June 2014

Griffi n, Gregory merge households, memories in Heritage Plantation Madison Mission Church spreads Good News of

good health with Ready Set Move fi tness program.

Spirits Willing, Flesh… Healthy?

Walker gains kayak expertise, cultural

perspective in Uganda

Madison Golf Center celebrates a long history, plans a high-tech expansion

Madison Golf Center celebrates a long history, plans a high-tech expansion

Orchids: Patience, perseverance cultivate nature’s bold fl owers

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Madison Living 3

Huntsville • Decatur | 201 Governors Drive • Huntsville, AL 35801 Toll Free: 1-888-736-1762 • 256-533-1600 • www.spineandneuro.com

Re� ecting half a century of excellence in neurosurgery.A lot has changed since we started in 1964, but our commitment as the regional leader is stronger than ever. From the latest minimally-invasive neck and back treatments to 24/7 trauma care, Spine & Neuro Center combines con� dent care with a convenient, patient-focused facility. Fi� y years is more than a nice round number — it’s experience you can feel good about.

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Madison Living is published monthly by Madison Publications, LLC.

featuresARTS & CULTUREWALKER GAINS KAYAK EXPERTISE, CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE IN UGANDA

10

ORCHIDS: PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE CULTIVATE NATURE’S BOLD FLOWERS

IN THE BIZMADISON GOLF CENTER CELEBRATES A LONG HISTORY, PLANS A HIGH-TECH EXPANSION

HEALTHSPIRITS WILLING, FLESH… HEALTHY?

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4 Madison Living

Walker inUganda

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

ARTS & CULTURE

Madison Living 5

Ugandan children taught 16-year-old Jacob Walker a life lesson about gratitude while he

trained in freestyle kayaking. For four weeks in early 2014, Walker

pursued kayak training in Uganda for upcoming summer competitions in Colorado and Idaho. Last summer, he placed sixth among junior men in the National Kayak Freestyle Championship.

Walker’s quest was to kayak “one of the world’s best rivers, the White Nile, before another dam is built and floods the rapids.” He also wanted to witness

a different way of life and help those villagers.

Walker and his coach Stephen Wright joined other kayakers to tent-camp on The Hairy Lemon, an island in the middle of the Nile. This site is about four hours from Uganda’s capital, Kampala. “Many ex-patriots spend their vacation time there, not just kayakers,” Walker said.

“The sport of freestyle kayaking is the perfect combination of a roller coaster and water,” Walker said. “It just makes me happy inside. Kayaking is as challenging and as intense as you want it to be.”

Walker gains kayak expertise, cultural perspective in UgandaWRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKERPHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO AND CONTRIBUTED

6 Madison Living

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His kayak peers “are some of the most amazing, friendly people you can imagine.”

Passion for the sport is one of Walker’s strengths but ironically exposes a weakness. “It leaves little time for my body to keep up with how much I want to paddle,” he said.

Although Uganda’s offi cial language is English, the locals speak amongst themselves in Lugandan in at least eight different dialects, depending on which side of the river. “They call all white people ‘Mzungu,’” Walker said.

Malaria poses a huge problem for children and pregnant women. “We spent time educating the villages on ways to prevent malaria and why mosquito nets are important,” Walker said. He sold nets for $3 each, which a local earns in about 1.5 days.

An hour from camp, he helped a clinic in Jinja fi nd malnourished children and transport them to a health center that explains a balanced diet. Sometimes, families have enough food but don’t eat healthy amounts of a variety of foods.

The river kayakers fascinated the local children. “Kids loved to carry our gear and boats and to help hold a tow rope,” Walker said.

However, village elders have asked visitors to stop paying children, allowing only 50 cents maximum daily. “It was throwing off the balance of families.

Children from the nearby village were eager to help

Jacob Walker and other kayakers during their stay

on The Hairy Lemon.

Madison Living 7

Children were skipping school to work and making more money in one day than their parents made in two weeks,” Walker said.

Photographs also amazed the youngsters. “They couldn’t believe their eyes,” he said. Without cameras or mirrors, they had never seen a clear refl ection of themselves.

Along with kayaking, Walker liked playing disc golf, stargazing at night and slacklining, similar to tightrope walking but on a lower, more buoyant line.

“My favorite memories are listening to the kids call me ‘Mzungu’ and trading my clothes to the children for sweet bananas,” he said. “The cool thing is they would trade with me, but, if my shirt or shorts didn’t fi t, they found a friend to give them to.”

They “shared what they had with smiles on their faces ... when they have so little. It’s amazing how happy they are with their lives. They aren’t greedy or bitter. They have so little from our perspective but,

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

— Jacob Walker

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

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

8 Madison Living

to them, everything is fine,” Walker said.

At home, Walker trains on rivers across the Southeast, including the Chattahoochee in Auburn, Rock Island, Ocoee in Tennessee, Nantahala in North Carolina — even the Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.

Walker is a home-school senior with Lifegate Christian Academy. His parents are James and Carol Walker.

Jacob’s sisters are Kathryn, Sarah, Emily and Samantha in eighth, sixth, fourth and second grade, respectively. The Walkers attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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

Madison Living 9

HOME

Griffin, Gregory merge households, memories in

Heritage Plantation

Their home refl ects the facade of Tom Griffi n’s family farm home, Pleasant Vale, in Danville, Kentucky.

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

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

Madison Living 11

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Edyie Gregory and Jody Griffi n have defi ed the odds. Throughout life, these sisters remain best friends and now share a home in Heritage Plantation.

Their only squabbles involved “a little dispute over boyfriends early on,” Edyie said. Growing up in Danville, Kentucky, they all attended the University of Kentucky and remain loyal UK fans.

Jody and Tom Griffi n moved to Alabama 35 years ago and started their business, Griffi n Appraisals. They retired in 2003 when Tom turned 75. Their daughter-in-law Julie Griffi n manages the business today.

Tom and Jody were married 53 years, before his death about two years ago. The Griffi n sons are Ken of Evansville, Indiana; Rob of Madison; and Bill of Colorado Springs, Colorado. “We have eight grandsons, one granddaughter and two great-granddaughters,” Jody said.

The Griffi ns chose Heritage Plantation for a home on a lake. “Our Realtor and friend Pat Glenn (we share grandchildren) told us a new subdivision with lake lots was being developed,” Jody said. “We chose our lot from the plat and built our home in 1998.”

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKERPHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BREWER

The girl statues have headwear that matches the season. Edyie

brought her ‘girl’ from Virginia to join the girl that Jody owned.

12 Madison Living

Their two-story brick home uses federal architecture to replicate the facade of Tom’s family farm home, Pleasant Vale, in Danville.

The traditional home features many antiques, mostly family pieces from the Sims (their maiden name) and Griffin families. In the foyer, an antique sideboard greets guests. A prism lamp generates conversational questions.

A hall mirror of cherry extends nine feet. The living room has lady and gentleman chairs in cherry. The dining room is furnished entirely with antiques, including a teacart.

An extension of the kitchen, their sunroom has a grandfather’s clock, Edyie and Jody’s childhood photographs framed in gold leaf and mahogany desk with north wind chair.

Married 48 years, David and Edyie Gregory pursued “a lifetime of military service” both stateside and in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and Heidelberg and Stuttgart, Germany. For his Pentagon assignment, they lived in Virginia until David’s death in 2007.

In 2012, Jody convinced her sister to move to Madison. Edyie had a three-day estate sale, giving dibs to daughter Cheryl Gregory of Alexandria, Virginia and Dave Gregory Jr. of Elizabeth, Colorado.

“I began my ultimate journey with great excitement,” Edyie said. “No looking back for this

An intricately carved wall clock oversees one corner

of the Gregory’s suite.

Madison Living 13

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

Their mother’s twin beds and grandmother’s hobnail

cranberry light are in Edyie’s guest bedroom.

14 Madison Living

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lady.”Before moving to Madison, Edyie found a contractor to

remodel two upstairs rooms and bath. She renovated the space that Tom and Jody had used for Griffin Appraisals’ office into a suite measuring 25 by 20 feet that overlooks the lake.

Edyie furnished her suite with a definite Asian flair, using accessories collected during military life. She added “a smattering of German Gustaf Regulator clocks, hand-blown crystal in a lighted corner cabinet and items from Viet Nam and China.”

Edyie’s guest bedroom has her mother’s twin cherry beds and her grandmother’s hobnail cranberry light. “In a treasure hunt in Stuttgart, I found the most beautiful marble-top commode and two marbled tables ... free for the taking.”

After gutting the bathroom, she installed heated flooring, a Travertine-tiled shower with eight jets and rain showerhead. “It, too, is Asian in motif with stunning black Chinese wallpaper. I could live in that shower with soft music and a glass of wine,” Edyie said.

Whimsical statuary with two girls on a bench oversees the driveway. “Edyie brought her ‘girl’ from Virginia to join mine,” Jody said. The girls’ accessories change with the seasons -- knit hats for winter, bonnets for spring.

The sisters learned to appreciate plants’ and trees’ beauty from their father, Malcolm Sims, a garden center and landscape business owner. Edyie and Jody call their love of gardening “playing in the dirt.”

Leaving behind her Virginian garden, Edyie now struggles with the challenge of Alabama clay. The sisters tend an herb garden with rosemary, lemon thyme, basil and oregano, among others.

“So my best friend and I continue this journey of life in Alabama with great anticipation and love of friends and family,” Edyie said.

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

Orchids:Patience, perseverance cultivate nature’s bold flowers

ARTS & CULTURE

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKERPHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

Rich purple explodes on this Phalaenopsis orchid.

16 Madison Living

Some are bright, others mottled and almost ominous. Tall and tiny. Single showstoppers or

clustered beauty. Orchids are exotic, respected flowers that growers cherish.

Deb Delmas of Huntsville, Heart of Dixie Orchid Society president, learned blooming tips for her deep-purple Miltionopsis Dark Star orchid at a 2003 meeting. Soon, the plant grew six influorescenses (flower clusters) with four blooms each, totaling 24 flowers.

Delmas’ orchid won a blue ribbon at a Nashville show. “I was amazed to do something so wonderful. I was definitely hooked,” she said.

Delmas started growing orchids in her kitchen, then the sunroom. In 2012, her husband Jeff and niece Haley Delmas built a greenhouse to house most of her collection. “I take many orchids outdoors for ‘Summer Camp,’ where they flourish,” Delmas said. “They get their energy to set

buds for next year’s blooms.” “Orchids are so diverse. I could

spend a lifetime learning about the varieties,” Delmas said. She always keeps the plant’s name tag for online research for best growing conditions. Most flowers bloom from light and temperature changes.

Delmas specializes in Vanda falcata orchids, documented since the 1600s and collected by Japanese Samurai for the head Shogun. The fancy of rich nobles, Vanda orchids were covered by a gold or silver net for protection. When viewing plants, admirers had to cover their mouths with thin paper.

A relative gave Edna Bryan of Madison her first orchid. Today, she owns more than 1,200 of the prized specimens.

To care for her orchids, Bryan built a greenhouse, 20 by 46 feet, for optimum growing conditions. Bryan monitors humidity, temperature and lighting. “I run fans all the time. I turn on heating and cooling, as needed,” she said.

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

Madison Living 17

Her inventory includes the most popular species of orchids —Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Paphiopedilum, Psychopsis and Bulbophyllum. “I do not have a favorite. They’re all beautiful,” Bryan said.

Bryan admits orchids are tricky to grow “if you don’t know the culture they prefer. If you learn how they grow in nature, they’re easy as any other plant.”

A Paphiopedilum, or Lady’s Slipper, probably was her most beautiful flower. A distinctive species, ‘paphs’ have waxy blooms in deep colors lasting weeks, sometimes months.

Since 1994, Bob and Marion Fallon of Madison have amassed about 2,000 orchids. They bought their first orchid at a Heart of Dixie Orchid Society show. “I was attracted by their many different colors, shapes, sizes and fragrances,” he said.

The Fallons’ orchids live in their two greenhouses year-round, except a few outside for summer. Several fans and louvers constantly circulate air. An automatic misting system waters bare-root varieties.

They primarily grow Paphiopedilum, Bulbophyllum, Cattleya and Vanda varieties.

Bob Fallon’s favorites are Cattleyas, the ‘corsage orchid’ with large, showy blooms, and the unique Bulbophyllums. The largest genus, Bulbophyllums

18 Madison Living

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

Cattleya orchids are one of Bob Fallon’s favorite varieties.

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

Madison Living 19

range from single blossoms to clusters in a myriad of shapes, some resembling jellyfi sh with dangling tentacles or a miniature UFO.

Marion Fallon prefers Paphiopedilums (Lady Slippers), some indigenous to Alabama.

“Like most plants, orchids grow best under conditions close to their native environment. Different species like different amounts of sun, water and temperature,” Bob said. “Fortunately, many orchids will grow between 60 and 95 degrees with various amounts of shade.

Major pests for orchids are aphids, mealy bugs, scale and fungus. “Ants can also be a problem,” Fallon said.

A Cattleya ranks as Fallon’s overall favorite specimen “with blue, pink and white markings in the fl owers.” However, other orchids in “the bright whites, the reds, the blues and the yellows are all very close.”

Heart of Dixie Orchid Society meets monthly on the third Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Membership is not required to attend. “The group is more than willing to help new growers with their orchid problems and show them how to repot their plants,” Fallon said.

For more information, call Diane Campen at 256-864-9470.

The common name for a Paphiopedilum orchid is Lady Slipper.

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Wolde Flooring is a family-owned business with over 60 combined years of experience in the industry. Founded on exceptional service and rooted in Christian principals, it is our goal to be the best fl ooring company in North Alabama.

We know that there are many options in today’s market. Let our knowledgeable staff help you make the right choices. From design, free estimate and expert installation, we help you along the way.

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Nathan Wolde

FLOORING SALE!

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Celebrating 12 YearsIn Business Supporting Our Local Customers

EXCLUSIVELIFETIME

WARRANTY

GRANITE STARTING AT

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INSTALLED!

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$3.99 SQ.FT.

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CARPET AND CUSHION

• FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED• VAST SAMPLE SELECTION• KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF• COMPETITIVE PRICES• SHOP AT HOME• FREE ESTIMATES

Employee Spotlight

Wolde Flooring is a family-owned business with over 60 combined years of experience in the industry. Founded on exceptional service and rooted in Christian principals, it is our goal to be the best fl ooring company in North Alabama.

We know that there are many options in today’s market. Let our knowledgeable staff help you make the right choices. From design, free estimate and expert installation, we help you along the way.

Nathan has an extensive background in fl ooring.

Nathan’s attention to detail earned him several

awards for excellence in quality and design.

Nathan’s responsibilities include sales and

managing job sites.

Terry retired from the US Navy in 2012. Terry has

a background in logistics and management. Terry’s

responsibilities include estimating, receiving,

and management of day-to-day operations.Terry Wolde

Nathan Wolde

FLOORING SALE!

22 Madison Living

IN THE BIZ

celebrates a long history, plans a high-tech expansion

WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUXPHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BREWER

Mad ison Golf Center

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

Madison Living 23

Jennie Gibson will happily confess to hearing the swoosh and crack of golf clubs hitting golf balls on the driving range in her sleep.

“All the time,” she laughed, “That, and the ball dispenser. We have an elevator that drops the balls in the dispenser. It

goes ‘thring, thring, thring.’ I’ll never forget it.”As co-owner of the Madison Golf Center, Gibson insists she

relishes the sounds of a family enterprise that has been a Madison institution on the south side of I-565 for a quarter century.

“When we built the place in 1990, it was a dirt field that used to be a cotton field,” she recalled. “In Madison then, there was nothing. It’s changed quite a bit.”

Today, the center reports a vast membership, more than 5,300 of its range cards in circulation. And while its business has been slightly dinged by a still-soft economy, it sees a steady stream of golfers from as far as Scottsboro and Oneonta, reported Jenny Gibson’s brother, golf pro and co-owner Jimmy Taylor.

“I’ve got a wide variety of clients and students,” said Taylor. “I’ve got kids ranging from age five to people that are in retirement.”

Taylor, too, said the sounds of the strokes are his constant companions.

“I hear it when I’m not here,” he admitted. “But it’s a good thing. The sound of the ball dispenser means we’re busy and the sound of the swings means I’m teaching.”

As the operators moved into their busiest season during the summer months, they reserved special enthusiasm for Father’s Day, a time when indulging dad often means more golf, said Gibson.

“It’s a big day for us,” she said. “We get a lot of kids and wives who get their husbands and fathers range cards. The pro shop does quite a bit of business around Father’s Day also.”

Not that dads don’t dominate the range already.

Basket of balls rests on the table at Madison Golf Center.

24 Madison Living

“Most Saturday and Sunday afternoons we see dads with kids quite a bit, and dads trying to coach their kids,” she chuckled. “Every dad wants his kid to be the next Tiger Woods or something. It’s cute to watch.”

And as the summer months approached, the facility closed in on a major new move… indoors. The Golf Center’s brand new training building is to offer more teaching space and, most notably, a golf simulator with a 16-foot video screen for virtual golf rounds on more than 100 different golf courses. Any time, rain or shine.

“If it’s raining outside, you can come here and play 18 holes,” said Taylor. “But it’s also a good teaching utility. It’s got lasers and launch monitors that show you how far your ball travels. It tells you everything you need to know about your swing.”

“People are excited,” Gibson said. “Customers keep asking about the new building. We’ve developed a new website and we’re trying to get information out so we can get some exposure on it.”

Although, for exposure, she granted it’s hard to top the high profile appearance of the golf center itself, in plain sight of the busy interstate, especially at night when its bright lights illuminate the driving range. The lights are so bright they’ve had to be redirected to prevent conflicts with nearby airfields. The lights have proven to be an irresistible, if not inexpensive billboard for the facility.

“People drive up all the time and want to know about the place,” she said.

Gibson recounted one such encounter.“I was laying sod in the tee box,” she

said, “and a guy drove up in a Cadillac, looked around and he just started laughing. He said ‘I’ve never heard of something so stupid in all my life. You’ll never make money on this!’ And he walked back to his car and drove off.”

That was as the golf center was under construction 24 years ago. Gibson tells the story with relish today.

Charles Molineaux is an anchor and investigative reporter with WAFF 48 News.

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

Madison Living 25

WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUXPHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

Spirits Willing, Flesh… Healthy?Madison Mission Church spreads Good News of good health with Ready Set Move fitness program.

HEALTH

26 Madison Living

As church communities the world over seek to help those who can’t find enough to eat, what is

a congregation to do for those who may eat too much? Perhaps dangerously too much?

“It’s like we’re evangelizing,” said Tanzy Chandler, founder of the “Ready Set Move” program, now in its second year at the Madison Mission Church. “We value our health message which talks about clean eating and regular exercise.”

It’s a message church members decided needed to be spread in an era of epidemic obesity and one over which one church volunteer, herself a doctor, raised alarms.

“This was a burden on her heart, worrying about people,” Chandler explained. “And I’m a physical therapist. I know the importance of keeping your body strong to prevent injury and to reduce the chance of obesity in our communities.”

The church’s answer was a 5:30 Sunday evening weekly initiative of fitness training and counseling. Ready Set Move’s fitness

offerings included a group exercise class, Zumba, circuit training and a dance regimen dubbed “Core Commotion.”

“It was a really good workout,” said Susan Donais of Madison, who became a regular Sunday visitor as she incorporated the program into her own efforts at slimming down. “There were people of all different ages and all different health levels and you got a good workout no matter what level you were at.”

But this program focused on offering not just the stuff of any gym membership but also solutions for contemporary barriers to fitness.

Cost for one.“It’s absolutely free,” Chandler

exclaimed. The Ready Set Move corps of trainers and counselors was made up of Madison Mission volunteers, many of them certified fitness instructors, and welcomed participants without charge. “It’s a community outreach service,” said Chander. “Our goal is really to meet the needs of the community.”

Child care remained an issue, too, so the church set up child care during the

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

Madison Living 27

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

28 Madison Living

program for participants’ kids, aged 2 and up.

And then there’s motivation.“People will give testimony over how

God has given them the strength to improve,” said Chandler. The program’s Facebook page contains extensive inspirational messages, health tips, exhortations and Bible quotes.

“One of our class members has lupus and has a hard time getting out of bed,” Chandler continued. “But she never misses a workout and we love to talk about how God has given her the strength to overcome her challenges and the strength she has gotten by being part of this group of people.”

A pitch for the program became a regular exhortation for church members and friends alike.

“On Sunday we have kids’ activities in the daytime and encourage people to come to the evening fitness program,” Chandler continued.

Donais adds her own stunning testimonial, a loss of 102 pounds over the past year and a half, in part with the help

of Ready Set Move. “It was motivating and a new

challenge,” she said. “Everybody was just having a great time. I met a lot of new people. It was fun.”

The sessions also carry lessons and cross promotion for the church and its other initiatives.

“We always encourage people to get involved in any of our other programs,” Chandler added. “We have a women’s ministry, men’s ministry, children’s ministry. We take prayer requests and we read a scripture to encourage people and motivate them, not only in their fitness journeys but also in their personal journeys.”

The Ready Set Move program ran from January through March and organizers planned to start it up again by the second week of July.

It helps people to become better versions of themselves,” Chandler said.

Charles Molineaux is an anchor and investigative reporter with WAFF 48 News.

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

Madison Living 29

Summer may not officially begin for many folks until they’ve taken that first dip in the cool, sparkling water of a community or backyard swimming pool. With a new outdoor pool and sprayground open this summer, the Hogan Family YMCA shares water safety tips to help keep children and adults safe and confident as they enjoy water recreation this summer.

“Swimming is a fun and enjoyable activity for children and adults alike, and it’s an easy way to stay physically active and improve strength, flexibility and stamina,” said Ginger Upshaw, the Hogan Y’s new Aquatics Director.

The Hogan Family YMCA encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s safety. Following are safety tips to practice when in and around the water:

• Only swim when and where there is a lifeguard on duty, and never swim alone.

• Adults should constantly and actively watch their children and never leave them unattended near the water.

• Inexperienced or non-swimmers should

wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. • Parents or guardians of young children

should be within an arm’s reach. • Children and adults should not engage in

breath-holding activities.

As part of the Y’s commitment to strengthening community through youth

development and healthy living, Hogan Family YMCA offers swim lessons for all ages from infants to adults. Additionally, the Y offers Swim Team, Masters Swim Class, Dream Olympics and water exercise that teach water safety skills and give all the chance to explore the many health benefits of swimming.

Rising second-graders in Madison City Schools have SPLASH to look forward to this school year. Every third grade student in Madison receives free water safety and basic swim instruction as part of the SPLASH program, part of the Y’s commitment to social responsibility.

The Y also makes financial assistance available to pay for swim lessons to those who qualify, because as a nonprofit, the Y turns no one away from programs and membership because they can’t afford to pay.

“The Y encourages all children and adults to learn how to swim. It’s never too late,” Upshaw said. “Basic swimming skills and water safety practices save lives every day.”

Summer means fun in pools: Stay safe

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

30 Madison Living

Special deliveries arriving daily

madisonALhospital.org/maternity

When you’re ready to welcome a new family

member, we’ll help you make wonderful

memories. Talk to your obstetrician about

delivering at Madison Hospital.

Call (256) 265-7296 to schedule a tour.

JOIN US!GRAND OPENING

POOL PARTYJUNE 7 • 10a-4p

YOU’RE INVITED! CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF MADISON’S NEWEST

OUTDOOR POOL JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER FUN!

ymcamadison.org

WE’RE MAKING A SPLASH IN MADISON

FREE!

THE NEW YMCA OUTDOOR POOL BOASTS FEATURES THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE!• Zero-depth, beach-style entry • Six 25-yard lap lanes• Double-flume water slide• Included with Y membership • Water playground• Heated pool to extend the swim season • Large sunbathing deck• Special needs access

HOGAN FAMILY YMCA

& open to the public

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2014MAY05 Madison Living Ad - pool REV.pdf 1 5/6/2014 5:57:23 PM

Summer has come again, which means we have bid farewell to another senior class.

Just recently, Madison City Schools held commencement for Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools.

This was our largest senior class ever as a school district. In just 16 years, Madison’s senior class grew from 333 in 1998-99 to approximately 829 this year.

The board and I remain optimistic about the future with young ladies and young men like this poised to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Approximately 70 percent of our graduates matriculate to a four-year university and 20 percent to a two-year college. The rest will pursue career opportunities, hopefully aided by one of our outstanding career tech

academies. We take our responsibility of preparing them very seriously.

This year’s seniors did exceptionally well on their ACT tests. Twenty percent scored 30 or above, with an overall average ACT score of 23.

Madison City Schools produced more National Merit Finalists (a total of 24 among Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools) than any other

school district in Alabama regardless of size.More than half our graduates were armed

with scholarships when they walked across the stage to receive their diploma. Guidance counselors at both schools report heavy courting of our students by some of the fi nest colleges in the country: Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Duke, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, West Point, to name a few.

Our high school principals are equally

proud of the performance of these kids.James Clemens Principal Dr. Brian

Clayton said: “We have an outstanding group of seniors that are leaders in the school. They have exemplifi ed themselves in academics, arts, and athletics. We will surpass our scholarship monies from the year before by several hundred percent. This group also has 6 National Merit Finalists. We are very proud of this group. They represent James Clemens High School well.”

Bob Jones Principal Robby Parker said: ”I couldn’t be more proud of the Class of 2014. They have excelled in academics, the arts and athletics. I love every one of them and they will be truly missed. They will be Patriots now, forever and always.”

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

Madison graduates largest, brightest senior class

EDUCATION

Dr. Dee Fowler

Madison Living 31

JOIN US!GRAND OPENING

POOL PARTYJUNE 7 • 10a-4p

YOU’RE INVITED! CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF MADISON’S NEWEST

OUTDOOR POOL JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER FUN!

ymcamadison.org

WE’RE MAKING A SPLASH IN MADISON

FREE!

THE NEW YMCA OUTDOOR POOL BOASTS FEATURES THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE!• Zero-depth, beach-style entry • Six 25-yard lap lanes• Double-flume water slide• Included with Y membership • Water playground• Heated pool to extend the swim season • Large sunbathing deck• Special needs access

HOGAN FAMILY YMCA

& open to the public

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2014MAY05 Madison Living Ad - pool REV.pdf 1 5/6/2014 5:57:23 PM

32 Madison Living

Dublin Park Easter Egg Hunt

Madison children enjoy tradition of hunting eggs in Dublin Park.

1. Giselle Chang gets her photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny

2. Zoe and Brittni Zaurzaur

3. Crimson Leigh Tate

4. Lexi Evans with Maile Wallace

5. Emma Gadomski, Adriana Gadomski and Piper Swain model easter fashions

6. Lady Kassamm and Deedra Mack with kids

Nyima Kassam Arianna Mack

7. Michael Lee with golden egg

8. Radi Saxena

9. Addisyn Langford heads out to hunt eggs in full team regalia

10. Madison Mayor Troy Trulock directs egg hunters in Dublin Park before countdown to egg hunt

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Madison Living 33

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11. Starr Burch

12. Reagan Schoenfeld

13. Jason, Ryan, Christina and Emily Moran

14. Vicky Glydwell with Chase Hill

15. Doug and Weston Platt

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34 Madison Living

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

MadisonFarmers MarketMild weather, new larger grounds bring out big crowds to Madison Farmers Market.

1. Beekeeper Dale Rohe of Rohe Bee Ranch

2. Todd and Allison Rowland from Free Hearts Farm

3. Faith Todd Calais Eledui with Piper & Leaf locally produced gourmet tea

4. Stephanie Mast reveals springtime blossoms were in full bloom at the first 2014 Madison Farmer’s Market

5. Margaret and Mark Mazikowski reported brisk sales from their Moo-Shine Dairy

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10 6. Karen Blackwell of Front Porch Coffee with her grandson Wyatt Ellis

7. Abby and Jason Martin

8. Carrie Coan

9. Members of the Log Cabin String band (from left) Lou Beasley, Sara Burcham, Terry Burcham, and Jon Blakely

10. Lisa Leblanc and Chelsea Howard

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36 Madison Living

March for Babies

March of Dimes at Bridge Street Town Centre – April 12, 2014.

1. Lisa Grice, Beverly Toney, Pam Lanier, Carolyn Griffin, Kimberly Essex and Tammy Baker

2. Christina Woods

3. Justin Gosnell, Andrew Bastien, Katie Carpenter and Suzanne Wells

4. Antoinette Fowlkes, Ieisha Waterman, Heidi

Rudolph and Aisha Brewster

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

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT CROOMES

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Madison Living 37

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6. Donny, Michelle and

Landry Claire Shaw

7. Wilbert Brown and David Points Jr.

8. Katherine Allison, Tobi Mingione, Taylor Key and Taylor Yeazitzis

9. Sara and Kathleen Barnes

10. Melissa Brennan, Cassie Adams and Vanessa Irizarry9

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38 Madison Living

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

Police Carnival

Madison Police Foundation hosted its fourth annual spring carnival, which raises funds to support police officers and their families, as well we supporting defense classes and Kids Camp summer programs.

1. Lasonia Kingston and Ainaya Kingston

2. Michael and Michelle Staggs

3. Lee Castleberry and Cristy Threatt

4. Savannah, Bailey and Brandi Gatlin with Makenleigh Crafts

5. Payton, Matti and Michael Malsick

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