August 2014 Madison Living

August 2014

Listen to the Music Madison camps strengthen skills of young instrumentalists, vocalists

Keeping Kids Safe Hogan Family YMCA offers afterschool programming

Eastern

Promises Neon Lily brings Eastern European cuisine to north Alabama

Welcome Home

Step inside the Stanfills’ comfortable, classic and colorful abode

Join the Tribe Iron Tribe Fitness boasts an inclusive atmosphere and challenging work outs

Opening Winter 20 15!

PROUDLY INTRODUCING

Merrill Gardens at Madison Delight in our exclusive Anytime DiningSM program and enjoy fresh, restaurant-style meals served on your schedule – 7 am to 7 pm – seven days a week.

If that isn’t enough, consider this commitment: If you choose to leave within the first 60 days, we will refund your rent in full!

(256) 217-7970 121 Brookridge Drive Madison, AL 35758 merrillgardens.com

License Pending

Retirement Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care

MANAGEMENT Alan Brown President & Publisher EDITORIAL Katie McDowell Editor

11

22 features

Gregg Parker Staff Writer Nick Sellers Staff Writer Jen Fouts-Detulleo Photographer

16

ARTS & CULTURE LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

Shane Hunter Photographer

22

IN THE BIZ THRIFT AND PROSPERITY

MARKETING Melanie McClure Marketing Consultant

26

HEALTH THE IRON IS HOT

29

KEEPING KIDS SAFE

30

EDUCATION MIDDLE SCHOOLS SEE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS

31

HIGHER (PRICED) EDUCATION

34

OUT AND ABOUT

CUSTOMER SERVICE Tammy Overman Customer Service PRODUCTION Jamie Dawkins Design

home

Ashley Logan Design Amanda Porter Design Jonathan Wise Design Madison Living P.O. Box 859, Madison, AL 35758 Advertising Inquires 256.772.6677 Madison Living is published monthly by Madison Publications, LLC.

4

HOME WELCOME HOME

food 11

LET’S EAT EASTERN PROMISES

Madison Living 3

HOME

Welcome Home

Comfort is key for Stanfill home in Heritage Plantation

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHANE HUNTER 4 Madison Living

S

teve and Laura Stanfill designed their home in Heritage Plantation, where they have lived for 11 years, with comfort as first priority.

After viewing houses locally, online and in books, the Stanfills built a custom home to incorporate essential features and meet their budget. “We became a builder and contracted out the work,” Steve said.

Laura was responsible for layout and decorating, while Steve handled structural engineering and construction supervision. “The end result was an open floor plan that provided both a home environment and a place to entertain friends, family and clients,” Laura said.

The home’s architecture merges Jeffersonian and Colonial motifs. The Stanfills wanted a traditional, dark-red brick home with white trim, black wrought iron, white columns and stucco-trimmed window features.

“With Laura being an interior decorator, we had the benefit of her knowledge to focus on quality materials and ensure we didn’t just follow the latest trend,” Steve said.

In the home’s 4,000 square feet, they have a downstairs master bedroom with fireplace, three more bedrooms, 3.5 baths, breakfast nook and living room. The spacious great room boasts a fireplace and one wall of windows reaching the 22-foot ceiling.

The Stanfills spend most time in their kitchen and

Dramatic textures, contrasting wall color and rich fabrics fill this room in the Stanfill house.

Madison Living 5

keeping room, which includes a wet bar. The space accommodates times for cooking, family conversations, television viewing, fireplace warming, homework and entertaining.

Both interior and exterior are wired for sound. To entertain in various venues, they integrated the sound system into the overall, hardwired network and cable.

During daughter Morgan’s high-school years, up to 200 teenagers attended parties. The Stanfills hosted a friend’s wedding with 100-plus guests.

Their daughter Morgan now is a senior at the University of Alabama.

Marble-topped French antiques serve as cabinets in guest bathrooms. The baths and kitchen have granite counters.

Traditional 2.75-inch hardwood floors offer low maintenance. Custom-order designer crown molding with tremendous detail gives high-end touches that blend with the home’s decor, windows and French doors.

Focused on comfort and convenience, the bonus room attracts everyone to relax between schedules in a downfilled sectional and beanbags. “Even our golden retriever rescue, Gigi, has her preferred spot for lounging,” Laura said.

The home has one covered and two open patios. “It’s not uncommon to find one of us lounging with a book Armchairs anchor the dining room table. The rug gathers the room’s use of navy, on the covered patio while it’s raining,” Steve said. white, maroon and camel.

Welcome to Madison We are excited to welcome General Surgeon Douglas Downey, MD. He has joined Matthew Hunt, MD, to provide the personalized surgical care you deserve.

Surgical Services at Madison Hospital • Board certified general surgeons • 5 spacious, state-of-the-art operating rooms • 15 pre-op beds • 10 beds for recovery • 20 surgical inpatient beds • 4-bed Intensive Care Unit

Douglas Downey, MD, FACS

8375 Highway 72 West • Madison, AL 35758 (256) 265-5951 A member of the Huntsville Hospital Health System

Madison Living 7

Varying by room, their furniture blends seamlessly from one room to another in an eclectic mix, Laura said. With comfort as priority, the rooms range from contemporary with the latest trends to more traditional styles.

“As trends change, we maintain color schemes to ensure the home isn’t outdated, while at the same time maintaining the character of the home,” Laura said.

Their showplace lawn has Japanese maples, dogwoods and cherry trees for optimum foliage color year-round.

Diverse shrubbery gives privacy and wintertime interest.

Azaleas bloom in spring, yielding to magnificent hydrangea flowers in summer.

In all four seasons, annual flowers brighten the lawn.

They plant petunias, impatiens, potato vines and violas.

Roses and crepe myrtles add dramatic punches of color.

“Violas in spring are vivid in color and provide a fragrance to let us know spring has arrived,” Laura said.

“Hydrangeas offer an abundance of colors – pink, blue and purple – and cut flowers throughout the summer.”

Yearly, they mix colors to keep a fresh look. “But we’re always thinking about what will provide color transitions throughout the year,” Laura said.

Laura is self-employed for residential decorating services. Steve works in the civil/structural engineering and land surveying industry.

TOP: The Stanfill family spends most of their leisure time in the kitchen and Both originally from Mississippi, Laura’s hometown adjacent keeping room. BOTTOM: This whimsical bedroom uses pink, aqua and a black-and-white chevron rug for effect. is Long Beach. Steve is a Tupelo native.

Madison Living 9

LET’S EAT

Eastern

Promises

‘Neon Lily’ seeks to bring Eastern European to Northern Alabama WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO Madison Living 11

F

or all the chaos, cramped quarters and fickle weather that come with running a food truck, Liliya Taylor found an important upside. It can be a laboratory where hungry guinea pigs eagerly line up for experiments. “It’s an opportunity to try something different,” she laughed. “For me, it’s great research. I’ve been adapting my menus and offering people this and that.”

Taylor’s food truck business, Neon Lily, now regularly sets up shop at the Antique Mall on Hughes Road and Blue Pants Brewery on Lanier Road, in addition to special events around the area offering Eastern European cuisine.

Eastern European?

“It’s Ukrainian; it’s Russian; it’s Polish” Taylor explained as she ticked off a list of robust Slavic staples.

Golabki: Cabbage rolls in a red sauce with carrots, seasonings and onions. “People like that,” she said. “I do that with turkey and beef and it’s an alternative for people who don’t eat pork.”

Capicola: Prosciutto-like cured meat treat best known for its Italian connections.

Healthy slaw: “That’s cabbage,” Taylor said, “with vinegar dill and olive oil. No corn syrup. That’s bad for you.”

Fish jerky: Exactly what it sounds like, a snack meant From a bed of standard Styrofoam, a rainbow of colors erupts in a Neon Lily takeout for the beer-drinking brewery crowd. “It’s very good box of healthy slaw, golabki cabbage rolls and pelmeny dumplings.

Go on a

Treasure

Hunt

Get ready for an a-MAZE-ing summer at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center!

Navigate a 2,500 square foot indoor maze and hunt for geocache treasures across the USSRC while learning the history and uses of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

NOW OPEN! HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA • ROCKETCENTER.COM RocketCenterUSA

12 Madison Living

with a beer,” she chuckled. “A couple of brave people have tried it. It’s very popular when you go to breweries.”

Pelmeny: Dumplings like large tortellinis full or pork, beef or chicken in a spicy sour bullion sauce. “That’s Russian comfort food,” she pointed out. “Sometimes I’ll use (not so Russian) Asian chili sauce or Mexican cheese and sour cream, a mixture of different cultures which goes very well.”

Perhaps the best-known Russian institution, borscht, is a less frequent feature. “I only do that for big events,” Taylor cautioned. “You don’t want to start something like borscht unless you’re making a lot of it.”

Liliya professed to being accustomed to Alabama customers who don’t know what to make of dishes that may seem alien in a land accustomed to hamburgers and barbecue. However, her foray in Madison has flushed out a natural clientele looking for a fix of the exotic. “There are a lot of military guys here who’ve been overseas,” she exclaimed, “and they come in for this kind of food because they can’t get it anywhere else.”

Cooking is a passion long deferred for Taylor who spent two years in culinary school in Kazakhstan in the old Soviet Union, then moved to post-Soviet Ukraine where she got a decidedly different master’s degree in economics before immigrating to Kansas City in

TOP: Owner Liliya Taylor shows off her traditional Eastern European attire and the first edition of her Neon Lily restaurant. BOTTOM: Liliya Taylor (in the window) serves up an evening’s appetizer outside Blue Pants Brewery in Madison, one of Neon Lily’s regular engagements.

Madison Living 13

2001. After years as a financial advisor, particularly helping Russian speaking customers with their taxes, she resolved to transition back from finance to food with the help of her husband Terry. “I don’t have a clue what’s going on. I got drafted,” laughed Terry Taylor as the couple scrambled with an enthusiastic crowd at Huntsville’s Battle of the Food Trucks. “I do the muscle, the lifting, the ‘fetch and carry,’ that kind of thing.”

The truck business, Liliya clarified, is meant to be a step on her way to opening a full-sized, fixed, restaurant in the future. “I’m going for ‘brick and stick.’ I have big plans for that,” she said.

The development of a clientele for their exotic cuisine is a process Terry Taylor saw as gradually simmering with promise. “It started out slow,” he said.

“It’s probably about where Mexican food was maybe 20, 30 years ago. It’s something completely different for this area. A lot of people, they can’t even pronounce the names of the food, let alone know what it is. But word is getting around. More people are trying it all the time.”

Liliya said she was watching that progress as she worked on her restaurant plans. “It’s not happening this year,” she said, “but hopefully next year. That’s my goal.

“And, of course, I will keep my truck.”

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

14 Madison Living

The drizzling of sauces reveals some influences from far away from Mother Russia. “Sometimes I’ll use Asian chili sauce,” Taylor said. “Or Mexican cheese and sour cream. I have a mixture of different cultures which goes very well.”

PROGRESS IS An exceptional experience, a strategic approach and a full-service bank in Madison County dedicated to developing highly personalized banking relationships.

myprogressbank.com

Member FDIC

8337 Highway 72 • Madison, AL 35758 • 256.319.4920

ARTS & CULTURE

LISTEN TO THE

MUSIC Madison Music Camps strengthen skills of young instrumentalists, vocalists WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO 16 Madison Living

O

nce isolated to university campuses, summer music camp is expanding the skills of young vocalists and instrumentalists close to home in

Madison.

Almost 200 students attended Madison Music Camps in June 2014, with about 115 advanced band students, 55 in beginning band and 20 in choir, Stuart Tankesley said. Tankesley works as choir director and assistant band director at James Clemens High School, home to the camp.

Tankesley judged the camp as “a huge success.

The kids had a great time working with some of the best music teachers in the area.”

Musicians from across Madison County assembled for the weeklong training with 20 percussionists and 75 each for brass and woodwind players. Most of Madison’s seven elementary campuses were represented.

Students attended from Liberty and Discovery middle and Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools, along with St. John the Baptist, Holy Spirit and Holy Family Catholic schools; Meridianville, Monrovia and Sparkman middle schools; Randolph School; Westminster Christian Academy; and Grace Lutheran School.

Tankesley believes Madison Music Camps can

OPPOSITE PAGE: Young musicians gained valuable experience, received exposure to challenging musical charts, chose diverse electives and learned from accomplished musical instructors. ABOVE: The James Clemens Jets Band Room offered an excellent venue for camp rehearsals.

Madison Living 17

compete with any university summer camp in Alabama. “We have some extremely talented professional musicians and teachers in the area that come and teach our camps ... some teaching at the university level,” he said.

Involving middle-school teachers is important for their experience with that demographic, Tankesley said.

Using James Clemens’ piano lab, Bob Jones choir director Randall Fields taught keyboard basics. By week’s end, campers were playing duets.

Campers also could bring a secondary instrument and learn the basics.

New for 2014, Army Material Command Band ensembles from Redstone Arsenal entertained after lunch.

Students heard the AMC Rock Band, Brass Quintet and Woodwind Quartet.

One afternoon, the stage was open to any student or teacher to perform.

During ‘flex blocks,’ students heard Martha Brouse, voice teacher at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and professional trombonist Billy Bargetzi, along with vocalists Abigayle Williams

18 Madison Living

and Jessica Russ.

The marching elective “gave students a taste” of marching fundamentals without instruments. Each morning, campers worked for 75 minutes on movements.

James Clemens Band Drum Major Katie Miller and tuba section leader Ethan Rakoff taught conducting class, giving students the director’s perspective of an ensemble. The conducting class covered all major time signatures – 2/4, 4/4, 5/4 and cut time.

Also new, the choir camp studied the importance of a good warm-up. Faculty master classes trained campers about their voices.

“Students have a great experience because they get to play or sing great music, choose electives and get instruction from some really great teachers,” Tankesley said.

Conversely, high-school counselors ramped leadership skills and earned volunteer requirements for honor societies. Adult teachers expanded their experience and shared explanations of musical concepts, doubling as professional

development for the instructors.

The camp finale involved all students in concert. Beginning bandsmen showed off their lessons learned in one week with songs from “Tradition of Excellence,” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” led by Liberty band director Gwen Rakoff.

Led by Liberty and Discovery choir director Marla Jenkins, the camp choir sang “Seize the Day,” “Cripple Creek” and “This Old Hammer.” The show choir’s choreographed program included “It’s a Hard-Knock Life,” “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Consider Yourself.”

The advanced band performed “Ghost Ship”, “Age of Empire” and “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” led by James Clemens Band Director Keith Anderson. Colby Deason from Monrovia won the conducting competition to direct the march, “Lexington.”

Counselors ended the concert with “May the Road Rise Up.” For 2015, Tankesley and camp staff plan to add more electives, such as composition and color guard, and grow the choir camp.

Marla Jenkins (standing), who teaches choir classes at Liberty and Discovery middle schools, led the choir camp.

Madison Living 19

Granite

DONE IN A DAY, BEAUTIFUL FOR LIFE!

WE MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE EASY AND AFFORDABLE.

AN

DEALER

(256) 325-8453 • 7559 HWY. 72 W. SUITE B • MADISON • WOLDEFLOORING.COM

1 p e t S

View our in-stock slabs at www.woldecountertops.com

2 p e t S

Schedule your free in-home estimate.

Celebrating 13 Years

In Business Supporting Our Local Customers

3 p e t S

Select your slab.

We have over 200 unique slabs to choose from.

4 p e t S

Schedule your installation.

IN THE BIZ

Thrift and

Prosperity

The Salvation Army’s Madison thrift store brings out the best, and cheapest, in its new neighbors WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

F

or Cindy Waggoner, the forces of bargain hunting, helping the needy and clearing out cluttered attics may be on the verge of an ideal balance in Madison.

As manager of the Salvation Army’s newest Thrift Store in the area, she noted a telling change in the store’s supply chain since it started operations in December, full of contributions that, at the time, had to be trucked out from Huntsville.

“When we first opened, the main store in Huntsville would bring us their donations,” she recalled. “Now it’s to the point that they’re coming from Madison. People drop it off at the back door here. We sort it, we price it and we sell it.”

That growing awareness at the local level has meant an eclectic, but often high quality, grade of merchandise to tempt shoppers and raise funds for

the Salvation Army’s outreach efforts. “Madison is very generous,” Waggoner said. “We get a lot of antiques. For me, personally, I notice. If we get something my grandmother had, or my mother, it reminds me of them. We just had a donation of dishes from the 1970s. My grandmother had a set of dishes just like that.”

Thrift store sales raise funds for community social services to help with rehabilitation from drug and alcohol abuse, as well as disaster relief, food, clothing and youth programs.

Salvation Army leadership reported late in 2013 that its Huntsville store was the best in its division and considered expanding towards the growing suburbs in the western end of Madison County.

The new store opened its doors on Hughes Road with an eye towards becoming self-sufficient,

LEFT: Cindy Waggoner, manager of the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Madison.

Madison Living 23

an objective Waggoner declared largely met. “It’s inspiring how accepting the community has been of us, how supportive,” she said. “They’re also finding out it’s a convenient place to drop off their donations.”

Beyond an expanding range of donated merchandise, the store has caught on with a diverse population of customers, she added. “We have everyone, senior citizens, college students, lots of women. It’s all classes, lower income, middle income.”

Open Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., the store sees its heaviest traffic around lunch time and again around 4 p.m., as it cultivates a family atmosphere which has brought out its own family of regulars looking for the newest treasures in their search for value, Waggoner explained.

“We have customers who are in almost every day,” she said, “people from the neighborhood. We know a lot of them by name. We know some people collect certain things, so we tell them about it when they come in, certain types of dishes, figurines.”

Summertime, and the end of school, also brought in greater numbers of young people. “It’s great how accepting the community has been for us, how supportive,” Waggoner marveled.

“I don’t think they knew that we’re here in this location. It’s taken a — Cindy Waggoner while to get established.

I think our customers, by word of mouth, are telling their friends. We’re seeing a lot of new people on a daily basis.”

“It’s great how accepting the

community has been for us, how supportive.”

24 Madison Living

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

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Men and women’s shoes are featured on display tables. Men’s coats line a clothing rack. A variety of kitchen ware and china is available. The Salvation Army is located on Hughes Road in Madison.

A selection of handbags.

Madison Living 25

HEALTH

“Iron” The

F

or Kelly Oswalt, the notion of fitness or a gym workout as a team sport was a strange and encouraging breakthrough. “We’ll stand around until everyone’s finished and cheer them on,” she exclaimed. “It makes you feel good. It makes you feel accomplished.”

A born-again athlete winding her Iron Tribe Fitness aims to assemble way along the comeback trail, Oswalt an avid ‘tribe’ of fitness enthusiasts declared that she had found a route that worked for her at the new Iron pumping each other up. Tribe Fitness in the Village Shoppes of Madison on County Line Road. “This WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX is the longest I’ve stuck to a program,” PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO she confessed. “It’s been 20 years since I’ve looked forward to working out.”

Such notions of interpersonal motivation Iron Tribe has sought to make selling points. “We are more

is Hot

26 Madison Living

than a gym, we are a tribe of athletes,” proclaim the business’ promotional materials. Keeping its membership limited to emphasize intimacy, Iron Tribe also prices itself as costlier than most conventional gyms but cheaper than one-on-one personal trainers.

“If you spend an hour and a half at a regular gym, you’re by yourself,” explained founder Blair Morris of the Huntsville, and now the Madison Iron Tribe franchises. “There’s no interaction. There’s no accountability.

Here, we have a whole class of accountability partners, and coaches.”

The business promises constant reinforcement as it puts members through a regimen Morris describes as unique… every time. “It’s always different,” he insisted. ‘We never do the same workout routine over. It’s a

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jeremy Millich performs kettle bell swings. The Iron Tribe Fitness sign. Med balls and plates line the walls at Iron Tribe Fitness. The facility features a variety of weights.

combination of body weight movements, lifting and cardio and that workout is packed into a 45-minute class so we’re constantly on the move.”

“They have rowing machines. They do running as well,” Oswalt listed. “They use bars, dumbbells, kettle bells.”

The sessions, Morris continued, seek to push participants to their limits, which sometimes vary greatly. “Everything we do here is scalable to the individual,” he said. “It is high intensity but we have age ranges from 13 to 67, so all our athletes’ intensity levels are different.”

But sometimes not as different as members think, Oswalt observed. “There’s some workouts, you go and you look at them and you say, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to do this in 20 minutes?’ and I’m like ‘no way!’

But then I finished it and the coaches were cheering us on and people finished before me were cheering me on and I did it!”

Morris noted that such camaraderie has become a key part of the formula, one which extends beyond the confines of the classes, or the gym.

“There are also the relationships you build in the classroom,” he pointed out. “They’re losing pounds and inches but also making friends. We’ve got people from the BP plant in Decatur hanging out with the accountant from a big firm in Research Park. These

Madison Living 27

are people who, in a given day, would never even have met.”

As an ultrasound tech who normally travels a lot and works alone, Oswalt found that part of the experience a compelling one also.

“It’s been ‘two-for-one,’” she laughed. “It’s a close knit group of people. I’m new to Madison and it was really a good way for me to meet people in the community. They do a lot of things outside the gym as well.”

“We do things as a tribe,” Morris stressed. “We’re doing a rafting trip. During football season we do our workout Saturday morning, then roll out the big screens, put out tailgate food and watch football.

Have you ever heard of a gym doing that?”

Oswalt said the “tribe” has already followed her far out into her outside life.

“This weekend I went paddleboarding in Destin,” she related. “We got up on the boards so easily, and we could balance. A couple of friends who had never done Iron Tribe, they really struggled. You use a lot of core strength balancing and paddling. I don’t know if I could have done this a year ago. I was pretty proud of myself.”

Charles Molineaux is an anchor and investigative reporter with WAFF 48 News CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Iron Tribe Fitness owner David Morris with manager/coach Blair Morris.

Patty Cooper does pull ups. Kettle bells line a wall at Iron Tribe Fitness.

28 Madison Living

Keeping kids safe

HEALTH

Hogan Family YMCA offers afterschool programming

W

hen the school day ends, 218,000 Alabama children are left alone an average of three hours a day, according to a 2009 study

by Afterschool Alliance. Because children need opportunities to engage in safe, meaningful activities while out of school, Hogan Family YMCA offers quality afterschool programming.

“Afterschool is vital to our local families,” said Kim Keeton, Hogan Y Family Life Coordinator. “The YMCA Afterschool Program provides working parents with a safe option for their children.”

Through learning enrichment, arts, physical education and positive role modeling, children have an extra support system helping them reach their full potential at the Y. Studies show participation in afterschool programs boosts school attendance and academic performance.

At the Y, children can enjoy active playtime in three swimming pools, basketball gym and climbing tree.

WRITTEN BY MARY ANNE SWANSTROM PHOTOGRAPH CONTRIBUTED LEFT: Lucy Bausano, 6, and Emma Bausano, 5, with Kimberly Keeton.

“Children also receive an afternoon snack and help with homework,” Keeton added.

Financial assistance is available to those who may need it to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn and grow at the Y. For more information about Hogan Y Afterschool, contact Kim Keeton at Kimberly.keeton@ ymcahuntsville.org or 256.705.9622 ext. 309.

Rediscover THE JOY of Learning.

Select from over 50 courses per term: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Arts & Literature Finance & Economics Foreign Languages Health & Fitness History & Government Information Technology Music & Dance Natural Resources Philosophy & Religion Photography Science & Mathematics Travel

Annual Membership is $15. An $85 term course fee covers six courses.

Connect with adults 50 and above interested in the joy of learning!

Whether you are working, retired, or semi-retired, you are a perfect fit for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. OLLI experiences are designed for your lifestyle, and the options are endless – short courses held on the UAH campus, socials, speaker series, industrial tours, movies, travel trips, and much more. The classroom environment is casual and fun, with no tests, papers, or grades!

Register Today – Fall term courses start the week of September 15.

To learn more, or to join OLLI – 256.824.6183 or www.PCS.uah.edu/OLLI. View our course guide at www.PCS.uah.edu/OLLICatalog.

Madison Living 29

EDUCATION

O

Middle schools see exciting developments

ne of the things I am is such a critical defining point in the excited about this college and career readiness process. school year is the Studies have shown that if students changes we’re making are not on target for college and career in our middle schools. Discovery readiness by the end of eighth grade, and Liberty students will have the the impact could be nearly irreversible. benefit of STEM academies that can In fact, the level of academic Dr. Dee achievement attained by eighth grade help identify their college and career Fowler pursuits. Our middle schools are also can have a larger impact on students’ moving from a four- to a five-block college and career readiness than schedule, which increases the choices for anything else that happens academically in electives. Weekly rotations of the blocks will those upper grades. benefit students and teachers who perform Our Board of Education was wise to differently at different parts of the day. make these progressive steps. The new I want to commend our Board of Education block schedule increases the opportunities and teachers for always striving for new for electives, which enhances the students’ approaches. Middle schools are often referred learning experience. And with more course to as “The Forgotten Middle” because so options in nine-weeks and semester offerings, much attention is traditionally focused on it also means smaller class sizes in the core elementary and high school. courses.

The STEM academies are an important Julia West, Career Tech/STEM teacher part of this refocusing because middle school at Discovery Middle, said: “The STEM

30 Madison Living

Academy we are implementing for the 7th and 8th grade students will allow our students to see first-hand what careers are available. By having this program, students can plan out their classes in the high schools to help them become workforce ready whether they attend a two-year, or four-year institutions, or they begin their work experience directly after high school.”

Through a partnership with Sci-Quest, students will have hands-on opportunities to explore career interests in a wide array of disciplines such as robotics, aviation, digital and audio video, 3-D modeling, engineering, and many more.

These exciting changes are further examples of how Madison City Schools remains committed to its motto: “Empowering Students for Global Success.”

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

EDUCATION

Higher (Priced)

Education

Students take on a national money chase as they seek aid to pay for more costly colleges and dreams WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

Bob Jones College and Career advisor Sheila Roberts says students and their families start devising strategies to secure financial aid and scholarships well in advance.

N

otwithstanding her plans to study biomedical science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mari Yukawa discovered during a tour of the school that math can be scary. “They had an exhibit listing the hours you’d need for each class and total cost, the textbook fees and class fees,” she recalled. “And the numbers just caught my eye.”

As a member of Bob Jones High School’s class of 2014, Yukawa had plenty of company in that moment of sticker shock. “I was just astounded at how much it cost,” exclaimed classmate Daniel Lang, facing an even more monumental price tag after his acceptance at Vanderbilt University. “I started Googling around looking at some figures and it blew me away.”

According to the College Board, the average cost for higher education in the 2013-2014 school year was more than $18,000 for four-year in-state public colleges and almost $41,000 for private colleges. As students readied themselves to start classes in the fall, many were still dotting the “I”s and crossing the “T”s on customized crazy quilt assemblies of scholarships, grants, loans and work-studies to cover the expense.

That quest has become a common experience, particularly at a college-focused high school such as Bob Jones.

32 Madison Living

“Normally they start saying ‘help!’ in their junior year,” said Sheila Roberts, Bob Jones’ college and career advisor.

Roberts noted that the need and availability of help can cover a wide variety of students.

“They aren’t going to take the family farm,” she said.

“Maybe their parents have been laid off in their senior year or they’ve had a death in the family. Then they would get the full Pell grant and probably a loan and work-study.” But, she added, less dire financial straits may be covered too. “Let’s say the parents are making $100,000 and the kid gets into Harvard. At $62,000 a year for Harvard, the student could maybe get $40,000 of that. So it pays to complete the financial aid forms.”

Roberts said the most basic form of assistance, Stafford loans, offer $5,750.

Pell grants provide aid to students in need. Beyond that, the landscape opens wide into a vast assortment of grants and scholarships, for specific schools, or certain fields like engineering, aviation, biotechnology or internet security, ROTC scholarships, scholarships from major corporations such as Microsoft, Coca Cola or GoDaddy, scholarships for disabled students or students who’ve survived cancer. “On our website under ‘college career connection,’ you see pages and pages of those opportunities out there,” Roberts said.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Gabrielle Daso will be going to Stanford in the fall and will have most of her costs covered by a National Merit Scholarship.

Bob Jones High School scholarship hunting team (from left) Graduates Gabrielle Daso and Mari Yukawa, College and Career Advisor Sheila Roberts, Graduate Daniel Lang. Mari Yukawa in the library of Bob Jones High School is intensely relieved that she has found enough assistance to go to the University of Alabama Birmingham.

It was a familiar exercise for Bob Jones 2014 grad Gabrielle Daso, headed to Stanford University. Her two older brothers gave the system a workout when one went to MIT and the other to the University of Pennsylvania. “My parents know how it goes,” she said.

“They’ve taken out loans on their 401(k)s and we’re good right now.” Daso’s $64,000 price tag for Stanford was whittled down to a merely painful $18,000 when she was awarded a National Merit Scholarship, a rare prize Bob Jones students have managed a knack for achieving. “It’s huge,” exclaimed Roberts. “Bob Jones had 18 National Merit scholars this year. Some schools have none. UAB in Birmingham gives a totally full ride to students who are named National Merit finalists.”

As always, the most important consideration is academics, she insisted, and that means hard work at challenging classes starting all the way back in ninth grade. “The ninth graders don’t know if they’re going to Harvard or Calhoun or Auburn,” she said. “But students who are thinking that far ahead are thinking about doing very well at rigorous classes.”

It was an approach that paid off for Daniel Lang, whose money quest came an abrupt and triumphant end when he was awarded a full Chancellor Scholarship, Vanderbilt’s merit scholarship. “It was a huge load off my mind,” he recalled. “First thing I did was call my mom.”

Subscribe today to May 2014

Rachel Br Homes own

Craftsman exterior, sleek contrast in interior Mill Road home

Sam & Greg’

ONLY $20.41

For a 1 yea r subscriptio n

Pizzeria

Enjoy pizza , stay for gelato close to home

s

Rolling Stones!

Spartan Stone s business rock finds but competitive solid after expansion into Madi son

Up Beat

Vigorous and rigorous, Zumb class at the a YMCA lures enthusiasti an c following

256.772.6677 facebook.com/madisonliving

Not valid outside the U.S. • Cover price $4.95 per issue • Allow 2-4 weeks for first issue

Madison Living 33

Dublin Park Fourth of July Celebration

1

Thousands of people from the Madison area flocked to Dublin Park to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy the revelry before a nighttime fireworks show.

1. Lydia, Amy and Sam Garcia 2. Angie and Jeremy Hunter 3. Kayla and Aaron Johnson 4. Ida von Spakovsky and Jessica Keith 5. Jackson Ferguson is flanked by parents Jennifer and David Ferguson

2

3

6. Simone and Anthony Walker 7. Lance and Lorena Classen 8. Madison’s first family, Mayor Troy Trulock with wife Dana Trulock

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK SELLERS

4

5

7

6 34 Madison Living

8

9

10

11

9. Rachel and Mary Beth Knapp 10. Courtni and

Thursday, Sept. 18 (rain date: Sept. 25)

Jaycee’s Building

Michael Sedlacek 11. Ventress Jacobs and Jacquelyn Daniels 12. Jeremy and Kristin Tomers

2180 Airport Road

For kids pre-school through 8th grade

13. Kayla MiyasakiEssix and Brandon Essix

12 13

Registration available online at huntsvillehospital.org/funrun

Madison Living 35

Madison Gazebo Concert in the Park

1

2

The Madison Gazebo Concert in the Park series continued on July 3 with a patriotic-themed show from the Madison Youth Orchestra.

1. Tuba player Joshua Hinkle and violinist Edward Calinsky of the Madison City Youth Orchestra 2. Jyoti and Anthony Amrhein with Elise Lin 3. Anna Rakoczy with Sady’s Bistro 4. Fusion band: Brian Townsend, Allen Pendleton, Winslow Davis and Mike McAllister

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

36 Madison Living

3

4

5

6

8

9

7

5. Bonnie and Louis Cabral 6. Elizabeth and Wellborn with Lee Grimes 7. Jessica Stillwell with Sady’s Bistro 8. Trinity, Tyair, Bobby and Ateneh Graham with baby Trevor 9. Photobomb! Melea jumps in on Karen and Dane Walther

Madison Living 37

Classifieds To place an ad in Madison Living, call 256.772.6677 Drivers: OTR Needed. Home Weekends, Great Pay & Qualitiy Equpiment. Class A CDL, Clean MVR. 1yr Exp Req. Health, Dental, RX, 401k.

Jay: 256-432-3944 Mon-Fr 8a-5p JOBS IN ALABAMA!!

AIDT assists employers throughout AL by identifying qualified applicants by recruitment, screening & training services. Visit www.aidt.edu/jobs for latest jobs & training!

Caregivers & Nurses Male & Female ALWAYS THERE IN-HOME CARE Seeks compassionate Employees Now Branch Offices in Pell City & Huntsville. Apply in person: M-F 10-3; 3021 Lorna Rd Suite 100, Hoover 824-0224 #1 Cash now for unwanted vehicles.

Running or not. Titles or not.

We pay top dollar!

(256) 502-1181 ANN’S ALTERATIONS 600 Limestone Street, Suite #6 Hartselle, AL 256-773-4213 CARRY TRANSIT Decatur, Alabama Now hiring DRIVERS * Good Pay * Excellent Benefits & Home Time * 18 Months OTR exp. * Class A CDL with Tanker Endorsement. Apply on Line@ CarryTransit.com CREEKSTONE SPACIOUS LUXURY APARTMENTS 1570 Lawrence St. East, located .5 miles South from Hwy 43. All ground floor,

All appliances, ceramic tile, ceiling fans, Individual Alarm Systems & more. Temporary phone 256-275-0427 Soon the mark of the beast will be enforced.

Free Book & Bible Study 205-339-4837 Looking for a home?

Need help with financing?

Call your neighbors down the street at Davis Realty.

We can help you get a great rate! Call Willodean 256-762-5671 Davis Realty & Assoc. Inc. 115 N. Jackson Ave., Russellville, AL 256-332-9920 DEPENDABLE DOZER & DIRT 256-332-4854 DRIVERS WANTED! Falkville to Birmingham Shuttle Drivers Req: 21+ yo, Class A CDL, 1 yr exp, pass DOT physical/ drug screen. www.flashtrucking.com Call 920-294-0430 Flow Dynamics & Automation specializing in hydraulics, pneumatics, & lubrication, is seeking an outside sales rep for North AL. 2-5 yrs of Industrial Sales exp preferred. Send resume to mharper@flowdynamics. net Gann’s Discount Siding and Roofing, Inc. 26 Gauge snaplock panel.

Made on site. Standard and architectural roofing.

Member BBB (256) 446-9767 Come Home to Holiday Plaza Apartments (Behind Foodland) Equal Housing Opportunity 256-332-2960

Are you a people person?

Put your cheerful, encouraging demeanor to work as a Home Instead CAREGiver. Our nonmedical companionship and home-helper service supports seniors to live safely and independently in their homes. Join our team!

Home Instead Senior Care Call Today 256-883-3080 WE HAVE FREIGHT!!!

James R. Smith Trucking of Cullman, AL is currently seeking drivers and Owner -Operators. Benefits include daily settlements; direct Deposit or express cash; Transflo; 100% of fuel surcharge, stop & drop pay; discounts on fuel, cell Phones & tires; pre-pass furnished; excellent home/family time and a payroll deducted truck purchase plan. Contact Greg Quick at 256.338.5168 or 800.633.3252 KDC Properties, Inc. 256-355-9090 P.O. Box 987 Decatur, AL 35602 kdcpropertiesinc.com J. Wesley Cain, AL #286; TN #6499 DRIVERS…DO YOU HAVE Flat Bed experience, a CDL-A, positive attitude, & a desire to earna good living?DO YOU WANT2010 or newer equip.Weekly pay w/Per DiemLow cost med insurance401K w/ company matchPaid vacations/holidaysHome on Weekends? We are Grand Rapids based – Terminal inTrinity, AL - regionaloverthe-road carrier looking for team players.Call Magic Transportation, 877-588-1333 (1255)

DELL Laptop Special! Come see your local computer experts for sales and service.

Mays Computer Co. 256-444-4040 We Buy ATVs Motorcycles & Utility Vehicles Motorsports Superstore 888-880-2277 Hamilton, AL SPRING CLEAN-UP Need a Dumpster?

Call 205-893-7223 RUSSELL DEVILLA Accepting Applications Tues, Thurs & Fri. 8-4 1BR-2 BR Apts.

Rent based on Income 256-332-7873 Smith Motors Two locations on Hwy 31, Decatur Lot #1 256-350-9938 Lot #2 256-350-9937 smithmotorsautosales.com WE WANT TO HIRE YOU TO RETIRE YOU! Work for a strong stable company. Southern Haulers LLC is hiring CDL-A Drivers for new accounts. Must have clean CDL-A, Hazmat pref. Exc pay and benefits.

Contact Mike 800.537.4621 EOE southernhaulersllc.com SURVEILLANCE CAMERA MONITORED 24 HOURS A DAY STORAGE BUILDINGS For Rent, All Sizes.

Russellville, AL. We Accept Credit Cards.

Call Jerry 256-332-9253 or 256-412-5392 Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm, Sat. 8am-12pm

Steel Building Bargains Allocated Discounts We do deals 30x40, 50x60, 100x100 and more Total Construction and Blueprints Available gosteelbuildings. com Source #18X 251-241-4250 TED MILLS Heating & A/C Service & Change out $65 Spring Service Free Estimates 256-412-5408 Town Hill Mini Storage 160 Units Vacancies All Sizes 256-332-9928 GUN & KNIFE EXPO Events in Central and North Alabama. Check www.vpigunshows.com/ Valley Productions for shows near you! 256-335-8474 MANUFACTURED HOMES MOBILE HOMES with land.

Ready to move in. Owner financing with approved credit. 3 bdrm., 2 bath.

No renters.

1-205-289-8899 VMFhomes.com Become a Dental Asst. in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedentalassisting.com or call (205) 561-8118 and get your career started!

Village Green Apartments 111 Village Green Circle, Red Bay 256-356-8761 Equal Housing Opportunity Handicap Accessible

Making the wisest investment of all.

BB&T proudly supports schools and educational programs across our community. The future belongs to those who are best prepared for it, and we want to give our children the knowledge they need to grow into leaders and role models. Sharing knowledge has always been at the heart of the BB&T philosophy. It’s as true today as it was 140 years ago: our goals are to help students and parents reach theirs. BBT.com

Kristen Strickland 8441 Hwy. 72 W. Madison, AL 35758 Office: 256-690-5587 Cell: 256-960-1267

B A N K I N G

.

I N S U R A N C E

.

I N V E S T M E N T S

Member FDIC. Only deposit products are FDIC insured. Š 2014, Branch Banking and Trust Company. All rights reserved.