus added, “I wouldn’t be where I am without have my mental state in good shape. I feel confident about my position here at New England.” At 5-11, 200 pounds, Pettus looks to be a perfect fit for the position of safety. He has both the necessary speed and strength to make his mark with the team.
“I’m in perfect health, excited to be where I am and taking one day at a time as I know I’m meant to be here,” said Pettus.
New this year is the 13-year old “Gap” Huddles, which includes special participation in soccer, golf, frisbee golf, kickball, Wiffleball, pool time and Top Golf.
The FCA is also hosting two Power Leadership Training (PTL) events. The Middle School Conference will be held July 25-26 at Madison Academy while the High School Conference is set for Aug. 2-3 at the Von Braun Center.
The sports camp will come to a close with Family Night with campers and their families invited for a free dinner and fellowship. The evening will be capped off by an appearance of special guest Matt Adams known world over for being an illusionist and sharing God’s word through his spiritual teachings.
Both events are filled with faith, fun, food and fellowship. Student-athletes must register in advance with each conference featuring special guest speakers. The high school event will feature special guest speakers. The high school event will feature singer Taya, who is most passionate about her music and worship leading today’s youth as they learn about spiritual growth. The middle school conference will feature Hykeng Paul, a specialized speaker from a church in South Carolina. He has a life story that must be heard. It’s a story of his life from rock bottom to God saving him to faith of new heights.
Go to northalabamafca.org or call 256509-3692 for more information.
point average as one of nine children to his parents Joe Bodner and Valerie Williams. “I keep my body in as good of shape as my mind. I hope to have a super season in 2024. We have something to prove as we lost our last five games after a 5-0 start,” added Bodner, who is also the team’s kick holder.
The rising senior (6-2, 194, 2025, LB) played mostly defensive line in 2023 where he started seven varsity games and played in each of the 10 games the Senators played a season ago. He has a 3.7 grade point average and has been working part-time jobs over the several months at Four Leaves Asian Restaurant and Alumni Hall at Bridge Street Town Centre to help save money for what he hopes will be a great college education. He will most likely move to middle linebacker in the upcoming campaign.
Also on the academic list is fellow Senator Zayden Bodner (6-0, 190, 2026, WR) who played in all 10 games for the 5-5 Senators while starting five at wide receiver. Overall, he had 10 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown for the offense that posted 321 points on the season.
“I feel I’m a student-athlete who takes seriously the balance needed to excel at both an athlete and a student as I value my academics,” said Bodner, who goes into his junior year with a 4.0 grade
The youngest of five children of Jacob and Dawn Cangelosi, the young Cangelosi recently received an offer to Faulkner University.
The third player from Sparkman who made the specially selected list was Jayden “Drip” Thomas (6-0, 170, 2024, RB/WR), a graduate of the 2024 class.
The 2023 HSFA Academic All-America team is made up of over 4,000 student-athletes. Over the first four years, the organization has honored more than 14-thousand student-athletes from across America.
“I feel I have placed myself into the leadership role on our team and I’m ready for the upcoming 2024 season here at Sparkman,” added Cangelosi.
Dell Pettus is wearing No. 34 as he works out with the New England Patriots after signing as a free agent with the National Football League team. The rookie out of Troy University is a 2019 graduate of Sparkman High.
Sparkman hires two new head coaches for basketball program
By BOB LABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
HARVEST - The off-season has been anything but slow among the halls of Sparkman High in Harvest. The Class 7A School has been busy attempting to fulfill two head coach vacancies within the school’s basketball program. Gone are Jamie Coggins, after 12 seasons as head coach of the boys, and Jarvis Wilson, who vacated the position as head coach of the girls team after just three years.
Obadiah Threadgill IV is the new boys basketball coach for the Senators making his way to Sparkman from Pike Road High, located southeast of Montgomery, where he was head coach for three seasons. He also coached at LaFayette High and Sanford Middle School. He was named Class 2A Coach of the Year in 2015 while at LaFayette where his team won the Class 2A State Championship. He has an over-
New Sparkman boys basketball coach Obadiah Threadgill IV grew up in Tuskegee and has deep roots in Alabama. He joins the Senators’ staff from LaFayette where he won a Class 2A State Championship in 2015.
all head coaching record of 20460 scanning nine seasons.
“I’m excited to be here at Sparkman where I know basketball is very important to the school and community,” said Threadgill, 42. “I look forward
to taking the coaching baton and running with it. I am passionate about high school athletics and deeply committed to the success of all students. I am eager to get started and help our athletes reach their full potential on and off the court.”
For the Lady Senators, another coach with ties to South Alabama comes to the Tennessee Valley as Emily Flanigan arrived from Foley High, which is located just north of Gulf Shores. She was head coach for four seasons winning three Area Championships and earning back-to-back Elite Eight berths. In 2023-2024, her squad finished 18-8 and won the Class 7A, Area 2 title.
She was a three-sport athlete at Fayette County High graduating in 2002 later playing college basketball at both Shelton State and West Alabama earning a bachelor’s degree in Sociology: Social Work. She soon earned her master’s degree in Physical Education in 2010. She had her
first head coaching job in 2013. Her overall record at Foley was 78-29.
“I look forward to building on the strong foundation of the girls basketball program as I am passionate about mentoring
Sparkman hires new girls soccer head coach
By STAFF REPORTS
HARVEST - The administration at Sparkman High has gone deep in the experience levels for its new girls’ soccer coach. The Class 7A school has named Randy Lilavois as its new head coach of the Senators’ girls soccer program coming into the school with an impressive career spanning over two decades. The 50-year old Lilavois brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to the Lady Senators.
“Joining the Sparkman family is a fantastic opportunity as I look forward to contributing to the growth and success of the soccer programs and helping athletes achieve their goals,” said Lilavois, who possess numerous national certifications in coaching soccer along with an education that is very impressive.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from California State in 1997 and has additional educational success from National University Costa Mesa, Cal. and a master’s in Cross-Cultural Teaching. He arrives at Sparkman where he will teach English.
He began his head coaching experience in 2003 at a high school in Las Vegas while his stops included most recently at Hazel Green where he was head coach from 2016-2022. He comes to Sparkman from East Limestone High where he was strictly a teacher, but he was also head coach of the NOW Soccer Academy where he focused on individual player development.
He arrived in Alabama 13 years ago with his two daughters. One will be a junior at Sparkman while his oldest daughter will be a junior studying at UAB.
has been named the new head coach of the Sparkman High girl’s soccer program. His experience as a coach spans over two decades.
Rada starts fiesta at Toyota Field
Trash Pandas walk-off Blue
Wahoos with 4-3 win to close series before break
MADISON – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (43-43, 10-8) collected their third walk-off win of the 2024 season with a 4-3 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (49-37, 11-7) to head into the All-Star break.
Pensacola took advantage of a dropped fly ball from Trash Pandas outfielder Orlando Martinez which extended the first. That led to a two-run bomb from designated hitter Zach Zubia one batter later to put the Blue Wahoos ahead.
The Trash Pandas got a run back in the second as infielder Arol Vera recorded a sacrifice fly. Catcher Myles Emmerson gave the Trash Pandas the lead in the fourth with a bases-loaded single to drive home a pair of runs.
Trash Pandas starting pitcher Chase Chaney navigated through the first four innings of the game in his second start of the series as he allowed two unearned runs with five strikeouts.
Rocket City reliever Michael Dar-
rell-Hicks struck out three batters in his lone inning of work during the fifth for what was his first appearance since July 1. Trash Pandas reliever Brett Kerry (W, 1-0) followed Hicks and tossed a perfect sixth inning before infielder Dalvy Rosario belted a solo homer to tie the game at three in the seventh. With the game still tied in the bottom of the ninth, Rocket City had runners at the corners and two away when outfielder Nelson Rada laced the first pitch into shallow right field for the walk-off hit against Blue Wahoos stopper Raffi Vizcaíno (L, 4-3).
The hit was Rada’s third of the game as he reached base in all four of his at-bats. Emmerson ended with his first four-hit game as a Trash Panda and Kerry allowed just two hits during the final four innings of the game. Rocket City will now head to Kodak this Friday for the final time to face the Tennessee Smokies in a three-game series. Josh Caray will have the call on Talk Radio WZZN 97.7-2 FM HD-2, WAAY 31.6 The Grio and streaming on MiLB.TV.
athletes and helping
achieve their full potential
and off the court,” said
gan. The 40-year old is married to Byron, who will act as her assistant coach at
and
young
them
on
Flani-
Sparkman,
they have two children.
Emily Flanigan is the new head coach of the Sparkman High girls basketball program. With a rich history in athletes, she brings a wealth of experience and success developing young athletes.
Longtime soccer coach Randy Lilavois
The Rocket City Trash Pandas collected their third walk-off win of the 2024 season thanks to Nelson Rada (above) with a 4-3 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to head into the All-Star break.
Google was initially called BackRub. The research
Business Facts BUSINESS
project Sergey Brin and Larry Page undertook at Stanford University was termed BackRub but in 1997, they renamed their search engine to Google because it was a play on the mathematical expression for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.
Space & Rocket Center CEO to speak at ‘Business Over Breakfast’
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - Dr. Kimberly Robinson, Executive Director and CEO of U.S. Space & Rocket Center, will be the featured speaker at the July session of “Business Over Breakfast,” sponsored by Madison Chamber of Commerce.
A quarterly event, Business
Over Breakfast spotlights different industries at each session.
“After a sold-out program at June’s event, we are excited to announce our next presenter, Dr. Kimberly Robinson,” Madison Chamber President Michelle Epling said.
The Jackson Center, 6001 Moquin Drive NW in Huntsville, will be the venue for this event on July 24 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
“Dr. Robinson will be giving a talk titled, ‘U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Return of the Spaceline.’ Be sure to secure your tickets today. The event has limited seating available,” Epling said.
Robinson has compiled 30-plus years in her career at NASA and
has led the space center since February 2021. She has worked to develop space-faring ships, train astronauts and handle strategy and communications. She has received numerous NASA performance awards, including the Exceptional Achievement Medal and the Silver Snoopy. (hsvchamber.org)
Her professional background includes leadership, public engagement, engineering, education, flight crew training and hands-on experience shaping the nation’s space program. Previously, Robinson served as NASA’s Utilization Manager for Advanced Exploration Systems and was Payload Mission Manager for Artemis I, the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
At Vanderbilt University, she received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Robinson earned master and doctorate’s degrees in engineering management and systems engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
“Along with her vast experi-
ence with NASA, Dr. Robinson (has brought) an innovative spirit and the leadership skills needed to guide the rocket center as we plan for the future,” Joe Newberry said. Newberry is Board Chairman of Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission.
Kimberly Robinson and husband Keith Robinson are parents of three sons. An avid volunteer, she serves as Vice President for A New Leash on Life, an animal rescue organization. She has taught at Oakwood University and UAH.
The Presenting Sponsor for Business Over Breakfast is Meta. To register, visit madisonalchamber.com. For more information, email office@madisonalchamber.com or visit rocketcenter.com.
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
MONROVIA - City Ad-
ministrator, John Hamilton joined the Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber and Capstone Communities to celebrate the grand opening of The Villas at Old Monrovia, a 276-unit, low-density multifamily development located off Research Park Blvd.
“Huntsville is a rapidly growing city, and we look at the work of the may-
or, our city council, our chamber and other partners around, who are delivering lots of job opportunities in Huntsville; it’s why you see growth,” said John Hamilton, Huntsville City Administrator.
“So why us? Why do people choose Huntsville to be a part of their equation?
They ask where can I live and raise my family in a good quality community?
This is why we are proud to have partners like Capstone Communities with
the vision and capacity to deliver a place where people choose to live.”
The Villas at Old Monrovia marks Capstone’s tenth BFR community across the Southeast and sits on approximately 29 acres south of the company’s inaugural BFR community, The Cottages at Old Monrovia.
“Our first cottage development in Huntsville leased up quickly and demonstrated Huntsville’s strong demand for
this high-quality, flexible housing product,” stated Jim Beatty, vice president of development for Capstone Communities.
“Huntsville has positioned itself as a fast-growing, vibrant region of the state char-
acterized by innovation, progress and growth, and we’re excited for the opportunity to continue creating communities in Alabama’s largest city on the rise.”
“Innovative housing concepts like The Villas at
Old Monrovia play a pivotal role in driving growth and shaping the future of our community,” said the Claire Aiello, vice president of marketing & communications, Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber.
Dr. Kimberly Robinson, Executive Director and CEO of U.S. Space & Rocket Center, will speak
Madison Chamber of Commerce’s “Business Over Breakfast” session on July 24.
A ribbon cutting event was held for The Villas at Old Monrovia last week.
HISTORY with John Rankin
Rachael A Pauper
By JOHN P. RANKIN Madison Historian
MADISON - A few years ago, while photographing old deed books of “Real Property” for the Probate Court’s Madison County Records Center as a volunteer, my attention was caught by an entry in Deed Book “P”. Normally, I avoided reading any particular entry in order to maintain my speed of capturing each page of the large books. There are almost a hundred such books covering the 1800s here. They average over 600 pages each, and I photographed every page of all of them through about 1920 to digitally preserve the recordings of land transactions during the 1800s and early 1900s here. However, the item of Book P on page 270 didn’t fit as a land transaction. Its heading was “Rachael A Pauper”. My first thought was that “Pauper” was a strange surname. Furthermore, it was highly unusual that there was no other person listed as the recipient of the transaction. That motivated me to slow down and read enough to see what this record was all about.
A seven-page entry found in Madison County Deed Book P about Rachael began with an 1813 court action in Virginia. Rachael was a slave who had been allowed to sue her “owner” (John Draper Sr.) in the Quarterly Sessions Court of Wythe County for her own freedom and for that of her child, Juda. The first page indicated that Rachael was joined in the suit by her brother Sam and a child. The complaint was that the owner had committed “trespass, assault and battery, and false imprisonment” plus unspecified “other wrongs” against them.
The testimony related back to events of March 1, 1770, when Thomas Clay (a grandson of the famous Henry Clay) attacked them “with staves and swords” in the Southam Parish of Cumberland County, Virginia. They were taken and impressed as slaves, serving Thomas Clay for several years until they were given to William Clay (uncle of Thomas) as security on a debt.
In 1774 the ownership of Rachael and her child was legally transferred by Thomas Clay to William’s son Mitchell Clay. At that time Rachael was described as a Negro aged 20 with child Juda, age 7. This would mean that Rachael at age 13 gave birth to her daughter Juda, who would have been born in 1767. Mitchell Clay subsequently sold both Rachael and Juda to John Draper for “120 pounds” (of the old English monetary system). The 1813 lawsuit against their last “owner”, John Draper, requested “60 pounds” damages, which was later specified as $500.
The Virginia court in 1813 awarded Rachael and her daughter their freedom plus “one penny” -- a far cry from the $500 that was requested by the plaintiffs, especially when considering that they had been unlawfully enslaved for 43 years. However, before the ruling was implemented, the decision was appealed by Draper. Depositions were taken in 1818 and 1819 from Susannah Clay (wife of Thomas Clay, who was then deceased). Testimony over the years revealed that Thomas had also been separately sued by Sam for his freedom, which was granted to Sam around 1815. Furthermore, John Clay, another son of William Clay, had owned a slave named Peter who had already been freed by the Virginia court. Yet another son of William, Elijah Clay, had owned slaves James and Bess, who had likewise been freed by the court in a prior case. All of these presumed slaves had been determined to be descendants of “Chance,” a Catawba Indian woman who was the mother of “Nann” and “Judy”. Nann was Rachael’s mother, and under the laws of slavery, the mother’s status determined a child’s status with
freedom or enslavement. The law did not establish freedom for children based upon the father’s status, whether the father was either free or slave. That system had been set up so that owners could produce enslaved Mulatto children by their slaves. It is hard to imagine, but this was not an uncommon practice to increase the owner’s number of slave holdings to work the fields of cotton in the South. In other words, the system allowed lifetime enslavement of the mixed-race children sired by anyone, including their landowners. Newly-purchased adult male slaves were very expensive, so this method helped to create rapid growth of the wealth of plantation owners. However, there were some cases of such owners later repenting of such treatment of their own children, so they then either freed them in the South or took them into northern states to emancipate them. One such local case involved a former Governor of Alabama (Gabriel Moore), but there were also several others in Madison County’s history.
Rachael and her Juda in 1826 finally experienced the freedom granted by the Virginia court in 1813, which occurred 56 years after their enslavement. That took far too long in contested court actions and 13 years of appeals. During the extended legal processes Rachel and her daughter took the surname Fendley, which may be a variant of local surnames Finley and Finney. There was even a Bouldin involved in the litigations, and all of these surnames appear here in the early days of Madison County. The Virginia records were entered into Madison County’s “real property” (land) files in 1835 since probate records of that time documented slaves as property. “Free papers” (evidence of emancipation) were necessary for those who had been freed and were no longer enslaved.
Rachael probably never came here in her old age after achieving freedom, but the 1830 census shows free non-White “Jenny Findley” as head of a household at age 24-36 in Huntsville. It is possible that this was Rachael’s grandchild, as a child of “Juda”, considering that Juda was born in 1767. That could explain why the case history was filed here, to protect a later-generation Juda (Jenny) from further threat of enslavement by reason of certified descent from the Catawba Indian woman “Chance” with connections to the Powhaton Indian tribe back in eastern Virginia. Indians were considered a “free nation” and not legally enslaved.
Another intriguing possibility is that Juda or Jenny came here after freedom to live in the Triana area. Obviously, someone saw a need to in 1835 file the details of the Virginia court case in Madison County in order to assure their freedom here during that time of continuing slavery. There have long been stories told of a “Free Nation” of a group of settlers who formed a village or series of communities around the area where today’s Indian Creek meets the Tennessee River. The “Free Nation” was not officially recognized or its presence recorded by the U. S. Government’s land records, so it remains as a sort of unofficial early Indian reservation or a tale in historical folklore.
The old tales maintain that the local “Free Nation” members consisted not only of people from an amalgamation of Indian tribes, especially of the Powhaton tribe, but also some dark-skinned Portuguese sailors who were shipwrecked in Virginia and in other American east coast areas. The sailors that survived shipwrecks along the eastern coast of the Carolinas found themselves among native Indian tribes that are known to have migrated westward to this area in the 1700s. Intermarriages were known to have occurred, and later pioneers in
this area found that several chiefs of the various small tribes were actually White men, or at least of mixed race, or Indians who took the names of White men. Much of the early history of the known Indian tribes and towns in Alabama, including for this area, is documented in such books as “The Alabama Historical Quarterly” produced and edited by Marie Bankhead Owen (wife of noted Alabama State Historian Thomas Owen) and Emmett Kilpatrick, as published in Volume 12 in 1950 by the Alabama State Department of Archives and History.
The printed accounts also told of various White members of the Free Nation who did not desire to live among the White pioneer settlers who came after the “Free Nation” communities were already established here. Some credence is gained about these stories by the fact that in the southeastern portion of the Redstone Arsenal is the PowhatonToney Cemetery, where some people of the Toney name are buried. In fact, one such person named Powhaton Toney was found in old census records of the area. That man was listed as a Black man in the census records, which was not unusual for Indian people of the time.
The Powhaton-Toney Cemetery is near Triana, which is where the “Free Nation” was said to have been located in a sort of unofficial mixed-race Indian reservation from the time before the early 1800 years. Perhaps Juda / Judy / Jenny’s descendants came here in 1835 to live free with her Powhaton Indian relatives. This could especially be likely if the unnamed father of Juda had been of the Powhaton tribe when Rachael was impregnated at a young age, which would not be unusual then. Intermarriages with young girls to be wives or even slaves among the tribes was not at all unusual in those times. In fact, it is also known that the Cherokee in this area had slaves into the 1800s. Carla Toney and others have even written books available at Barnes & Noble and from Amazon about such multitribal Indians who migrated in search of “no man’s” land where they could safely settle in peace. Some of them may have ended up in the Triana area, where there are several Toney families that were established from early historical times of this area. Maybe in the future some official records will be found to confirm the implied linkages.
The Moon is a celestial body, or satellite, that orbits around planet Earth. Scientists generally agree that the Moon most likely formed when a large body, close to the size of Mars, hit the Earth. The impact would have destroyed the body that hit the Earth, as well as several outer layers of the Earth. The debris from such an event would have then been pulled back together by gravity and formed the Moon. For billions of years afterwards, while the solar system was still young, the Earth and the Moon were both bombarded by meteors crashing into them. Earth’s scars from that time have mostly healed from weather and erosion, but the craters on the Moon are still visible. The final stage in the Moon’s formation occurred over the next two billion years. Molten lava seeped up from beneath the surface forming dark areas called maria. The Moon’s surface hardened into the grayish-green landscape that it still has today. There is no weather on the Moon. There are no clouds and no atmosphere (the gases that surround a planet). The sky is always black and starry, and there is only a whisper of wind which is caused by the Sun. Craters created billions of years ago remain practically unchanged. The largest is about 700 miles wide. Meteors, comets, and asteroids can hit the Moon with massive force causing debris to splash out of the craters and form gray streaks called rays. They can be a thousand miles long. No life exists in the Moon’s dusty soil. The gravity on the Moon is one-sixth of that on the Earth, which means a person weighing 100 pounds on Earth would only weigh 16.5 pounds on the Moon. The Moon does not produce its own light. It reflects light from the Sun allowing us to see it from Earth. The time the Moon takes to turn on its axis and the time it takes to orbit the Earth is just over 27 days. This causes us to only see one side, the near side, of the Moon as it goes through its monthly phase. The part we cannot see is called the far-side. The average temperature for the side of the Moon facing the sun is 225 degrees, while it is -243 degrees for the side experiencing night!
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOON WAS ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG? THE APOLLO 11 MISSION LANDED ON THE MOON ON JULY 20, 1969. THE LAST HUMANS ON THE MOON LANDED IN 1972. THE CURRENT ARTEMIS PROGRAM WITH NASA HAS ASTRONAUTS GOING BACK TO THE MOON IN 2025 OR 2026!
CONNECT THE DOTS
How are your roots?
By BECKY MILLER
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19 Most everyone knows to have a healthy plant, bush, or tree the root system needs to be good. No rot, disease, varmints or insects eating away at it.
The same applies for a follower of Christ. Are your roots weak and barely able to get you the nourishment you need or are you intentionally feeding your spirit daily by praying, reading God’s word, listening to Christian radio, reading devotions and so forth.
If you say you are a follower of Christ, then you must be rooted and grounded in Him to thrive and go on each day armed for spiritual warfare. Don’t be a wilted weak believer, go get strong right now.
PRAYER: I need you Lord every day. I need to focus on you and not earthly issues. Pour your spirit out on me now. 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.
Alabama Extension Service:
Get those pumpkins planted, Halloween starts in July
AUBURN UNIVERSITY — Halloween season starts in July, at least according to gardening standards. For those wanting to grow their own pumpkins for spooky jack-o’-lanterns or festive fall centerpieces, early to mid-July is the time to get those pumpkin seeds in the ground.
Getting Started
Bethany O’Rear, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System home grounds, gardens and home pests regional agent, said the cultivar a gardener decides to plant depends on the intended use for the pumpkins.
“There are certain pumpkin cultivars that are better suited for uses such as carving or making pies,” O’Rear said. “There are also many novelty cultivars that are great to decorate with, such as ‘Cinderella’ and warty pumpkins. In addition to traditional orange pumpkins, there are some cultivars that produce some pretty unique colors, including green, yellow, tan, red, white and even blue.”
When buying seeds, look for the days to harvest listed on the package. The following are some common pumpkin cultivars:
• Miniature. ‘Baby Boo’, ‘Bumpkin’, ‘Jack-Be-Little’, ‘Munchkin’ and ‘WeeeeOne’
• Large. ‘Cinderella’, ‘Fairytale’, ‘Gold Medal’, ‘Magician’ and ‘Sorcerer’
Other pumpkin cultivars can be found in the Extension Brief, “Managing a Pumpkin Crop.”
Individuals interested in planting pumpkins can also contact the home grounds regional Extension agent in their area for information on a specific cultivar.
Planting and Managing
Pumpkins are like any other vegetable crop. They need to be planted in an area that has welldrained soil. This is especially important for pumpkins, because the fruit makes direct contact with the ground. If the soil is constantly wet, the pumpkins will rot on the vine.
O’Rear said to try planting pumpkins on a raised soil area. In this case, gravity will help drain the water drain away from the plants. They also need to be planted in a spot that receives approximately six to eight hours of sunlight each day.
“Keep in mind that pumpkins are vining crops, so they are going to take up a lot of room,” O’Rear said. “You don’t necessarily have to have a giant garden plot, but just be mindful to choose a spot that gives the pumpkins room to grow.”
Pumpkins are in the Cucurbitaceae family, along with vegetables like cucumbers and squash. As a cucurbit, one of the biggest management issues related to pumpkins is fungal diseases. These can include downey mil-
dew, powdery mildew, fusarium wilt and phytophthora.
“It is not impossible to grow pumpkins in an organic situation, but these fungal diseases make it very challenging,” O’Rear said. “Cultural practices, such as crop rotation, are very helpful in disease management. Also, it is very important to scout for symptoms, using fungicides when needed.”
A cultural practice is a change made in the growing environment. This includes things like changing planting dates, rotating crops, mowing and irrigat-
ing. Contact the home grounds regional agent in the county Extension office for control recommendations.
Harvesting
The harvesting timelines for pumpkins and winter squashes are different than other vegetables. For example, summer squashes are harvested while they are still immature. However, it is important to wait to harvest pumpkins and winter squashes until they are fully matured.
“After harvesting, it is rec-
ommended that the pumpkins go through a process called curing, which extends the lives of the pumpkins,” O’Rear said.
“This process can also help heal wounds, ripen immature fruit and enhance color.” To cure a pumpkin, store them at 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit in a place that has 75 to 80% relative humidity for 10 to 20 days.
More information on harvesting and curing is available in the Alabama Extension publication, “Harvesting, Curing and Post Harvest Care of Pumpkins and Winter Squash.”
