Madison Living - August 2023

MADISON LIVING THE GUIDE • AROUND TOWN • SHOPPING • OUT & ABOUT • SCHOOLS • DOWNTOWN

August 2023 madisonlivingmagazine.com

2023 Football Preview

A look at the local high school teams as they prepare to kickoff the new season Madison Living 1

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MADISON LIVING Sharing the stories that make Madison home!

Mammography Made Easy!

Patients can now directly select their screening mammography appointment online at ODC Alabama.

EDITOR John Few CONTRIBUTORS Bob Labbe Gregg Parker Erin Coggins Joshua Berry Maria Rakoczy Lee Marshall John Peck Mary Lynne Wright Brandy Booth Kassidy Wilkins MARKETING Donna Counts

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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 $30.79 for 12 issues per year. Single copies are available at select locations throughout the Madison area. To subscribe, call 256-772-6677.

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THE GUIDE

Art Tour of Homes - Madison • August 26 • Madison area • www.artshunstville.org Explore local art collections in the Madison area and get inspired at Art Tour of Homes. Whether you’re just discovering the local arts scene or are a long-time collector hoping to discover something new – get a dose of inspiration at the Art Tour of Homes, presented by Valley MLS. The Art Tour of Homes is on Saturday, August 26 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Check website for ticket information.

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Madison City Farmers Market • Every Saturday 8 a.m. to noon • 1088 Hughes Road • www.madisoncityfarmersmarket.com Located at 1088 Hughes Road, next to Trinity Baptist Church, Madison City Farmers Market is a producer-only farmers market founded in 2007. Everything sold at the market is grown or crafted by local farmers and craftspeople. It is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

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THE GUIDE

City Lights & Stars Concert Series: Kaleidoscope • August 11 at 7:30 p.m. • Burritt on the Mountain • burrittonthemountain.com City Lights & Stars Concert Series 30th season! Pack a picnic, dress casually, bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy a spectacular view of the city while listening to great music. Food trucks will be onsite with food and dessert available for purchase. Beer and wine available for purchase. Kaleidoscope is a classic rock band featuring a terrific full horn section bringing classic Rock, R&B and Soul music to North Alabama.

The band performs songs by groups such as Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, the Doobie Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Blues Brothers, and others.

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THE GUIDE

Mars Music Hall at the VBC

Upcoming concerts and events at the Von Braun Center • Downtown Huntsville • www.vonbrauncenter.com

Check out the many concerts and events scheduled for this month at the Von Braun Center. Go to their website for more details.

August 11 Motionless In White & In This Moment Propst Arena August 12 Beastie Goys presented by X5 Podcast Mars Music Hall August 12 Rocket City Octane Auto Show

South Hall August 17 Randall King Mars Music Hall August 19-20 Huntsville Hamfest August 20 The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Mark C. Smith Concert Hall

August 22-23 Bluey’s Big Play Mark C. Smith Concert Hall

August 26 Rodney Carrington Mark C. Smith Concert Hall

August 24 An Evening With Umphrey’s Mcgee Mars Music Hall

August 27 WWE Supershow Propst Arena

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August 31 Switchfoot Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown Mars Music Hall

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Madison Living 13

Kids back in school?

THE GUIDE

Time to treat yourself!

Minecraft Mania • Aug. 12-13 • EarlyWorks Children’s Museum 404 Madison Street in Huntsville • earlyworks.com

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THE GUIDE

Upcoming concerts and events at The Orion Amphitheater • MidCity District in Huntsville • theorionhuntsville.com Check out the many concerts and events scheduled for this month at the Orion Amphitheater. Go to their website for more details.

Tue, Aug 15 Snoop Dogg: High School Reunion Tour Thu, Aug 17 The Smashing Pumpkins Sat, Aug 19 Rocket City Blues & BBQ Festival

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THE GUIDE

Bluey’s Big Play • August 22-23 at 6 p.m. • Von Braun Center •broadwaytheatreleague.org Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets. This is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life.

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Excitement builds for “Celebrate Madison” event at Toyota Field scenes to making Madison a great place to live, “As a resident, I think it’s important to know what our city is doing. There are a lot of departments that work hard to maintain the quality of life in our city. To learn about it and see it come together helps instill the belief that Madison, AL is the best place to plant your roots.”

Toyota Field sets the tone for a fun and casual day.

Mayor Finley praised the great atmosphere of the venue and expressed his anticipation for Celebrate Madison, “Toyota Field serves as an ideal venue for the community at large to gather while feeling connected to their municipality and local business leaders. I look forward to celebrating with you!”

Celebrate Madison will have a variety of activities for guests of all ages. The first 300 guests can receive a free hot dog, soda, and ice cream. Guests can enjoy activities that range from face painting and lawn games to a special 21+ section. Additionally, this year’s event will feature a special touch – honoring a military family,

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Excitement is ramping up the 2023 Celebrate Madison event at Toyota Field later this month. Hosted by the Madison Chamber of Commerce, the event will recognize many of the achievements made by the city over the past year and look to future goals on August 17.

The second annual Celebrate Madison is a reinvented State of the City address at Toyota Field. Celebrate Madison invites all Madison residents to enjoy the family-friendly festivities.

According to Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, Michelle Epling, “Celebrate Madison was born from Mayor Finley’s idea where the State of the City for Madison to include the entire community. Whether you’re a family of four, single, or just moved here, Celebrate Madison is a way for you to truly become invested in what’s happening, not only in the city today but to help you understand our past.”

Epling sees it as also an opportunity to give recognition to the many people who contribute behind the

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Something new this year. Three families will be recognized for their service and contributions to the community. Nominations are now open for military families to be recognized at Celebrate Madison.

Signalink owners Steve and Alice Lessman, who are veterans themselves, said they wanted to show their and the community’s appreciation for the hard work and sacrifices of military families. “We are proud to be the Military Family Sponsor for Celebrate Madison,” they said.

“As veterans, Steve and I have committed ourselves to honoring the men and women who serve our country. Being able to offer our support in any way that highlights their selfless contributions is truly our pleasure.”

Eligible families may be active duty, retired, or a Gold Star Family that live within the Madison city limits. The families selected will be recognized on the field and presented with a special plaque in the opening ceremonies of the event. Nominations can be submitted until Monday, July 31, by filling out a form on the Madison Chamber of Commerce website, www.madisonalchamber.com.

Celebrate Madison is a free event. The gates of Toyota Field will open to guests at 6 pm. Parking is available at the stadium and guests can reserve their free tickets in advance through the Trash Pandas’ website www.trashpandasbaseball.com.

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THE GUIDE

Kelly Joyner’s concert to close 2023 ‘Sounds of Summer’ as Patty Griffin, Tori Amos, Ray LaMantagne, John Paul White, among countless others.

Currently, Kelly and her husband Clayton live in Madison with their three children. The Joyners strive to maintain the balance between family and musician life. Kelly loves to sing for the children’s program at her church and still enjoys creating visual art when not practicing music.

In 2022, her cello instructor Kevin Lay introduced Joyner to local guitarist Chris McDonald, and the three formed the local group, Luna Koi. Lay has a classical background and plays for the Shoals Orchestra. He teaches cello at Valley Conservatory. McDonald has a rock/alternative background and teaches guitar at Colors Music Studio in Madison.

Luna Koi has two singles released on all streaming services. Currently, the group is finishing their first record with Grammy winner Jimmy Nutt at The Nutthouse Recording Studio in Sheffield.

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Kelly Joyner will entertain the audience for the “Sounds of Summer” concert on Aug. 10.

This concert will close the 2023 season for the free Sounds of Summer programs. Madison Arts Alliance is presenting the concerts at Home Place Park, 100 Shorter St., just south of downtown streets. Joyner will perform from 7 to 9 p.m.

A New York native, Kelly Abraham Joyner has lived in the Tennessee Valley for the past 17 years. With eight siblings, Joyner always has escaped the chaos of her surroundings by getting lost in the act of creating.

Joyner started performing on stage when she was eight years old and has a rich background in theater, dance, music and the visual arts. Her musical influences include the vinyl records that decorated the background of her childhood, including Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Bob Seger, The Mamas and the Papas and Joni Mitchell.

Her playlist has grown recently to include artists such

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THE GUIDE

Their sound carries haunting vocals with interwoven male/female harmonies, supported by interesting guitar riffs laced with cello, Joyner said.

Joyner and McDonald regularly play together as the Luna Koi duo at venues in Madison and Huntsville. They host an “Open Mic Night” once each month at The Open Bottle in Madison; this event encourages musicians to share original music, along with their favorite covers.

Upcoming appearances for Luna Koi include the COOP Community Table on Aug. 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Stella’s Elixir Lounge on Aug. 13 from 7 to 10 p.m.

Luna Koi’s full schedule is available at Kellyjoynerlive. com. Luna Koi regularly shares show updates, videos, pictures and behind-the-scenes footage on Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit https://linktr.ee/ lunakoi.

Mac and Snacks food truck will offer gourmet mac and cheese and delicious treats. In addition, Honest Coffee Roasters and Chillabay ice cream shop are just around the corner.

Rosalie Holcombe is serving as President of Madison Arts Alliance, sponsor of Sounds of Summer. Madison Visionary Partners is the alliance’s fiscal sponsor.

For more information, email info@madisonartsalliance.org or visit madisonartsalliance.org. To contact Joyner, email joynerkelly0@gmail.com or visit kellyabrahamjoyner.weebly.com.

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FOOTBALL 2023

Welcome to our special 2023 High School Football Preview presented by The Madison Record. Within the next several pages you will find information about the high schools within our coverage area as their prepare for the kickoff to the new football season. We have featured four teams, Bob Jones, James Clemens, Sparkman and Madison Academy. For continued sports coverage and highlights from each game during the season, be sure to check out The Madison Record.

It is published weekly on Wednesdays and can be found throughout newsstands in Madison and Huntsville. You can also find it at www.themadisonrecord.com.

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250, Sr.) 51 pancakes and tackle David Alexander (OL, 6-1, 250, Jr.) with 38 pancakes will anchor the line along with Sam Allen (OL, 6-0, 235, Jr.) at center. “We have three additional players on the OL who will see lots of time in our games. They are Amari Miller (OL, 6-0, 300, Sr.), Peyton Holt (OL, 6-1, 270, Sr.) and Sam Grimes (OL, 6-2, 250, Jr.),” said White.

Gone from last year’s offensive team are All-State performs Maddox Sunderman (OL) and Rayshawn Hardy (QB), both of which provided plenty of leadership and confidence, but returning is some well- toned experience in quarterback Dylan Willingham (QB, 6-2, 170, Sr.) who received a lot of playing time behind Hardy a season ago. White said of his starting quarterback, “His leadership talents are by example as he has great work ethic and has been working hard during the off season to get better.” Last season he was 39/57 passing with 464 yards and six touchdowns and has already received Offense A huge plus for the Bob Jones offense is the fact the an offer from Birmingham Southern based on his peroffense line has three starters returning, all of which formance a season ago.

The one-two punch in the backfield will come from graded more than 80-percent during last year’s play.

Guards Christian Abrams (OL, 6-4, 310, Sr.) with 29 Tyren Washington (RB, 5-10, 240, Sr.), who had 161 pancakes, and two-year starter Tafari Alcime (OL, 6-2, carries for 921 yards and 12 TDs, and Caleb Saunders For Kelvis White, he feels his football program is ohso-close to having that expected breakout season. As he heads into his fourth season as head coach of the Patriots, White said of his squad, “These players are dedicated to working as they self-correct a lot and have bonded together and want more than what they’ve experienced.

With just that attitude, we can be very competitive.”

The Class 7A, Region 4 Patriots are coming off two consecutive 5-6 seasons as the program has not had a winning record since 2018, although, the team was 5-5 in the regular season, but lost to Hoover in the first round of the AHSAA state playoffs. With 5 starters on offense, six on defense and two in the kicking game, the program is expecting to “right the ship” and play up to its potential with star talent across its roster of 18 seniors, 28 juniors and 39 sophomores.

Madison Living 29

(RB, 5-7, 155, Jr.), who is a track star with blazing speed and can be a very explosive player.

At tight end, Jack Shaw (TE, 6-2, 170, Jr.) a very athletic baseball player will see most of the snaps at that position while the wide receivers include starter Malachi Foster (WR, 5-8, 170, Jr.), who posted 26 receptions for 459 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, Colt Dixon (WR, 5-10, 170, Jr.), Kolton Wood (WR, 5-10, 160, Jr.) and Jackson Dean (WR, 6-1, 170, Sr.).

Defense With the six defensive starters on the return and the movement of Chandler Vaughn (DL, 6-2, 250, Jr.) from offensive line to the defense this season, White has a good feeling about how the squad could be the catalyst for a successful season in 2023. The DL will be anchored by senior returning starters Myles Cook (DL, 6-4, 260, Sr.) who had 43 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss in his All-Region season, Brandon White (DL, 6-4, 230, Sr.), who posted 43 tackles, including 25 solo, and three sacks in his All-Region play, and Kameron SuggsDownes (DL, 5-9, 275, Sr.) who nailed down 22 tackles. According to head coach White, Suggs-Downes, “Is smart, can tell you what’s going on at any time and is solid at his skills position.” In addition, the defense will

have Branden Walker (DL, 6-0, 180, Sr.), who played a lot of special teams last year and will add a huge amount of talent as a pass rusher, and Jontez Washington (DL, 5-11, 280, Jr.), who is expected to come into his own in his junior season.

Cook on the defensive end is a force to be reckoned with as he’s explosive off the line and has great hands.

He’s had numerous offers including from SE Missouri State, Samford, Alcorn State, Memphis and UT-Martin. White is the son of the Patriots’ head coach who can play on the end or at linebacker and present great things on the edge. The younger White has had offers from Shorter University, Alabama A&M, Southern Illinois and Alcorn State, where his grandfather, Louis White, is among the school’s Hall of Fame.

The corps of linebackers will be led by two junior returning starters T.J. Sanders (LB, 5-11, 190 Jr.), who had 52 tackles with 29 solos and six for loss, and Will Aldridge (LB/DB, 5-11, 180, Jr.), who had a team leading 64 tackles, 28 of which were solo, six tackles for loss, one interception and two blocked kicks. Both gave superior performances last season as sophomores as each were sort of thrown into the fire of competition due to injuries which plagued the squad in 2022. Another rising junior is Sam Monroe (RB, 5-11, 190, Jr.) who was

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injured last year, but has worked hard to return in 2023.

With a terrific name for a football player, sophomore Romeo Washington (LB, 5-10, 185, So.) saw plenty of playing time last season and is expected to add a big boost at linebacker as White said, “He’s talented and a big hitter. Matter of fact, all of our linebackers will bite.

They don’t mind contact.”

In the defensive backfield, Josiah Toeaina (DB, 6-0, 185, Jr.) was a starter last season after moving to Madison from Texas. White said of Toeaina, “He can play and is expected to be a leader for us.” Toeaina had 21 tackles and one forced fumble. Juniors Calvin Senwo (DB, 5-11, 170, Jr.), Christen Rice (DB, 5-9, 170, Jr.) along with sophomores A.J. Mitchell (DB, 5-9, 150, So.) and B.J. Carter (DB, 5-9, 150, So.) will battle for playing time as the Patriots are young, but talented in the defensive backfield.

32 Madison Living

Kicking Toeaina will handle the kicking duties both punting and placekicking, as White said, “He has a strong leg, turns the ball over on punts and is very athletic should we need him on kicking plays,” while Sanders will be the long snapper going into the 2023 season.

The 2023 season will include a pre-season contest at Oak Mountain (Aug. 18) with only four home games hosting James Clemens, Sparkman, Albertville and Hartselle. The Patriots only have one home game through the first seven weeks of the campaign with three of the last games on the schedule held at Madison City Schools Stadium.

“This team wants more. They understand they must take care of Region play before they can reach the playoffs,” added White. “They understand they must take one game at a time.”

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FOOTBALL ‘23

JAMES CLEMENS JETS STORY BY BOB LABBE PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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The James Clemens football program has something to prove in 2023 according to third-year head coach Chad McGehee. After posting a perfect 10-0 regular season record in 2021, the Jets were projected to be one of the top teams in Alabama at the start of the 2022 campaign, but a rash of injuries derailed any thought of a great season as the Jets posted a 4-6 season with a 4-3 region record.

“We had 27 injuries last year and played 12 sophomores a good part of the season as those young players were thrown into the fire unexpectedly,” said McGehee. “Yes, lots of injuries, but to me its not acceptable. These players know if they are to have a good season, they must own it to earn it.”

If the Jets are to be victorious experience will be the key factor as they have seven starters on offense and eight on defense returning to the wear the Carolina blue, navy and white colors of the Class 7A, Region 4 school. The varsity roster includes 24 seniors, 34 juniors and 39 sophomores ready to face the awaiting challenges.

Offense Lost from last year’s squad which scored 30 points per outing is All-State quarterback Giovanni Lopez, but with

an abundance of playing time last season as a sophomore, his backup Ty Marsh (QB, 6-0, 192, Jr.) will be looked at as being a good starting point to put the offense’s best foot forward. “He’s a heck of a player as he’s gritty and he’s a winner,” said McGehee of his expected starting signal caller who is a two-sport athlete who also plays baseball for the Jets. “He started several games as a sophomore and he knows where to go with the ball. He has a high football IQ.” McGehee said his offense is not expected to be as explosive as it was the last two years without All-State player in Lopez, but will change the look of the squad utilizing more tight end action and a fullback oriented running game. The running backs will include D.J. Williams (RB, 5-6, 166, Sr.) who McGehee said, “earned his position with hard work,” Cam Berry (RB, 5-9, 182, Jr.), who will also see playing time at outside linebacker on defense, and M.J. Gideon (RB, Fr.) who went through spring practice while at Liberty Middle School last season as an eighth grader. The freshman tailback has good talents that will only grow with playing time.

The receiver corps will include returning starters Devon Cooper (WR, 5-6, 150, Sr.) and Ty Doughty (WR, 5-19, 162, Jr.) along with Logan Eggart (WR, 6-5, 200, Sr.) and A.J.

Madison Living 37

Little (WR, 6-0, 172, Jr.). As a sophomore a season ago, Doughty was chosen Second-Team All-State as an athlete for his all-around play on the gridiron.

For McGehee to achieve his plan to be more run oriented on offense he will have to rely on his offensive line. Bets are he’ll succeed in his quest as he has four returning offensive linemen ready to do battle. Those big hosses up front include Hunter Headley (OL, 6-3, 230, Sr.), who has several offers awaiting him for college, Micah Douglas (OL, 6-2, 266, Jr.), Derrick Thomas (OL, 6-3, 300, Jr.) and center Tim Coleman (C, 5-10, 213), who will also handle long snapping duties on punts and place kicks. “Tim has been to numerous long snapping camps and is one of the best going into this season as we certainly rely on him,” added McGehee. A battle for the remainder slots on the OL will between Jackson Pate (OL, 6-0, 284, Sr.) and Ryan Bland (OL, 6-0, 204, Jr.) who played a significant amount at tight end last year and will do so again this fall.

Speaking of tight ends, returning starter Luca Furfori (TE, 5-11, 185, Sr.) will changeout throughout the game with Keyan Kula (TE, 5-8, 200, Sr.), Isaac Achenbach (TE, 6-6, 225, Jr.) and A.J. Kelly (TE, 5-10, 200, Jr.).

Achenbach’s size is thought to be a big plus and brings a slightly different aspect of using the tight end position

38 Madison Living

more in the offensive scheme.

Defense After allowing almost 30 points a game in 2022, the Jets’ defense is thought to be the shining light of the 2023 edition of the County Line Road squad. With eight returning starters and enormous talent throughout the defensive roster, McGehee feels the defense will win games. “If we can stay healthy, we can do well with this unit as we have two Div. I defensive ends who can keep the line of scrimmage at bay.”

The two “bookends” at ends are two highly recruited senior players. Nate Jennings (DE, 6-5, 250, Sr.) and Jaylen Brown (DE, 66-235, Sr.) are being thrown around college recruiters like a tossed salad. “Jennings is as good of a player as I’ve coached, but he’s not missing those important intangibles that many players just don’t have. His ceiling is unlimited. He’s never had a bad day. Nate is the whole package.” The defensive leader is set to graduate in December and will enter his yet known choice of college for spring practices. The schools in pursuit of Jennings include Georgia Southern, Troy, Central Michigan, South Alabama, Tenn State, Maryland and Arkansas State. He was a two-sport athlete by also playing basketball for the Jets, but has chosen to leave

Madison Living 39

school early.

For Brown, he, too, is being sought after by numerous schools including Georgia Southern, Alabama State, Maryland, Jacksonville State, Austin Peay, Arkansas State and Illinois State. McGehee said he’s blessed to have both tremendous players on the defensive line. The third returning starter on the DL is nose guard Fred Poe (DL, 5-10, 330, Sr.).

At linebacker, two returning starters will lead the fine group of athletes. Those starters include Jaylon Ruffin (LB, 6-0, 195, Sr.) and Reshaad Freeman (LB, 5-10, 204, Jr.). They’ll receive help from outside linebackers D.J. Davis (LB, 6-10, 180, Jr.), who had a great spring and summer practices and has bumped up his stock within the team, and Brayden Jessup (LB, 5-19, 155, Jr.) who played in the secondary last season, but brings a different skill set in this year.

In the defensive backfield, three-year starter at safety Brody Stinson (DB, 5-11, 166, Sr.) and co-starter Marc Woods (DB, 6-3, 181, Sr.), also at safety, will lead the talented group which includes a third starter as a corner-

40 Madison Living

back Hezron Kincey (DB, 5-5, 187, Sr.) along with Nathaniel Clayton (CB, 6-0, 177, Sr.), who is returning after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL in the third game of the 2022 schedule, Myles Taylor (DB, 5-10, 153, Jr.), Brycen Dowdell (DB, 5-11, 150, Jr.) and Mason Rose, who will be brought up from the junior varsity.

Anthony Ortiz (K, 5-10, 150, Jr.) is making the transition from soccer and will handle both the punting and place-kicking duties and McGehee said, “Anthony has great leg strength and is working on more consistency in his punting chore.” The long snapper is a no brainer.

Tim Coleman, who is looking to achieve scholarship hopes with his talents as a long snapper. McGehee added, “Tim works hard and works hard at his craft as I’m very proud of him.”

“We must own our failures and losses of last season and rectify that situation as I tell our players we must take on the role to do our part in fixing failure,” said McGehee. “I stress they have to own everything. The 110 players we have had to define our core values. I’m happy where we are and excited about where we’re going.”

FOOTBALL ‘23

SPARKMAN SENATORS STORY BY CHRIS WELCH PHOTOS BY ANDREW NOLES

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O

One day you’re running around a bunch of kids wearing a mouse suit playing Chuckie.

The next, you’re the head coach of a respected 7A high school football team.

Isn’t America great?

Ronnie Watson, the new head coach of the Sparkman High School football team, certainly thinks so.

After working for the Chuckie Cheese restaurant franchise for 21 years (mostly in upper management) and the last 14 as an assistant football coach at Sparkman High School, Watson has found what he’s always wanted.

“I tell the coaches all the time I used to have 100 (Chuckie Cheese) stores, so this is easy,” Watson said, laughing.

“It’s funny. People ask me how I’m doing. I tell them I’m living the dream. I’m honestly living the dream. I tell the guys this is my retirement gig. I’m coaching and teaching and love being around kids and coaches and the community. Of course, I know you are only as good as your last performance.”

Watson, who is also an ordained minister, started working on the Sparkman High School football staff as

42 Madison Living

an assistant in 2008-09. He worked in Chuckie Cheese management until 2014 and began teaching world history and a Founding Fathers class at Sparkman in 2015.

If you’ve been keeping score since Watson started at Sparkman, he’s worked for five different head coaches over 14 seasons, including Laron White, who retired last year. Patience was definitely a big part of his career game plan.

“I know God had a plan and knew it would take effect,” said Watson, who also coaches the girls’ wrestling team and led them to a state championship last season.

“My time as an assistant was great. From my first year as a freshman coach to a position coach to defensive coordinator to helping with all operations. I worked under some great head coaches and learned what to do and what not do to. Working around that many people I couldn’t have had a better training ground.”

And, the biggest thing he learned from all the head coaches and others around him?

“You put the kids first,” Watson said. “You do what’s in the best interest of the student-athlete. If there’s anything I learned from Coach White the last six years it’s not about you. It’s about people. People say you are

Madison Living 43

Create inspiring spaces for beautiful living coaching football but you’re coaching kids’ lives.”

Watson has reason to be encouraged about this year’s squad because 10 starters - five on defense and offense - return from last year’s team that finished 5-5. The offense is led by seniors quarterback Josh Ward (6-3, 190) and center Jayden Lamar (6-0, 250). “Josh and Lamar provide great leadership and are knowledgeable about the team,” Watson said. “They’re also two of the most coachable players I’ve had.” Also returning are senior running back Jayden “Drip” Thomas (6-0,170) and junior wide receiver Jonathan Rozier (6-1, 180).

The defense has been Watson’s specialty and three of the last four years his units have given up less than 20 points a game. Leading that unit are seniors defensive back/wide receiver Jaylen Chambers (6-1, 210) and linebacker Yves Ponder (5-8, 215), who was No. 6 in the state in tackles last year.

“We’ve got to come together as a team,” Watson said.

“That first starts on Friday nights but I preach to them to get better every day.

“I’ve been here for the teams that went 1-9 and 8-3, so I’ve seen a lot of it. “Yes sir, I think a lot of positive things can happen if we just execute and do what we’re supposed to do.”

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FOOTBALL ‘23

MADISON ACADEMY MUSTANGS STORY BY CHRIS WELCH PHOTOS BY ANDREW NOLES

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You’ll have to forgive Madison Academy head football coach Bob Godsey if every now and then he looks at his Mustangs this season and takes a step back in time.

The year was 2011 and he was in his eighth season as head coach just down the road at Hartselle High School.

Godsey has many great memories and victories (210 to rank among the top active Alabama prep coaches) during his 25-year career, but boy, 2011 was special. The Tigers beat Vigor 13-3 for the Class 5A State Championship and the team finished with a school-record 15-0 mark.

Of course, for Madison Academy lots of things have to happen right - the team and the coaches have to rise to the challenge, get some breaks here and there, and overcome the adversities that come their way. But ...

With 18 starters experienced starters back from a team that won its last nine games - before losing 48-45 in overtime to Sylvania in the second round of the 3A state playoffs - Godsey has reason to be excited ... and reminded of his Hartselle championship team in 2011.

“This team has the closeness and unity that we had in Hartselle,” Godsey said when asked about his 2011 Hartselle team. “There are lots of similarities with that (Hartselle) team, including the leadership. We have

some really good leaders who have been through the fire.

We have a lot of three- and four-year starters who have a good understanding of what it takes and are willing to hold themselves accountable.

“It’s been a fun group. I think they get it. The unity they bring gives them an added dimension you like and count on as a coach. Once you get to the second and third rounds of the playoffs it will come down to two or three plays that make a difference.”

As you might guess, the sting of the overtime loss to Sylvania is still there, especially when the Mustangs “had multiple chances to win the game,” Godsey said. Of course, he’s got the perfect sweet tea to help wash that bitter taste out of his mouth in the form of 18 starters back, including the leading rusher and one of the top defenders in (senior linebacker A.J. Rice) from a solid defense.

When was the last time he had this many starters back?

“I can’t remember having this many,” Godsey said.

“Two years ago, we had a lot of guys back but last year we only had five. But the goal is always the same in the preseason. To have a good season you’re going to have some growing pains, penalties, things they have to cor-

Madison Living 49

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The Mustangs certainly started out with adversity last season, losing their first two games. But even during the losing MA’s nucleus was coming together for a great season.

“We were an extremely young team,” Godsey said.

“We had gone to the (state) semifinals the year before and graduated 17 of those guys, so it was like starting over with three starters on defense and three on offense.

“We said all along that once we get it figured out we’d be a good team. We lost two and began to figure it out.”

The Mustangs lost 42-35 in last year’s season-opener to Deshler and 46-33 to cross-town rival Randolph, the first time in 16 meetings between the two teams the Raiders had prevailed. “We had five sophomores on defense,” Godsey said. “And, the defense got better.”

MA’s defense only gave up only 21 points in six region games, posting three shutouts, while the offense scored 315 points (average 52.5 a game) in those same six games. Two key parts of those units return - leading running back/linebacker senior Ken Cherry and Rice. With those two an 16 other starters back that confidence from

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the season should carry over.

“I think so,” Godfrey said. “As coaches, you count on that experience, and we do have very productive players - our leading rusher, leading receiver (Jackson Reece), and all our leading tacklers. A.J. Rice returns and he understands his role; he’s an impressive player. They all understand what it takes to take another step.

‘I feel like we’re playing a lot of good teams in our area and region and they’ve got a lot of guys back. It’s not going to be an easy road, but always, if we focus on ourselves and be the best we can be it gives us a chance for a deep run.”

One of the big question marks is who will replace departed senior quarterback Carson Creehan, who provided “a chunk of the offense and leadership,” Godfrey said.

The two vying for his spot are senior Jake Poldiak and sophomore Alex Crider. Right now, Godfrey says “Jake has the upper hand” but Crider “continues to grow.

We’ll see what happens.”

Also returning for the Mustangs is junior running back\linebacker Josh Williams, who had 700 yards rushing last season. Two four-year senior starters anchor the offensive line, right tackle Reese Baker and center Brock Horton, along with one-year starter senior Austin Chambers at left tackle. Senior Jackson Reece returns to do the punting along with receiving and a group of guys are vying to be the team’s place-kicker, Godfrey said.

2023 Football Schedule 8/25 - Deshler Location: Deshler High School 9/1 - Randolph School Location: Madison Academy 9/8 - Pennington Location: Madison Academy 9/22 - Danville Location: Danville High School 9/29 - Madison County Location: Madison Academy

10/6 - Asbury Location: Asbury High School 10/13 - Vinemont Location: Madison Academy 10/20 - Brindlee Mountain Location: Madison Academy 10/27 - Susan Moore Location: Madison Academy 11/3 - Westminster Christian Location: Westminster Christian High School

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FOOD&DRINK

A PUB ABOVE Salt Factory Pub puts an approachable twist on comfort food STORY BY MARIA RAKOCZY

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North Alabama is booming with unique restaurant concepts, each one tempting the taste buds of Alabamians in their own way.

At Salt Factory Pub in MidCity, their way is top-notch modern fare in the comfort of an English pub-inspired setting. To simply call it a pub, however, does not do Salt Factory Pub justice. A self-proclaimed “gastropub with atmosphere”, Salt Factory creates a unique but comfortable setting to enjoy a made-from-scratch meal.

Indeed, the atmosphere sets the tone for the entire experience, and the restaurant boasts an incredible attention to detail that has an immersive effect. Diners are beckoned by the warm lighting into the well-appointed seating, but the exposed brick and rustic wood touches throughout the restaurant remind diners this is still a pub with a focus on reinvented comfort foods.

That comfortable classy feel of course extends to the menu which offers some creative twists on familiar dishes.

Director of Operations for La Cima Restaurants, LLC that operates Salt Factory Pub, Frank Rodriguez, described it as “comfort food with an international twist.”

“It gives you the experience of a chef driven, scratch

54 Madison Living

kitchen for the quality of food, with the comfortability of coming in here in jeans and a t-shirt and the kids with no problem. We try to make sure you get the finer taste without the finer prices.”

Director of Marketing for La Cima, Stephanie Gray, echoed this sentiment of inclusivity and versatility, “A lot of people think we’re a fine dining establishment, and we’re not. We’re really the place for any guest to be whether you’re on a date night, [or with] family. Our menu offers a wide variety that caters to having a unique meal or an amazing pizza with the family.”

Of course, the food itself reflects that blend of new and familiar and quality and approachable. Take their fan favorite Louisiana Egg Rolls for example. The starter dish is an elevated, Cajun take on the traditional Asian egg roll. The dish stuffs an egg roll shell with smoky bayou rubbed chicken, andouille sausage, sweet corn, spinach, and sharp cheddar cheese all drizzled with remoulade sauce and paired with a creole honey mustard on the side. The menu also serves up true comfort food like its shepherd’s pie that has its own claim to fame having been featured on Food Network as one the world’s best shepherd pies.

Perhaps the crown jewel, though, in their mission of accessible quality are their high-quality steaks that are supplied by Linz of Chicago, one of the oldest butcheries in the country and the only supplier of 100% USDA Black Angus Beef. The beef served up at Salt Factory is highend quality at affordable prices. The restaurant’s rotating chef’s specials add a little extra twist to their menu and mean that there is almost always something new to taste test.

The restaurant is still fairly new to North Alabama and just recently celebrated a successful first year after opening on May 9, 2022. The location is the first expansion of the small, Atlanta-based chain in eight years thanks to the promise the owners saw in the La Cima Restaurant family, which currently operates many of the Twin Peaks restaurants in the southeast, including the MidCity location.

“We are known for growing and franchising out,” Rodriguez said. “So, [the] franchise owner came to us and asked, ‘Would we do it?’”

The personal relationship the franchise owners of Salt Factory Pub built with Rodriguez and La Cima after years of patronizing their other restaurants, however, solidi-

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fied the owners’ desire to entrust them with a North Alabama expansion of Salt Factory Pub. “They actually used to be guests of our locations,” Rodriguez explained. “So discussions came up throughout the years with our VPs about us expanding with them.”

The success of the Twin Peaks in MidCity indicated to La Cima upon taking the leap with Salt Factory that the area would the perfect fit for that restaurant too.

“The attractive piece to being located in MidCity, for both Twin Peaks and Salt Factory Pub, is that we knew that this was going to be a booming area in years to come,” Gray recalled. “There was a one year, five year, ten year plan on the growth of MidCity itself. So, we saw this as a great opportunity to come in. We think Salt Factory Pub is the perfect addition for the community of Huntsville.”

Since their opening they have poured heavily into the local community with a monthly teacher appreciation program, first responder and military special days, and even sponsoring a local hockey team, which in turn, renamed themselves the Salty Buffaloes in honor of Salt Factory Pub. Though it has only been a year, Salt Factory Pub has certainly made a splash in North Alabama as the only location in the entire state and endeared itself to the local community with its unique fusion of food, atmosphere, and community.

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HISTORY

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Misidentified Union Soldier properly honored in Madison Cemetery STORY BY MARIA RAKOCZY

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U

Under a cedar tree in the historic Madison city cemetery, lies the grave of a man by the name of Enoch B. Allen. The simple grave seems insignificant enough for a probably simple man, except that the grave was subject to a case of mistaken identity. For many years, one-hundred twentythree to be exact, Allen’s grave mistakenly marked him as a Confederate soldier, even though Allen was a Union veteran from Indiana. The mistake was an easy one to make given the poor access to records in 1900 at the time of his death, but it wasn’t until May of this year that the mistake was corrected.

The mistake was eventually discovered by local historian, John Rankin, who partnered with Richard Blanton of the local Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War chapter to correct the grave.

“John [Rankin] actually brought it to our attention,” Blanton recalled. “One thing led to another and John said, ‘Well, you know there’s a guy buried here in the cemetery that it got messed up.’”

Blanton attributes the incorrect grave markings to confusion about who Allen was, “There was a VA-supplied marker on it already but it had the name E.B. Allen on it.

The birth date and death date were correct, but he was identified as a soldier from Georgia.”

Blanton commenced digging through census records which showed an Enoch B. Allen living in Madison County, Alabama in the late 1800s but who was born in Indiana.

Blanton then dug further into pension records from the National Archives which revealed Allen’s wife had applied for pension after his death and confirmed the death date as the same on the headstone.

The pension records further revealed that Allen served in two different regiments, first with a regiment from his home state of Indiana, during the course of the war and that he ended the war with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

The pension records went on to not only detailed Allen’s service in the war but confirmed his move to Madison at the conclusion of the war. “The pension records clearly stated that he lived in Madison Station,” Blanton remembered. “Apparently after the war, he returned home. He, his wife, and daughter moved from Indiana after the war and came down and settled in Madison Station.”

Upon moving to Madison, Allen resumed his prior occupation of blacksmith and set up shop in then-called

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Madison Station. Like many Union soldiers after the war, Allen was likely drawn to the vast amounts of open land, growing population, and mild weather of Madison County. Indeed, he was just one of several hundred Union soldiers who made North Alabama their home in the late 1860s and 1870s.

Blanton estimates, “I have a listing of a confirmed just about one hundred Union veterans who are buried here in Madison County, and I’m tracking down information on at least four hundred more that have some Madison connection. Some of them lived here before the war, went into service, got out, and stayed. There are a lot of guys that if you look at the listing that I have, they were from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Vermont.

Apparently, in some cases, I think they were down here, saw the area, and said, ‘If it wasn’t for the war, this is really a beautiful place’, and they just came back down here.”

In fact, the area of modern-day Burgreen Road to James Clemens High School was known as Union Colony for the great number of former Union soldiers that settled there, and as the number of settlers grew, Union Colony spilled over into Madison Station, where the railroad stop supported thriving shops, restaurants, hotels, and livelihoods. The Palmer brothers who moved

down from Ohio are another such family that contributed to this colony when they bought and settled on their property located along modern-day Palmer Road.

“Madison, itself, became the center of Union colony through time as people integrated into the society of Madison,” local historian John Rankin said. “That was where the grocery stores were. There was a train stop on the railroad.”

The Union veterans were not content to simply settle in the area but became active participants in the community. “The people that ran Madison were mostly former Union soldiers or descendants of Union soldiers,” Rankin said.

These transplants were not carpetbaggers, however, and the large migration of former Union soldiers into former Confederate territory seemed actually rather peaceful.

According to Rankin, “The Union soldiers were welcomed. They came to help.”

Former battlefield enemies appeared to reconcile and reunite in Madison Station, working together, living together, marrying, and building up a thriving community. Allen’s life exemplifies this phenomenon of reunification and friendliness between the North and the South. His grave evidences this first by his burial amidst

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nifies the special character of Madison Station in the decades after the Civil War. Remnants of the presence of other former Union soldiers are present in cemeteries throughout Madison and Madison County. Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville has a high concentration, and in Madison, they are scattered throughout small, family cemeteries, many of which have fallen into disrepair and disappeared from maps. Blanton, Rankin, and others are working to continue to uncover these men and their stories, care for the many cemeteries hidden and forgotten around the city of Madison, and give the graves the appropriate treatment they recently gave to Allen’s grave.

After confirming Allen’s Union veteran status and identity, Blanton along with other members of the SUVCW chapter and the help of the city promptly ordered a new, corrected headstone and proper VA marker. The a cemetery of Confederate veterans. More particularly, new markers arrived just in time for Memorial Day, lying next to Allen is Confederate soldier Robert Don- when the SUVCW held a ceremony to initiate the cornell Tribble who was a personal acquaintance of Allen. rected gravesite. The ceremony brought together volunThe two apparently overcame their difference in war teers from local reenactment groups and a member of loyalties and bonded over their common occupation. another SUVCW chapter who supplied his bugle skills Like Allen, Tribble was also a blacksmith, and the two to honor this misidentified, but not forgotten, man.

For more, check out www.taylorcamp53suvcw.webwere both close work partners and good friends. Their nearness in burial reflects this nearness in life and sig- starts.com.

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NEIGHBORS

THE PRINCESS THEATRE How Princess Theatre went from housing horses to housing world-class performances STORY BY MARIA RAKOCZY PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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We all know the story of Cinderella, how the humble stepdaughter went from wearing an apron to wearing a crown. It’s a classic story of dramatic transformation where the humble and lowly are uplifted to a place of beauty and prestige. A similar but perhaps less familiar story can be written about Decatur’s iconic Princess Theatre.

Today, the Princess Theatre is one of the premier venues for performing arts in North Alabama.

The now-famous and respected performing arts venue, however, had lowly beginnings as a livery stable for the nearby Casa Grande hotel. It housed the horses of the guests of the hotel, which was located several blocks down Second Avenue. The second iteration of the hotel, which was destroyed by a fire and then rebuilt in 1904, still stands today just a short walk along Second Avenue in downtown Decatur from Princess Theatre, and the name Case Grande can still be seen gracing the second story of

the stone façade.

When the stable was first built in 1887 in the early days of the hotel and before the age of the automobile, it served a vital purpose of keeping the dirtiness of the travelers’ horses separate from the cleanliness and hospitality of the hotel.

“That was a really nice hotel and when people came to town to shop or dress or dine, they didn’t want to smell horses. So, they’d stay at the hotel and leave their horses down the street at our theater,” Melissa Ford Thornton, Communications and Marketing Director for Princess Theatre, recounted. “Lo and behold, the horseless carriage comes in and that’s not a thing anymore.”

The automobile eventually superseded horses in travel, rendering the stable antiquated, so as the times and trends changed, so did the stable. In 1919, it was transformed for the first time into a theater.

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In its new capacity, the theater showed the popular pastimes of the day. It was the hot spot in Decatur for vaudeville performances, a type of live variety show, and silent films. The play “Tea for Three”, with accompanying music provided by local orchestras, was the first performance at the new theater on December 30, 1919 followed by the film, “The Wolf”, on December 31.

Fast forward two decades and in 1941, the theater once again moved with the times, this time receiving a Cinderellalike makeover. This era brought about the iconic art deco facade with a neon marquee sign that the Princess is known for today. Inside, the theater was decked out with murals that glow under black light, fluorescent carpeting, and a map of the state of Alabama with a special marking for Decatur on the terrazzo tile floor of the lobby. The ingenious and aesthetic touches were the work of local architect Albert Frahn and continue to captivate visitors to the Princess today. The new Princess Theatre was presented to the public on August 7, 1941 with a showing of “Tom, Dick, and Harry” featuring Ginger Rogers.

Thereafter, the Princess continued to offer the Decatur area feature films until hard times came to downtown areas and movie theaters across the country in the latter half of the twentieth century, and in 1978, the Princess shuttered its doors.

At this point, demolition appeared imminent. The city of Decatur had recently acquired funds for a civic center and the plans to construct it in the place of the Princess appeared to be a death sentence to the theater.

Recognizing the value that the beloved, historic theater had brought to the city for nearly sixty years, Decatur Mayor Bill Dukes was the Princess’ knight in shining armor. Dukes and a group of concerned citizens pulled the Princess from the brink of disappearance and embarked on a $750,000 renovation that retained many of Frahn’s 1941 updates and freshened up and modernized the worn theater. In doing so, Dukes and his companions preserved not just a theater but

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Madison natives, Lawson and Jackson Beasley perform their annual Christmas show at The Princess as “The Beasley Brothers”. a venue for history that hosted figures like George Washington Carver in 1935 as the commencement speaker for a local high school graduation, an event that was ahead of its time for forgoing segregation protocol.

Artifacts around the theater like the movie poster signed

by Gene Autry located in the green room, remaining original seats, and old “colored entrance” testify in a tangible way to the over one-hundred-year history of Princess Theater that is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Princess reopened from the 1978 renovations in 1983 and since then has undergone further refurbishments to keep it fresh and functioning to modern standards. A second building was annexed into the complex for a new lobby where a coffee bar was added. A listening room was created in unused upstairs space for a closer, more personal venue for small audiences to interact with artists. Even more recently, ADA updates were made to improve the venue’s accessibility for all visitors. The Princess is continuously evolving in a careful balance of meeting modern functions and preserving history.

Today, the Princess continues to be a centerpiece in community performing arts. Not only is it iconic, but it is also versatile, acting as a classroom to students in summer theater camps, an intimate concert hall for artists, a

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playhouse for local theater companies, and even a rental space for private events. It has gained devoted fans from audiences and performers alike for its charming and effective setting.

“Artists tell us it’s the best room they’ve ever played because it was built for vaudeville, the way the ceiling is, it’s tall and narrow, and there’s really not a bad seat in the house,” Thornton said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Princess Theatre once again shifted with the times. At Thornton’s suggestion, the theater began hosting virtual listening rooms that brought audiences and artists together via online live feeds. The virtual listening rooms transformed Princess from a regional icon to an international icon by amassing a following of fans from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Indeed, the Princess is not a joy reserved exclusively for Decatur residents. For those in Madison and Huntsville it’s only a short drive across the river. “It really is just a hop, skip, and a jump down [Interstate] 65, and people don’t really realize that,” Thornton says. For those who have not yet had the privilege of experiencing a show at the Princess, Thornton offers this encouragement, “Give us two shows. Everything might not be for everyone but there is something for everyone.”

The Princess continues to be a centerpiece in community performing arts. Not only is it iconic, but it is also versatile, acting as a classroom to students in summer theater camps, an intimate concert hall for artists, a playhouse for local theater companies, and even a rental space for private events.

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The Princess Theatre serves as the backdrop of many fun events in Decatur, including the Dia de los Muertos celebration (above) and Third Friday Downtown (below).

The Princess currently offers a variety of shows, programs, and events throughout the year that all have community at the center. Its special relationships with the flowering North Alabama music scene and community theater programs are two of the prominent and favored ways it sticks to its roots. Its annual Amerifest, a concert that benefits veterans’ charities, will bring North Alabama artists, JedEye, Josh Allison, and Tim Cannon, and Jack Anthony Christopher of Atlanta to the stage in September. Its monthly singer-songwriter series utilizes the upstairs listening room to highlight smaller artists in a close and personal acoustic performance every second Thursday of the month, and this summer the theater also hosted Decatur-based Bank Street Player’s performance of “The Little Mermaid” featuring local young actors.

Like a true Cinderella story, the Princess Theatre is a timeless classic. With humble beginnings, it transformed, as the theater’s fairy godfather of sorts, Albert Frahn once described it, into “the South’s brightest gem.”

For information on upcoming performances, go to www.princesstheatre.org

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SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL Journey Middle School opens along with other improvements to city schools STORY BY MARIA RAKOCZY PHOTOS BY JOHN FEW

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....................... MADISON CITY SCHOOLS .......................

Journey administrators from left to right: Assistant Principal Tabitha Odom, Principal Dr. Treva Stewart and Assistant Principal Gerald Franks.

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Summer drew to a close for Madison City School District students, and an exciting new school year has begun for Alabama’s number one school district.

Back to school will look a little different for some students this year. Almost seven hundred students will be the first to attend the brand new Journey Middle School.

City leaders gathered on Monday, July 31 to officially cut the ribbon on the new school. Journey is the third middle school in the city, joining Discovery and Liberty Middle Schools. Construction began on the $52 million school in March of 2021, and the school’s opening this year comes with much relief, having been delayed by a year due to supply chain and construction complications.

“I’ve been told it’s the largest middle school in the state, about $52 million. It’s a beautiful facility. We’re excited about getting in it,” Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said at a press conference on Monday.

Journey will help alleviate some of the stress on Discovery and Liberty Middle Schools by reducing their student body from 1,400 to 1,100 respectively. Nichols said that Journey shouldering part of the load will allow the district to move forward with improvements to the existing middle schools in the coming years.

“It’s also time that we haven’t had in the last few years

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to do some upgrades of those facilities [such as] new flooring and lighting, and we’ll start that process over the next couple years,” Nichols stated.

Overall, Nichols is enthusiastic for the benefits Journey will bring to the school district and Madison students, “Journey’s going to be an exciting start to the year.

We’ve been waiting for it, and it really helps us to just have that breathing room for those students that have come in the last several years.”

Journey Middle School is one of several other changes and improvements the Madison City School District has implemented for the upcoming school year districtwide.

A new wing at Bob Jones High School and the renovation of the former West Madison Elementary School into a preschool are nearing completion. New STEM and fine arts teachers have been added to all schools to expand availabilities for these programs. A new safety alert system, cameras at entrances to all the schools, and the addition of contracted security personnel are some of the new safety measures that will be implemented within the first few weeks of school. These improvements all look to contribute to the district’s theme this year of Empowering All Students.

“Our theme this year is Empowering All Students, and

....................... MADISON CITY SCHOOLS .......................

we really emphasize all and looking for ways to make sure all of our students feel connected and are engaged and have an opportunity to empower their own learning and what they can do in the future,” Nichols said.

As the district’s total number of students climbs towards 13,000, Nichols and the school board are also looking ahead to accommodate future growth with plans for an eighth elementary school and expansions to both James Clemens and Bob Jones High Schools. The new elementary school will be located on land in Limestone County annexed by the city of Madison in 2021. In March of this year, the school board authorized almost $60 million in bonds for construction of the new school.

Nichols expects to present designs for the school to the board later this year and looks forward to a projected opening date in two years’ time.

All of these changes come in time for the Madison City School District to celebrate its milestone 25th anniversary and in the wake of being named the top school district in Alabama and ranked 57 out of 10,571 districts nationwide. Dr. Nichols will deliver a speech to mark the anniversary of the school district at a special breakfast hosted by the Madison Chamber of Commerce on August 9.

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....................... BUSINESS .......................

Tom Brown’s adds to family with new location at Hays Farm

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Tom Brown’s Restaurant has been winning a place in the hearts of locals with its exceptional food and trendy, one-of-a-kind décor at its Madison location since the restaurant debuted in the summer of 2020, and now the restaurant has expanded to the Huntsville community with its new location at Hays Farm.

Tom Brown’s Huntsville opened last month on July 5 with great fanfare. Opening day came as an exciting sigh of relief to the Tom Brown’s team, a satisfying moment that all the hard work, long days, and long nights over the last few years paid off.

Whitney Pritchett, Marketing Coordinator for Tom Brown’s, described it as “ecstatic”. “It was just a beautiful energy that is just overwhelming with gratitude and excitement,” she said. “Just to watch Tom and Ashley go through that and persevere was a beautiful thing. I learned so much from watching them just walk through

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doors that opened and then push through whenever they thought they couldn’t push through anymore.”

The Huntsville location was three years in the making. Husband and wife owners Tom and Ashley Brown made the decision to expand in 2020, not too long after opening the first restaurant in The Shoppes of Madison center. The only question was the location of the second restaurant. The Browns were approached about expanding beyond Madison to several different places in north and central Alabama, but ultimately settled on South Huntsville.

It was an unexpected turn in their site search, but they found a home in the up and coming Hays Farm development along Memorial Parkway after receiving an offer they felt they simply couldn’t refuse. This first unexpected turn was perhaps indicative of the road ahead that brought even more twists and turns.

....................... BUSINESS .......................

“Your average person would have walked away two years ago,” Ashley Brown recalled. “If you can think it happened, it happened times ten.”

They originally planned to open in July of 2022 but only received the building a few months before in February, pushing back the timeline by an entire year. They were continuously plagued by the supply chain issues of the post-pandemic world, which made acquiring all the supplies needed to build a restaurant from scratch difficult. From foam pads for chairs to the chairs themselves, the team struggled to find manufacturers with enough supplies available for their needs. They went to great lengths to acquire everything they needed, even flying to Mexico for a switch gear. The experience was eye-opening on the effect of the pandemic on businesses that were experiencing their own struggles.

A lesson that really stuck for Brown was, “Don’t ever judge someone on the chapter you walked in on their life because you have absolutely no idea what it took to get them there because the average person, I’ll say it time and time again, I’ll say it to anyone, would have walked away.”

The team was able to involve the community in their journey through updates on their social media sites that launched for the Huntsville location in April of 2022.

“We got to show people every step of the way. Even

the delays, we tried to keep them as informed as possible. This is why we’re not moving. This is why we’ve stopped,” Baileigh Payne, a member of the marketing and social media team, shared. “It was pretty cool to see the power of social media influence on the restaurant and see the people’s reactions when we have not even opened our doors. They were begging us to open the entire time.”

Through it all, the Tom Brown team persevered and the team became more like a family.

“It’s all-hands on deck,” Payne said. “Everyone’s trying to put in work. Even if it’s not necessarily your job category, because we all know each other and we’re such a team, we all can pivot to different positions when needed.”

Brown praised her husband, and the restaurant’s namesake, for his cool and determined presence through it all, “He just hit it in the face, and [asked] ‘What do you need from me to get to the next step?’ And he would make it happen.”

“He would never give himself any credit for that,” she added.

All the challenges were certainly worth it for the truly stunning final product guests can enjoy at Tom Brown’s Huntsville. Much like they did with the Madison location, the Browns took a bare bones shell in a strip mall

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and transformed it into a transportive, immersive experience. Ashley Brown applied the same mentality she pioneered at the Madison restaurant to the new location to create a chic, bright, and unique atmosphere that she observed was really wanted by the people of Huntsville and Madison.

“People were begging for a place to chill, a place to hang out, pretty things to look at, comfy seating, great cocktails,” Ashley remarked.

She wanted to create that kind of environment but that differed from other restaurants of the same caliber, which she noticed sported a dark, more masculine atmosphere. “I wanted something chic, bright, high energy,” she said. “Ninety percent of the time the female decides where they go eat. Why not make it their place because that’s where they want to go? Why not make it photographable? Why not make it Instagram-worthy?”

“She also wanted to just create a space where when you stepped in, it was like you were being transported outside of Huntsville, like you’re on vacation. You’re in this trendy place,” Pritchett said of Brown’s vision.

The Hays Farm restaurant accomplishes this chic, appealing style but in a way that stands out from its predecessor. The Huntsville location sports primary colors giving it a more “moody” and “maximalist” feel.

Plush seating beckons diners to sit for an impeccable meal, and custom artwork surrounds guests. An entire wall is graced by portraits of Alabama icons, including Mae Jemison, Helen Keller, and Channing Tatum, and other Southern icons, Nick Saban and Dolly Parton observe the dining room from their wall perch. Life-size giraffe figurines add a surprising, endearing touch.

The bar glows in red and blue backlights, and even the bathrooms are picture-worthy. Truly, no detail was left unattended, evidence that the Tom Brown team did not leave behind the high level of excellence and attention to detail exhibited beautifully in the original restaurant.

Though the Browns wanted the Huntsville location’s interior design to be entirely different from Madison’s design, they made sure that the signature Tom Brown experience of casual fine dining with exceptional service and the menu of beloved dishes stayed the same.

According to Pritchett, “You can count on going to any of our restaurants and having the same delicious food. You do not have to worry about if your fish is going to taste the same, if your steak is going to taste the same, if your dessert is going to taste the same. It’s going to be the same across the board, but you’re going to go to Madison, you’re going to go to Huntsville and you’re going to have two different experiences.”

Guests can expect the same fresh seafood and high quality meats paired with exceptional hospitality that established Tom Brown’s in Madison, now in South Huntsville.

Tom and Ashley Brown

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SPORTS

DECATHLON FRIENDSHIP Four best friends share extraordinary athleticism in their sport STORY BY BOB LABBE PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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The old saying of those who play together stay together is no more evident than within the James Clemens High track team, particularly the athletes who partake in the decathlon event. The Jets have four extraordinary, finetuned athletes who exhibit great athleticism in their sport, but even more camaraderie as best friends.

Ben Thomason, Isaac Pollard, Austin Abney and Brandon Fisher are all seniors. All are major forces in their sport. All are best friends.

“Isaac is my longest and closest friend, and I came to know both Ben and Brandon through competing in the decathlon,” said Abney. “All four of us are part of the same friend group as we even celebrated Fourth of July together on the Black Warrior River in Jasper.”

These amazing friends are equally amazing in competition. At the Alabama High School Athletic Association State Decathlon Championships, held at the end of last school year, the four Jets landed among the top 30 with Thomason actually winning the State Championship scoring 6,166 points to easily outdistance the runner-up. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound champion posted the fourth-best

performance in the country. Just months earlier, Thomason won the Penthalon State Championship, which is the equivalent of the decathlon for the indoor track season.

Thomason was followed by Pollard who was tenth (5,249), Abney who was fifteenth (5,100) and Fisher who came in at No. 28 (3,930) in the field of 72.

The decathlon is a grueling competition consisting of 10 individual competitions in both track and field events. In the Olympics, the winner has long been labeled the greatest athlete in the world.

Pollard (6-0, 170) first took up the sport as a sophomore and soon migrated to the decathlon where he said, “I saw the big challenges ahead of me and I practiced hard and I could see the progression and the remarkable improvement,” said Pollard. “I liked that. The sport felt complete.”

A longtime recreational athlete in both baseball and basketball, Abney (5-11, 165) began track exclusively as he entered high school. He added, “My mother encouraged me to try track while I was in the seventh grade as I wasn’t doing very well in the other sports. I agreed to do track and had some good coaching and encouragement to try several

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events.”

For Abney, he had about a month to prepare for the decathlon as he had little technique in many of the individual events, but being a strong lad, he did very well in the field events including a second place finish in the shot put and fifth in the pole vault.

Pollard was second in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 4:41.01. Thomason was runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles and third in the shot put.

The four athletes have a lot in common while in competitions, and the similarities continue when they hang up their track shoes. Each have jobs such as putting in hours at Maples Street Biscuit Company and Marco’s Pizza. Thomason operates his own lawn care business and occasionally receives assistance from his teammates who are his best friends.

“I have many clients in neighborhoods in the area utilizing a push mower,” said Thomason.

Abney and Pollard help Thomason when they can as each have clients for lawn care service. Each has a push mower while Abney also uses a riding lawn mower. “We work together many times and share the money,” said Pollard.

For the State Meet the four athletes trained together

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as one unit. After all, they are best friends and always have been and that comradery led to enormous success in the 2023 season finale.

“I had a feeling with the energy among us and our preparation we could do well at the State Meet and it was cool to share the experience,” said Pollard, who was coming back from a three-month layoff due to a muscle injury suffered while practicing the hurdles. “Just bouncing the energy off one another was a great experience and I loved the fact it was great to share the time with my best friends.”

Pollard also spoke of one event in the decathlon races where friendship played a big part in the outcome of the competition in the 1500-meter race. He said, “Near the end of the race Ben was ahead of me, but I saw he was struggling. As I soon passed him I encouraged him to keep going. He never gave up and crossed the finish line just behind me.”

As the teammates and friendships roll into their final school year they’ll have one last chance to possibly again dominate the decathlon competition and secure a legacy that will forever remain at James Clemens High School. If nothing else, the wayfaring friends will have a closeness to last for decades to come.

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