Madison Living Magazine - August 2022

MADISON LIVING THE GUIDE • AROUND TOWN • CHAMBER CONNECTIONS • OUT & ABOUT • SCHOOLS • AND MORE

August 2022 madisonlivingmagazine.com

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CONTACT US Madison Living Magazine The Madison Record 7734 Madison Blvd. Suite 115 Huntsville, AL 35806 madisonlivingmagazine.com For story ideas, call John Few at 256-763-1150 or email john@themadisonrecord.com.

To advertise, call Donna Counts at 256-714-7152.

Madison Living is published monthly by Tennessee Valley Media, Inc. A one-year subscription to Madison Living is $27.99 for 12 issues per year.

Single copies are available at select locations throughout the Madison area.

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Copyright 2022 by Tennessee Valley Media, Inc.

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THE GUIDE

Old Thyme Market • Downtown Madison • Fridays 3-7 p.m. • .facebook.com/OldThymeMarketMadisonAL. Old Thyme Market is the newest farmers market in Madison. The market is making its home in downtown Madison every Friday afternoon throughout the summer. Old Thyme Market includes farmers, craftsmen, artisans, and local businesses selling goods such as produce, local honey and preserves, pottery, and art. The markets also feature refreshments from Black Dog Grounds and Sounds, Suzy’s Pops, and Nanny’s Lemonade, and live music will be performed every week by local musicians. The market takes place every Friday from 3 - 7 p.m. now through September on Garner Street in downtown Madison. For more information about Old Thyme Market, go to www.facebook.com/OldThymeMarketMadisonAL.

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Madison Concerts in the Park • Home Place Park • Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. • www.facebook.com/MadisonALParksandRec Madison’s tradition of summertime evenings with free music has returned with “Concerts in the Park”. The concerts have a new venue at the revamped Home Place Park at 100 Shorter St., located just south of downtown Madison and west of Madison City Schools Stadium. A parallel parking bay with electrical hookups south of Shorter Street will accommodate food trucks.

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2022 City Lights and Stars Concert Series • Burritt on the Mountain • www.burrittonthemountain.com The City Lights & Stars Concert Series hosts seven concerts through September, with musical acts from varying genres. This years lineup features a fabulous mix of local hometown favorites and regional talent on the Isenberg Gazebo stage. Enjoy being entertained under the stars of Alabama over a 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. On August 12, Mambo Gris Gris will perform and on September 9, Huntsville’s In the Mood Swing Band will take the stage.

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Located at 1088 Hughes Road at Trinity Baptist Church in Madison, the market is the area’s original local, produceronly farmers market, founded in 2007. Everything sold at the market is grown or crafted by local farmers and craftspeople. The vendors provide a wide selection of the freshest local veggies, fruits, cheese, eggs, meats, milk, herbs, honey, jams, relishes, home-baked goods, plants and flowers. Come see creations from local artisans including handmade cards, soaps, lotions, candles, wood crafts, sewn items and other handmade products. Go to www.madisoncityfarmersmarket. com for more information.

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Elevation Worship with Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes • Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. • Propst Arena at the VBC • www.vonbrauncenter.com Elevation Worship Summer Tour 2022. This is one experience you won’t want to miss. This passionate group of musicians from Elevation Church will lead attendees in a powerful night of worship and celebration. Elevation Worship is the worship ministry of Elevation Church, a multisite church based in Charlotte, N.C. led by Pastor Steven Furtick. Elevation Worship has produced 12 albums that include American Christian radio no. 1 song “Graves Into Gardens”, the RIAA Gold Certified song “The Blessing”, RIAA Platinum Certified and American Christian radio Top 5 song “O Come to the Altar” and the RIAA Gold Certified song “Do It Again.”

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Leanne Morgan: The Big Panty Tour • Aug. 20-21 • Mark Smith Concert Hall at the VBC • www.vonbrauncenter.com

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CELEBRATIONS

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

James Clemens High School opened 10 years ago this month STORY BY GREGG PARKER

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I

In January 2011, a large tract of land sat fallow on County Line Road, just north of Mill Road. The brick-hard, redclay soil lie undisturbed, as if the dirt refused to have estate homes built, like ones that stood proudly all around.

That dormancy abruptly changed that month when construction started on James Clemens High School. Madison’s new high school progressed quickly as the winding entrance road took visitors and workers in hardhats to the massive structure.

Dr. Brian Clayton watched the walls rise for what would be his new work home. He and the faculty welcomed 1,087 students on opening day – Aug. 20, 2012. The teacher count was 67 and the school had 30 people in support positions.

Now in 2022, James Clemens has 2,152 students in grades 9-12. The number of teachers has almost doubled with 130. The support staff now includes 52 people.

When his school first opened, Clayton admits that he was very excited and nervous. “I knew we had tremendous potential and we had the students, faculty, staff and administration that could make it happen,” he said.

“We also had tremendous support from our parents,

20 Madison Living

Central Office, Board of Education and community . . . that is always a constant in Madison,” Clayton said.

His favorite memories involved all ‘the firsts’: first day of school, homecoming, first theatre play, first games in each sport, first prom and first graduation. “Also, how great our kids are and continue to be,” Clayton said.

During the past 10 years, James Clemens’ population has climbed to many honors and achievements, but one stands foremost to Clayton. “My favorite has been the culture of excellence that we have, because I believe all the accomplishments have come from that.”

Conversely, the major challenge to Clayton was developing that culture of excellence . . . a level “that measured up to the great schools that we have in Madison. I knew that our expectations were very high.”

Deservedly, Clayton takes immense pride in awards and honors that the students and teachers at James Clemens have achieved. “We have had many. I remember the first Advanced Placement or AP report for those scores on AP tests; first wins in every sport; the first football win over Bob Jones; seeing the first musical done by theatre and

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A groundbreaking ceremony was held Dec. 2010 to start construction of James Clemens High School. From left to right: then school board member Phil Schmidt, Mayor Paul Finley, school board member Dr. Terri Johnson, school board member Sue Helms, school board member Ray White, city council member Tommy Overcash, school board member Connie Spears, city council member Steve Harraway, city council member Jerry Jennings, state senators Arthur Orr and Bill Holtzclaw. their Trumbauer performances; the band playing in the London New Year’s Parade and the Class of 2013 graduation,” he said.

Clayton humbly failed to mention another set of honors – accolades that he has reached, such as 2018-2019 “Alabama Principal of the Year” by the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals.

Before moving to Madison, Clayton’s “opinion of Madison was really good. After the last 11 years, I love this school and community. I could not ask for better support for a school.

We have support from our parents and all other stakeholders that is second to none.”

“I can’t say I have a disappointment (as principal). Some things have not gone as planned but it typically worked out for the best,” he said.

A charter teacher at James Clemens, Keith Anderson founded the band program and works as Director of Bands.

Some organizational responsibilities involved recruiting students, selecting appropriate level/difficulty of music, planning/implementing field shows for marching, along with rehearsing different levels of concert music.

“I remember specifically thinking about ways for the fu-

22 Madison Living

ture James Clemens Band families to picture themselves as members of a full-fledged band program from year one,” Anderson said. “Many thought there might be limitations given that we were starting from scratch, but making a plan to be everything a band was supposed to be, from day one, was very important.”

As Anderson started his tasks, he wondered if he “was the right person to make the James Clemens Band program everything it could be. I was excited and humbled for the opportunity, but the ‘blank slate’ was daunting at times.”

In August 2012 when Anderson founded the band, 87 students joined. “We are now constantly at 200 members.

We’ve grown from one concert band to three, added two winter guards, a jazz band and a competition marching band,” Anderson said.

Accolades didn’t hesitate to notice the James Clemens Band. “We’ve been blessed to perform in the New Year’s Day Parade in London, as well as have two different ensembles (Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble) perform at our state music educators’ conference,” Anderson said.

“I have been immensely blessed to be the director at James Clemens High School. It is an honor that I appreci-

Since its opening in Aug. 2012, thousands of students have joined the growing ranks of James Clemens graduates.

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The James Clemens football team started very young in 2012, winning very few games. Ten years later, they are the team to beat this year in Class 7A, Region 4. ate more every day,” Anderson said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to never take that for granted.”

Another charter teacher, Patrice O’Donnell “was excited to build a new school culture that would rival Bob Jones.

Madison City has high expectations for their schools, and I wanted to be a part of that opportunity to bring a new high school to life.”

O’Donnell’s home turf, the Social Studies Department, has grown in the last 10 years with many new faces. “All of us faced challenges together. We met at lunchtime most days and talked about our triumphs and our problems. We were all in the same boat so it was a very tight knit group; we relied on each other,” O’Donnell said.

When an issue arose, O’Donnell consulted her teacher colleagues or administration. “Although they always tried to help -- sometimes the answer was, ‘It is what it is’ . . . which, interestingly enough, made us problem solve and create workarounds.”

During her 10 years as a ‘Jet,’ O’Donnell has learned you have to be willing to try new things. “Step out of your comfort zone and experiment,” she said. “I have never regretted coming to James Clemens, and I’m proud to say I helped build the school.”

One of her favorite memories is the first pep rally. “Seeing all of the cheerleaders, band and color guard in Carolina blue and navy; the band playing our fight song; smiles

on the football team as they were announced and entered the gym...was an awesome moment,” O’Donnell said.

Another impressive memory for O’Donnell occurred when one of her students in Advanced-Placement U.S. History earned a perfect score on the AP exam. “One of only six students in the world 2021,” she said.

O’Donnell helped the Interact Club, Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society and Wildlife Club bury a time capsule on campus. She anticipates the capsule’s opening in 20 years.

Amy Patel, Founder and Director of James Clemens Theatre, said her challenges “were tuning in to students and parents’ myriad of expectations and goals. I knew what kind of theatre program I was hoping to build, but that didn’t always align with what students and parents were expecting to build.”

Defining a JCTheatre Mission Statement was one early task. Patel asked students, “What does JCTheatre do (our product)? How (our process)? Why (our purpose)? What three words are essential in describing JCTheatre?”

Students then wrote mission statements. Gleaning the best snippets, they agreed on a statement: “To be or not to be . . . Unexpected. Dedicated. Inspired and inspiring. To train our bodies, minds and voices to perform multiple productions -- from original and modern material to classic plays and musicals, to empower young

Madison Living 25

In 2019, students and staff at James Clemens buried a time capsule to be open in 2044. James Clemens Head Principal Dr. Bria Clayton, center, helped during a special ceremony, along with other school and district officials.

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The James Clemens High School band received the invitation of a lifetime in 2015 when Westminster Lord Mayor Catherine Longworth made the overseas trip to formally present the Jets with an offer to march in London’s 2017 New Year’s parade at a ceremony in the school. artists and engage the audience and to engineer imagination and build our community. We choose to be. -- James Clemens Theatre” Patel’s new job was “incredibly exciting, and, of course, I was nervous, too. We were building a staircase by standing on each new step, and we weren’t even sure where the steps would take us. We had a blank page to write on, which can feel overwhelming, but it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often.”

Since JCTheatre was established, the program has more than doubled. The first year, Patel was the only drama teacher for both performance and technical theatre classes.

“Within two years, the department needed another teacher. Clint Merritt is Technical Director and teaches technical theatre courses,” Patel said.

JCTheatre, a thriving program, welcomes several guest artists annually. The students perform six shows each year (sometimes more), host the Summer Spotlight Camp for elementary and middle schoolers, and attend several theatre festivals yearly.

In its first year, JCTheatre won its first major award.

When the school opened, the auditorium still was under construction, so they rehearsed their one-act play, “Alabama Rain,” in the hallway.

“We walked into the auditorium for the first time on Oct.

1 and performed the one-act on Nov. 1! We took it to district and State Trumbauer Festival and won ‘Best Technical Production’ both times,” Patel, a National Board Certified Teacher, said.

Since then, several students have placed in the Top Three actors every year at State Trumbauer and Alabama Thespian Festival. Their one-act play has won “Best of Show” six times. The cast/crew has attended Southeastern Theatre Conference three times. James Clemens consistently has brought home “Best Acting,” “Best Costumes,” “Best Makeup” and “Best Set” awards at all levels.

During the past 10 years, Patel has “learned to embrace collaboration and student leadership. At James Clemens, we’ve collaborated with JETSpress, Health Science Internship, Art and Music Departments, French and German classes, and Engineering. I don’t think most schools encourage collaboration and trying new things the way that James Clemens does.”

“As for student leadership, I’ve learned to truly welcome student ideas, because they’re often SO much better than mine! I used to treat Student Directors like assistants, but now I really let them direct WITH me -- block scenes, give notes, guide the production,” Patel said.

Their entire rehearsal process involves testing innovations and taking ideas from actors and techs. “Clint doesn’t

Madison Living 27

hand technicians the designs for the show; the students design it, and then they build it together,” she said.

“I’m always impressed by our student leaders. They learn by doing, and they do it well,” Patel said.

Looking forward to recognizing James Clemens’ 10-year ‘birthday,’ Clayton and staff are excited to welcome the Class of 2013 for homecoming. “We plan on having a big celebration, and we hope to have a ceremony for the placement of our jet,” the school ‘mascot,’ he said.

When the Class of 2013 leaves homecoming, “I hope they see that mark of excellence they started and how much of an impact they had. If you remember they had a choice to stay at Bob Jones and they didn’t.

I know they are as proud of James Clemens as I am,” Clayton said.

“The starting of James Clemens has been a hallmark of my experience as an educator,” Clayton said.

Then MCS Superintendent of Education Dr. Dee O. Fowler proudly talking to the media about the new high school at the groundbreaking ceremony in 2010.

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FOOD

MARY QUEEN OF SCONES

Local baker brings British touch to Madison’s baking scene STORY BY ERIN COGGINS PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

Madison Living 29

M

Mary Beth Crosbie did not seek to start her own baking business. It just kind of fell into her lap. Well, sort of.

Crosbie, a Madison resident and model-based systems engineer for Integrated Solutions for Systems, opened Mary Queen of Scones in October 2021.

“It wasn’t until college that I discovered baking as a true hobby of mine. I think the large swaths of time in my day that were no longer occupied by marching band soccer practice or studying drove me to find a new passion,” Crosbie said. “I found myself perusing the New York Times cooking website before bed and buying books that explain the ‘rations’ of baking.”

Baking was nothing new to Crosbie. When visiting family in Kentucky while growing up, she sometimes helped both grandmothers in the kitchen, making cakes, cookies or homemade jams. She shared the kitchen with her mom as well, baking brownies to share while watching a romcom. She says baking was basically for the enjoyment of company and for eating of course.

Then she married into a British family and began watching the Great British Baking Show.

30 Madison Living

“My mother-in-law introduced me to desserts (or as they say, ‘puddings’) like pavlova and trifle and the traditional Christmas cake,” Crosbie said. “I loved that anytime they had tea-which can be any and all times of the daythere would usually be a sweet treat with it. Scones were one of the bakes that I tried that are relatively simple to make.”

The more scones she baked, the more encouragement she received from friends and family. After a year of just playing around in the kitchen and taking desserts to family dinners and get-togethers, Crosbie officially started Mary Queen of Scones.

“Starting a business was never an original end goal. It was just a hobby. My friends and family would say ‘you know, you’re really good at this. You could totally sell these,’” Crosbie said. “I remember that surprising me, the amount of confidence they had in me. I started to ask myself if that was something I was actually capable of doing.”

Naming her business was the easy part. Her husband, Eddie, suggested it during one of their brainstorming sessions. Crosbie tested the name on her friends and family

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to get their opinion and a couple of days later, one of her friends from college sketched a logo with the name, a tea pot and scones.

Crosbie runs the business out of her home in Madison where customers can contact her via phone, email or maryqueenofscones.net.

“I love being able to provide custom orders for things like bridal teas, brunches, baby showers, etc.,” Crosbie said. “You can also find me at the Madison Farmers Market a couple of weekends every month for fresh scones and pastries. And I provide local pickups in downtown Madison.”

With the word scones in the business name, Crosbie offers a variety of scones including blueberry and lemon, cinnamon honey, cranberry walnut, cranberry orange, pumpkin and bacon cheddar.

She also does Devon scones that contain a hint of nutmeg.

“I am always looking to add new flavors based on seasonal spices or fruits,” Crosbie said. “I also really like how versatile scones are. It’s easy to test new flavor combinations which really gives me creative freedom, too.”

Besides scones, customers can also order tarts, focaccia bread, baguettes and shortbread.

“Shortbread is a butter-rich cookie and dates all the way back to the actual Mary Queen of Scots,” Crosbie said.

“I like to add more traditionally British treats, like Hot Cross Buns, Jammy Dodger cookies which are sugar cookies with raspberry jam in the middle. In the fall, I like to make apple cider donuts.

Those are very popular.”

Crosbie’s favorite treat to make, Bakewell Tarts, are also on the menu.

These tarts are pastry that has a raspberry jam layer and is filled with a sweet almond center that pair well with tea.

“These tarts take a lot of time and effort, but I think the end product is so pretty and is always a lovely treat to give a neighbor or friend,” Crosbie said. “The almond and raspberry flavor combination is also irresistible.”

Being an engineer and good with numbers, Crosbie describes her business as

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being inspired by science and a love for sweets. She says when she started baking bread and more complicated recipes, she started to wonder how people came up with recipes in the first place and where exactly did the numbers in recipes derive.

“Through a lot of reading and researching, I’ve been able to understand baking as ratio-driven. As long as you have the right proportion of ingredients, you can make anything you want. If you know just a few simple ratios, you are able to unlock a world of baking that does not limit you to fancy cooking blogs and recipe books,” Crosbie said. “You can experiment yourself and create recipes of your own. This really became exciting for me with bread especially. As long as you have bread flour, water, yeast and some salt (within the right proportions), you are going to create a delicious loaf of bread.”

Although the numbers and ratios of math intrigue Crosbie, she looks at baking as a creative outlet that yields an end product that makes people smile.

“I work from home, so it is easy to switch over into my hobby-mode physically,” Crosbie said. “I just walk downstairs and turn on the oven in the kitchen. I also very much enjoy sharing and eating food with other people. It is therapeutic to me. Plus eating food is one of my favorite things to do.”

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SCHOOLS

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS The Patriot Racing Team of Bob Jones High is on the top of its game STORY BY BOB LABBE PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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T

The Patriot Racing Team of Bob Jones High is on the top of its game as athletes and students. Headed into the 2022-2023 school year, the squad will carry its moniker as National Champions after winning the Greenpower USA National Championships held at the famed Talladega Superspeedway at the tail end of the last school year.

Both highly intelligent and exceptionally competitive, the 18-member squad enters its seventh season of competition after each team member underwent an extensive application process, including a sit-down interview with teacher sponsor Jessye Gaines and program coach Kris Kasprzak.

“We look for students who are coachable, willing to try new ways of thinking, self-starters and who can communicate well,” said Gaines who helped start the Patriot Racing Team as head of the engineering academy at Bob Jones. “All of those aspects of the students allow each of them to face problem solving and have the required teamwork and leadership qualities.”

Gaines, who was recently presented with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, leads the group of students who receive a car building kit from the Greenpower Education Trust

or, if so desired, can design and build their own car from scratch working within the Greenpower regulations.

“We always seem like a family working together as we travel together and spend a lot of time collaborating and brain storming our ideas on how to make our cars more efficient,” said Bob Jones senior Josh Chen, who carries a 5.3 grade point average and is ranked second in his class.

“Solutions. That’s an important part of what we do. We design, build and operate these cars and we’re always looking for an edge in our competition.”

Kevin Lanyi, also a senior for the Patriots, boasts a 4.92 grade point average and has plans to attend Auburn University where he wants to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He’s also a main driver for one of the two cars the program has built and is in his sixth year of the Greenpower program. “We just completed re-wiring the cars and I feel I help in many ways as I’m well-rounded as I know the nuts and bolts of these cars.”

Lanyi has a leg up on his teammates as well as his competition as he’s been a go-cart racer since age nine and earned the title of National Champion while racing in his first year of major competition of the World Go-Kart Association at age 12. He also grabbed the national title

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a year later when he won all eight races he faced at the start line. He added, “The experiences helped me learn to deal with high pressure situations in a quick manner. We have similar situations with our teams and cars and I feel it’s natural to me to know the cars, driving the cars and helping my teammates.”

Race competition is more than just commencing the car powered with its electric motors and outdueling the competition to the finish line. Each team must be able to communicate clearly to the race officials about the race car by utilizing a pre-produced a video or power point presentation created by the students.

Those teams must represent their work with a finetuned and well written video presentation and the presentation is a big part of the overall product.

“We run the program like a company as each student is required to wear a team shirt and nice clothes while on road trips,” said Gaines. “Each trip is planned and each student must be disciplined as parents are not with them. The experiences mature them quickly. I’m honest with them and tell them up front discipline is a big part of joining the team.”

Greenpower U.S.A. Racing was created in the United Kingdom and about 10 years ago a group of educators in our area spoke of wanting the program for the local students. Being a part of the team, which

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Dajialyn

Heart Transplant Survivor

consists of two cars and two teams- the Red and Blue Teams- is extremely time intensive.

Chen’s specialty of the team is project management.

He’s in charge of the data logging system in each car utilizing a computer within the car that relays data real time during a race. “The Patriot Racing Team has exposed me to opportunities in engineering and now I have a clear idea of what I want to do in college as I want my education to be science related,” added Chen.

“I like the idea we’re a student-led program.”

Like other programs at Bob Jones the Racing Team also works out during the summer meeting sometimes three days a week to help prep on the cars. “The more I improve and the faster the car travels I know will make a difference come race time,” said Lanyi. “There’s no end to improvement.”

The cars weigh 140 pounds and can travel up to 32 miles per hour as races are usually broken down to three categories of cars- advance stock, modifiedcustom built. For Bob Jones, the students have given names to the two cars- Blue is The Rival- Red is The Flash. Each race includes two 90-minute heats and each car is required to have three drivers within the race. Pit stops, repairs and driver changes are crucial to the timing and final stats on how many laps are completed.

As another summer break has ended for the students and a new school year rolls around the student-athletes of the Patriot Racing Team anxiously await another season of fun, comradery, challenges and the chance to stay on the throttle towards a possible national title.

“These are some of the best students I’ve been around and give hope for the next generation,” said Gaines.

The path to mending her heart began Dajialyn was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and at 3 months old was placed on the waiting list for a heart transplant. When her foster parents got the call to care for her, they never hesitated – and in July 2021, they received the call with the news she would get her new heart. Within hours she was at Children’s of Alabama in surgery.

Her transplant was a success, and Dajialyn is walking, talking and doing all the things that keep parents of any toddler on their toes.

Learn more at ChildrensAL.org/heart 496419-1

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WOMEN

GROWING ROOTS Michelle Epling’s Journey Home to Madison STORY BY MARIA RAKOCZY PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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Editor’s note: The Madison area has many influential, trail-blazing women leaders who are making a huge impact within our community. Over the next few months, we will spotlight several of these remarkable women and why we consider them some of our area’s most influential people. This month we will look at a remarkable example of leadership. Michelle Epling was recently named the Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce. Her promotion of Madison and the local business community has already been felt in many positive ways.

E

Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, Michelle Epling wears many hats. She is a mother to her twin daughters, Abby and Charlotte and a wife to her husband Adam. Around town, she is also known as a successful businesswoman and a pillar of the Madison community for her stellar career in sales and marketing and her numerous volunteer efforts.

In fact, her journey to becoming Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce includes a long and impressive resume. A glance at it reveals her endless talents and a strong dedication to her community.

Epling began her involvement with the Madison community after college when she returned to her hometown area for her first post-graduate job. Epling is a native of North Alabama. She grew up in the Huntsville area, attended Holy Spirit Regional School, and graduated from Grissom High School. She left North Alabama to attend college at Auburn University where she earned a degree in business with a major in marketing. After graduating in

2006, she returned to North Alabama to plant more roots in the area. She moved to her first home in Madison, an apartment near Dublin Park, in 2007 for her first job as Client Development Manager for Allied Solutions LLC. “I have lived in Madison since 2007. I got my first job out of college and wanted to live near where I grew up but in a new environment so I could expand my horizons. I started out in an apartment next to Dublin Park and have lived in my current home for over 10 years! I love that we have the best opportunities to truly live that work/life balance through various community events that happen each week in our hometown!”

Epling and her family continue to embrace Madison and enjoy all it has to offer. “We just love the city. We love the schools. It’s the best zip code in the state.”

Over the course of the last eleven years, Epling has nurtured deep roots in the Madison area. She has continued to contribute generously to her community in her professional career. Most recently she served as Director of Cap-

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ital Giving for Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater and Academy in Huntsville. She even stepped up to the challenge of selling ads during the COVID-19 pandemic as an Account Executive for Huntsville Event Magazine and Huntsville Business Journal.

Epling has also applied her extensive business knowledge and marketing expertise to her family’s business, Newberry Pecans in Ardmore, Alabama as Senior Executive for Sales and Marketing. She has further served as Lending Development Specialist for CUNA Mutual Group from 2014 to 2016 and as Client Development Manager for Allied Solutions from 2006 to 2011. In addition to her various roles, Epling also holds both Life and Health and Property and Casualty Insurance Licenses.

Epling has not stopped there. She has just as numerous and varied volunteer efforts in the North Alabama area to her name. These, she believes are her most impactful contributions to the community.

“My belief in giving back to our community has been sown through my wide variety of volunteer commitments I have made throughout the city of Madison/ Madison County. These include helping launch the new Midtown Elementary school this past year as VP of Programs, volunteering with the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, the Botanical Gardens, United Way of Madison County, and the Huntsville Area Moms of Multiples to name a few. I believe in supporting our amazing organizations which provide the wonderful quality of life we have all come to know and love in this community.”

Epling’s volunteer contributions further include the Midtown Elementary PTA and membership of the Women’s Economic Development Council, an organization that provides support and advocates for the influential presence of women in business throughout the Madison community.

Now, as Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, Epling says, “It’s an honor to continue to highlight the great work of the City of Madison.”

Epling was motivated to accept the Executive Director position with the Madison Chamber of Commerce for its opportunity to further support the growing Madison community in a new way. “I was excited to get involved with the Madison Chamber of Commerce because of my commitment to promoting and growing our businesses and great city so more people can plant their roots here.”

As Epling keeps growing her own roots in the city of Madison she looks forward to helping others do the same.

....................... Madison City Schools .......................

Madison City Schools Board of Education members Alice Lessmann, Tim Holtcamp, Travis Cummings, Scott Newberry, Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols and Greg Hulsey.

Introducing Scott Newberry, Madison’s newest school board member

I

I believe providing high quality education is one of the most important things a parent can provide for their child.

Madison City Schools provides just that to every student all the way from Pre-K to high school.

My wife, Kim, and I have Scott Newberry watched our children learn and grow. Even though they are still Madison City Schools in elementary school and have Board of Education member only been in school for a few years, the teachers and staff have already sparked their imaginations and ignited a love of learning in them.

We look forward to watching them grow and learn as they move forward in their educational journey.

I am honored to serve alongside my fellow members on the Madison City Board of Education. I look forward to playing my part in maintaining and improving the

...

Scott Newberry was recently sworn in as the newest MCS school board member.

Madison Living 45

already excellent reputation of Madison City Schools.

I grew up in Huntsville and graduated from Grissom High School. I attended Auburn University where I obtained degrees in both Software Engineering and Applied Mathematics.

I am employed at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology as the Director of Software Engineering.

My wife and I have lived in Madison for almost 15 years. We have two children, William and Cora, who attend Rainbow Elementary School.

We are both active in the Rainbow PTA where I am a volunteer and Kim is a PTA board member. I also volunteer with the Rainbow Chess Program.

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PEOPLE

MAKAYLA TOMAINO

Sparkman High alum says she is living her best life working for ESPN STORY BY ERIN COGGINS

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Having been in an athletic environment her entire life, it made sense for Makayla Tomaino to land a job at sports’ ultimate television network, ESPN. Tomaino, a 2022 graduate of The University of South Alabama, utilized the university’s internship program to land an ESPN+ internship allowing her to work as a game day camera operator filming home football games, women’s and men’s basketball, women’s soccer, volleyball softball and baseball.

“I actually found out about the internship from an Instagram ad on one of the university’s pages,” Tomaino said. “The ad included pictures of camera work and directing. I thought it was interesting and I also thought it would be a good idea to be a part of a group that was involved with communications majors.”

As an intern, Tomaino stayed in constant contact with ESPN specialist, Lynne West. This led to Tomaino being selected to travel to Verona, New York in January to become a production assistant in the coverage of Top Rank Boxing. She set up cameras with the ops and tech crews, handled paperwork and streamed banners in locker rooms.

“I was in absolute shock, and then I was in even more shock when I found out that I was going to New York. I had never worked with boxing before, so it was very new to me but so much fun,” Tomaino said.

“The night of the fights, I got the chance to sit ringside alongside ESPN Crew and I really felt like I was a part of the team. It was a truly humbling experience and I’m beyond grateful for it.”

With her first gig under her belt, after graduation, Tomaino was offered a contract to serve as a production assistant.

“I feel like having some experience with ESPN pregraduation definitely helped me build my credibility,” Tomaino said. “The recognition that I’ve received from higher ups has been very humbling for me. They appreciate that I worked hard to get into this field/ industry early on.”

ESPN’s appreciation of her work ethic sent Tomaino to the PGA Championship in May in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the first time working with golf and she was tasked with transporting producers and announcers to different sets on the course for their segments on live television.

“When I had downtime, I got to watch the best golfers in the world compete in the sport they love and a huge takeaway for me was, the amount of people that showed up to support them,” Tomaino said. “The crowd support in golf is truly phenomenal.”

Barely home a couple of weeks and Tomaino was

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once again flown to a different location to cover another great sporting event. This time it was New York City and the National Hockey League finals. Again, it was an introduction to a new sport. This time, though, Tomaino worked from the ESPN press box office section which she claims is the best seat ever.

“My experience in NYC was amazing. I love hockey.

The energy from the fans and just the overall passion and aggression that the sport holds make it such a fun environment to be a part of,” Tomaino said. “I immediately became a Rangers fan the moment I bought an NHL Rangers sweatshirt. It was great getting to see them compete against Tampa Bay in the Conference playoffs.”

Although Tomaino’s team did not move on to the Stanley Cup Finals, she did. Home less than 24 hours, ESPN sent her to Denver, Colorado to cover the Stanley Cup Finals. It was in Denver that she finally made her ESPN television debut.

“There is a segment on ESPN called ‘The Point’ and Jon Cooper, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s head coach and I brought out food to the announcers to review,” Tomaino said. “I was on live TV for about 15 seconds, serving chicken parm.”

Although her tasks thus far with ESPN have been varied, Tomaino feels that being a production assis-

Madison Living 51

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tant means doing a lot of little tasks that amount to really big moments.

“I’m learning how to figure out the simplest way to get things done in a timely manner to make my work environment much more efficient,” Tomaino said. “I’m also learning how to trust myself when it comes to my own thought processes on ideas that I might have.”

Tomaino feels this mindset will help her achieve her ultimate goal of being a full-time camera operator for the network. She is not intimidated by the responsibility that comes with being behind the camera. Neither is she shirking away from making a change in the sports world where there are not many female camera operators.

“My best advice for a female who wants to get into the sports industry would be to just ‘go for it girl.’ Don’t be afraid to pitch your ideas, network yourself and get your name out there,” Tomaino said. “If you are passionate about something, then stick with that passion and don’t let anyone take that away from you. We need more women in sports.”

Tomaino sees herself as a long way from the student who took journalism at Sparkman High School as a sophomore, junior and senior. She credits that experience as helping her make a career choice that combines her personality and love for sports.

“I majored in communications and got my concentration in TV Production. I wanted to choose a major that had a broad spectrum of choices to choose from.

There are many career paths to take within the communications field,” Tomaino said. “It was great to have the support and knowledge from my high school journalism program at an early age because that definitely led me in the right direction.”

Tomaino is not certain about her next assignment. It could be any sport; anywhere. Her dream is to cover any sport in an overseas location. But in the meantime, she is still pinching herself over working for ESPN. “I honestly never thought I’d be working for ESPN,” Tomaino said. “I love what I do and I’m living my best life. This is quite the journey I’ve embarked on and I’m only looking forward to more opportunities.”

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....................... AROUND TOWN .......................

New house parents

...

Lee Marshall

Founder / CEO Kids to Love Foundation

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Summer has not slowed down life at Davidson Farms. We have welcomed new house parents! Shiloh Lyles, her husband Jordan and their 2-year-old son Jace moved in on June 1st. The Lyles have a heart to serve and have been active in other ministries. They are excited to guide and care for our girls at the Farm.

School isn’t always easy for children in foster care because they move often and sometimes fall behind. So, Shiloh’s previous career as a teacher is a perfect fit for our girls’ needs as she will help them with homework and be their advocate at parent-teacher meetings.

The Lyles are enjoying life at the Farm, from the chickens that provide fresh eggs to watching the construction at the Whitaker Cottage Community behind the main house.

The cottages will give girls who age out of foster care a home while they continue their education or begin a career. And speaking of cottage construction, work is steady as we push towards a move-in date this fall!

We’ve shared more about the Lyles, including how they came to Kids to Love, on our website at kidstolove.org. I hope you’ll take a moment to read their story and drop a note of encouragement in the comments.

RECIPE

PEACHES AND CREAM COBBLER STORY BY LINDSEY BOOTHE

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Growing up, we had some neighbors that were more like family than friends—Dick and Audrey. We lived far from my only living grandparents, so they naturally stepped into that role in a way. They would jump in at a moment’s notice, without hesitation, to help with anything you needed.

You could always bet that Audrey would send you off with a dish of something delicious and a “Thank you, honey, you come back!” while leaning up against the wooden screen door. To this day, she is an amazing cook and baker, a true homemaker. If I think back to Audrey in the summer, I will always see her in a pale pink tank top and shorts holding several jars of her infamous strawberry freezer jam. Dick, however, was never to be found inside. Throughout his life, he has done several things from being in the Marines to retiring from Honda. Somewhere in between there he had gotten some sort of agricultural degree and that meant he had the most wonderful garden you’d ever seen, thus Audrey’s constant cooking and jam making. It was just the two of them, and Dick grew enough produce to feed about 50 households. He was always so generous with it, and anytime I’d walk outside I was sure to find a little something waiting there at the front door.

Back in West Virginia, the climate isn’t one that you can easily find fresh peaches just anywhere. There are a few counties that have them at markets for a couple of months out of the year, but they are certainly sparse. We, however, were fortunate that Dick had peach trees and they were as prolific as his garden. I can still see him riding up and down the street on his little red Honda tractor with 5 gallon buckets full of peaches. He would ride along and share his bounty with anyone he came in contact with, leaving some at the doorstep of those who were gone for the day. He was always met with a grateful smile, but he left with an even bigger one.

Today, Dick and Audrey are a little older and a little slower. The vegetables he grew in his garden are long gone, but the kindness he grew remains. I have nowhere near the green thumb he had, but I still always plant a garden. I make sure to plant a few extra of this and that to be able to share with my neighbors. Every time I make this peaches and cream cobbler, I remember those buckets of peaches shared with my family and it makes it just a little bit sweeter.

Peaches and Cream Cobbler ½ cup unsalted butter 4 large peaches, overripe preferred 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1+¼ cup sugar, separated 1 cup self-rising flour 1 cup buttermilk, whole preferred

Directions: Place butter in cast iron skillet and put it into a cold oven. Preheat oven to 375° while you prepare the other ingredients. Keep an eye on the butter to allow it to brown, not burn. Wash, peel, and slice peaches—you should have about 2 cups. In one bowl, combine softened cream cheese, extracts, and ¼ sugar. Whisk until fully incorporated. In another bowl, combine remaining sugar, flour, and buttermilk to create a thin batter. Remove skillet from oven and pour batter directly into the browned butter. Top with dollops of cream cheese mixture, a tablespoon-sized cookie dough scoop works well here. Add sliced peaches all around, even near the edges. If any peach juice remains in the measuring cup, drizzle that across the top as well. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until desired brownness is reached.

Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or cold with coffee.

This recipe was submitted by Lindsey Boothe, owner of Alabama Treenware. Lindsey hand carves wooden kitchen utensils, including the one pictured here, in her Madison, Alabama, wood shop using all local hardwoods. Alabama Treenware regularly posts stories and recipes such as this one online at www.facebook.com/alabamatreenware and on Instagram @Alabamatreenware. Visit www.alabamatreenware.com to learn more.

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CHAMBER CONNECTIONS Congratulations to the following business on their recent ribbon cuttings and grand openings.

A ribbon cutting and celebration of Home Place Park was held recently. The Madison Chamber of Commerce, City of Madison, Madison Visionary Partners (MVP) and Rotary Club of Madison celebrated the re-opening of the park with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The park’s location is 100 Shorter St. in downtown Madison and features an amphitheater for community concerts and events. A $50,000 donation to help with the park was presented to MVP by the Rotary Club of Madison.

Here are some photos of the event.

Check out more events and services through the Madison Chamber of Commerce at www.madisonalchamber.com and follow them on Facebook

58 Madison Living

CHAMBER CONNECTIONS Congratulations to the following business on their recent ribbon cuttings and grand openings.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Madison’s newest and largest hotel was held last month in Town Madison. The Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott will be a 208 room hotel will be the first dual branded Marriott in north Alabama.

Ambassador Luncheon hosted at Hilton Garden Inn in Town Madison last month.

2nd Quarter Lunch & Learn - Best Madison Marketing Experts

Check out more events and services through the Madison Chamber of Commerce at www.madisonalchamber.com and follow them on Facebook

Madison Living 59

OUT&ABOUT

2022 ARMED FORCE CELEBRATION WEEK - Every year, the greater Huntsville community plans a number of activities for Armed Forces Celebration Week, which was held last month. Included, is the annual community softball game at Toyota Field. We are featuring some fun photos of this event by photographer Kassidy Wilkins. Community leaders (Rockets) hosted the Redstone Arsenal leaders (Team Redstone) in a fun match-up. The Rockets included Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison Mayor Paul Finley, Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong, Huntsville Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Kenny Anderson, Huntsville City Council representative Devyn Keith, State House Representative Rex Reynolds, Steve Smith, Steve Thornton, Huntsville Board of Education member Ryan Renaud, UAH Coach Melanie Carter and more. The Arsenal team included representatives from various military commands on base. They competed for the coveted ‘Target Destroyed’ trophy and bragging rights, which stayed with Team Redstone after their 14-11 win.

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OUT&ABOUT

TRASH PANDAS’ CRAWFISH FESTIVAL AT TOYOTA FIELD - On Saturday, July 2, the Rocket City Trash Pandas kicked off Independence Day weekend with the Crawfish Festival at Toyota Field. Throughout the day there was live entertainment including music, performances, and contests including a crawfish eating contest, watermelon eating contest and hot dog eating contest. There were also many activities included and games throughout the afternoon and evening. A special fireworks show ended the night’s festivities. Here are some fun photos by Kassidy and Ethan Wilkins.

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Madison Living 63

OUT&ABOUT

MADISON’S STAR SPANGLED CELEBRATION - On Saturday, July 2, the city of Madison hosted a patriotic extravaganza at Dublin Park. The free event included inflatables, live music, food vendors, and fireworks to end the night. The Madison Parks and Recreation also hosted a cornhole tournament and a pickleball tournament in conjunction with the festival. Here are some fun photos by Samuel Wilson.

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OUT&ABOUT

4TH OF JULY TRASH PANDAS GAME AND FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR - Here are some fun photos taken by photographer Kassidy Wilkins of the 4th of July Trash Pandas game and fireworks show at Toyota Field in Madison. The Trash Pandas report it was a sold-out event with 7,500 fans. The game also included a 75th anniversary celebration for Harold and Ruth McMurran. Harold is a WWII veteran and threw out the first pitch.

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OUT&ABOUT

SERVE DAY - Several Madison City schools got some sprucing up Saturday, July 16, thanks to a collective volunteer outreach to campuses!

Area groups including Building Church, Church of the Highlands, JustServe, Church of Later Day Saints, and community members dispatched volunteers to help Heritage, Horizon, Discovery, and Bob Jones with projects like painting, outdoor gardens, and general clean ups. Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols also joined in the cleanup efforts.

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OUT&ABOUT

READ AROUND THE BLOCK - Horizon and Mill Creek elementary schools held Read Around the Block events last month. The staffs from both schools handed out books and snacks to the students in their communities. Here are some fun photos from those events.

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NORTH ALABAMA PERFORMING ARTS

North Alabama Performing Arts is a Non Profit organization that supports the students in arts in North Alabama. NAPA’s mission is to support the arts by providing resources, community partnerships, and opportunities for children to participate and grow in the performing arts. NAPA hopes to grow its presence in North Alabama by hosting fundraising activities, community partnership activities, and actively communicating the importance of the arts in our community. Join us in our Facebook Group, “North Alabama Performing Arts”.

Cinthia Darden • Engel & Völkers Huntsville 320 The Bridge Street • Suite 104 Huntsville • AL 35806 (256) 441-0118 cinthia.darden@evrealestate.com ©2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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The moment everything changes.

Catch your breath. You’re going to do great, and we’re here to help. From pregnancy to birth and all the moments in between, we have everything you need.

Visit oHHbaby.org to learn more about our dedicated maternity services.

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