Madison Living November 2015

November 2015

A helping hand Students reach out to support their community and the world

Selfless service Pat Cross takes the reins as Rotary District 6860 governor

No place like home The Keels cherish Cape Cod style cottage house in Madison

Hunger buster Mary Lynn Botts helps feed those in need

Healing power Gina Turner works diligently as nursing director

Welcome to your child’s future.

LITTLE MADISON ACADEMY

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

UPPER SCHOOL

We understand the importance of making the right choice for the education of your children. That is why we want you to visit Madison Academy and experience what sets us apart. There is much to see beyond the headlines of our athletic success. Creative arts, a one-to-one Apple program, innovative academic programs, exciting student life, and a vibrant faith experience are just a few of the things you can witness first-hand.

Fast facts: • Madison Academy was Alabama’s first Apple Distinguished School • Two of the 72-member class of 2015 were National Merit Scholarship Winners • Madison Academy athletic programs have won 21 state championships since moving to our Ashburn campus in 1998 • Students experience the joy of serving through life-changing experiences domestically and internationally Futura Light - 110% horz.

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Our admissions team will be happy to schedule a tour and help you navigate the enrollment process. Space is limited.

If you are looking for a school with a Christ-centered mission, contact us at admissions@macademy.org.

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325 Slaughter Rd., Madison, Al | 256.469.6400 | www.macademy.org

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MANAGEMENT Alan Brown President & Publisher

30 features

EDITORIAL Alison James Editor Gregg Parker Staff Writer Jen Fouts-Detulleo Photographer MARKETING Kim Maracigan Marketing Consultant Erin Medlen Marketing Consultant CUSTOMER SERVICE Tammy Overman Customer Service

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HEALTH VITAL SIGNS

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ARTS & CULTURE SERVICE ABOVE SELF

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EDUCATION GOLDEN RULES

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A JOURNEY TO FEED THE HUNGRY

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CHAMBER NEWSLETTER

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OUT AND ABOUT

PRODUCTION Jamie Dawkins Layken Gibbs Robyn Holm Michele Hughes Amanda Porter Design

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Madison Living P.O. Box 859, Madison, AL 35758 Advertising Inquires 256.772.6677 Madison Living is published monthly by Madison Publications, LLC.

home 4

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HOME THE KEELS

food

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LET’S EAT DELICIOUS DISHES

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Madison Living 3 1 Color - PMS 202 on white

HOME

The Keels A home furnished with interwoven stories WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

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ABOVE: Paul and Mary Katherine Keel relax on their deck with their children -- Jackson, 15; Noah, 13; Knox, 9; Micah, 7; and Maggie, 2.

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n 2012 Paul and Mary Katherine Keel realized the cottage-style house in Wall Farms would perfectly fit their active family of seven.

“This Cape Cod with dormers and front porch fit the bill,” Mary Katherine said. “The mud room/ laundry room and large eat-in kitchen sealed the deal. With five children, we wash and eat all the time.”

The Keels five children are Jackson, 15; Noah, 13; Knox, 9; Micah, 7; and Maggie, 2. Their sons attend Westminster Christian Academy.

Their spacious yard accommodates a lively game of football or practicing golf swings. “We weren’t looking for a pool but have fallen in love with having one,” Mary Katherine said.

“This is a great party house. It’s not unusual to have about 35 church youth in our pool or a house full for Thanksgiving or Christmas parties.

We love having an open house and gathering with

friends and family,” she said.

In addition, Mary Katherine loves decorating – for just about anything. “I don’t believe in having things just sit in cabinets. I want to use them.”

The five-bedroom, red brick house has 3,600 square feet. For maximum mix/match, shades of gray dominate interior colors.

“This house had ‘great bones’ but came with lots of wallpaper and projects,” Mary Katherine said.

They stripped wallpaper, covered paper in the butler’s pantry with planks, painted throughout and updated several rooms.

“With seven people, every room has to work hard and be put to use,” she said. Mary Katherine enjoys her white kitchen with a large window overlooking the pool. The boys curl up to read in easy chairs in the family room. “We all enjoy a good movie night in the upstairs den. And after four boys, we all love the pretty pink nursery for Maggie,” she said.

With their Southern casual furniture, many pieces have stories interwoven. A stainedglass window came from Paul’s home church in

The dining room’s farm table was a gift from Mary Katherine’s parents and is made of reclaimed wood from Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Madison Living 5

CLOCKWISE, TOP LEFT: Plants add interest to rooms, like this blooming bromeliad with trailing ivy. A painted pumpkin adds seasonal interest. Mary Katherine’s office has a beadboard cabinet from her father’s farm in Eagle Bend, Minnesota. The cabinet originally stored luggage at the town’s train station. A painted chest of drawers anchors an oversized map of the world in a boy’s bedroom. “Joy” and sunshine light the way in this dining area with its expansive windows. Two-year-old Maggie conducts a tea party in her room, which has a pink kitchen center for ‘preparing’ meals. The Keels weren’t looking for a home with a pool and have thoroughly enjoyed having one.

6 Madison Living

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Madison Living 7

ABOVE: The Keels’ Cape Cod cottage-style house features the style’s signature dormers and front porch. The pool area has a tree stump displaying a bucket of maroon chrysanthemums, larger-than-life acorns and fall foliage.

Madison, Tenn. In her office, Mary Katherine has a large, brown bead-board cabinet from her father’s farm in Eagle Bend, Minn. Originally, the cabinet stored luggage at the town’s train station.

“The china cabinet sat in my grandmother’s dining room. I remember loving looking at all her beautiful china. I feel honored to now have it in my dining room,” she said. An oil painting

created by Paul’s mother is another cherished heirloom. His mother started painting at 40 after raising four children.

Made of reclaimed wood from Hershey, Penn., a large farm table was a gift from her parents.

Replacing stock cabinets, the Keels installed antique cabinetry from a house in New York and a sink from Southern Accents in Cullman.

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8 Madison Living

Paul Keel built the family room’s bookcases and children’s table re-purposed as a coffee table.

In Knox and Micah’s room, they hung a vintage, pull-down school map found at Habitat for Humanity over a chalkboard wall. In Jackson’s room, a distressed wooden door is his bed’s headboard.

Paul built the family room’s bookcases and children’s table re-purposed as a coffee table.

Mary Katherine wanted all light fixtures replaced – “one benefit of being married to an electrical engineer.”

Large trees on the property line add privacy.

Paul has added outdoor string lights and built a firepit, where they relax on fall evenings.

The Keels returned to Madison in 2011. “We lived in Madison before accepting a job transfer to the Atlanta area. After eight years, it was time to transfer again. We chose to come back to Madison,” Mary Katherine said.

Paul works in the defense industry. A Fairhope native, Mary Katherine works from home for her family’s business, Marketing Support Services.

The Keels attend Westminster Presbyterian Church. “Another big reason we moved back to this area was so our children could go to Westminster, my alma mater,” Mary Katherine said.

Madison Living 9

LET’S EAT

Delicious dishes Melissa Friday shares recipes for items to complement a Thanksgiving Day menu WRITTEN BY MELISSA FRIDAY PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

Melissa and Mike Friday own Woodland Homes of Huntsville in Madison, Alabama and they invite you to tune in to their television show Dream Home Cooking every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. on WAAY 31.

CHICKEN & DRESSING CASSEROLE 1 large (14-oz) bag of Pepperidge Farm HerbSeasoned Stuffing 2 sticks real butter melted in two cups hot water ¼ cup chopped green onions ½ cup diced celery 1 cup real mayo ¾ t. salt and pepper 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, chopped 2 eggs 1 ½ cup whole milk 2 (10-ounce) cans Cream of Mushroom Soup 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar In a large bowl, mix stuffing and butter melted in water and set aside. Combine with green onions, celery, mayo, salt and pepper. Mix well with stuffing mixture.

In a greased 13x9x2-inch pan, put half of stuffing mixture, making sure to cover the entire bottom of pan. Add chicken on top of that. Top the chicken with the rest of the stuffing mixture.

Beat eggs and milk well and pour evenly over stuffing. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator two hours before cooking. Before placing it in the oven, spread Cream of Mushroom soup evenly all over the top.

Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Take out and spread with grated cheese and bake five minutes longer or just until the cheese melts.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 9-12, depending upon how you cut and serve it.

PAGE 10: Bright pumpkins welcome guests to Melissa Friday’s Thanksgiving feast.

ABOVE: For Thanksgiving dinner, Melissa Friday is serving chicken and dressing casserole, green beans, cranberrypineapple Jell-O salad and carrot souffle.

Madison Living 11

SAVORY GREEN BEANS 1 package salt pork 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, sliced 2 teaspoons each of salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning 4 cups water (or enough just to cover the green beans) 1 lb. frozen green beans (I like the Italian cut) Chop the salt pork into large pieces, place in a heavy-duty pan and cook for 15 minutes on medium high. You’ll want to stir it often so that it doesn’t stick.

Add about ¼ cup water after cooking the salt pork for about five minutes. Once the salt pork has browned, remove it with a slotted spoon, reserving as much of the drippings as possible. Discard salt pork.

Add butter and the chopped onions.

Sauté the onions for about 10 minutes.

Next add the green beans, seasonings and water and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to simmering, cover and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serves 8.

ABOVE: The cranberrypineapple Jell-O salad is a longtime tradition for Southern homes at Thanksgiving. Melissa Friday uses transparent china that showcases the plated food and coppermetallic place mats.

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CRANBERRYPINEAPPLE JELL-O SALAD 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained but save the juice 2 small boxes strawberry Jell-O 1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce 2/3 cup chopped walnuts

CARROT SOUFFLÉ 1 pound bag frozen sliced carrots (never use canned) 3 large eggs ½ cup sugar ½ cup butter, melted 3 T. self-rising flour 1 t. vanilla extract Boil carrots until they are very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and mash with a potato masher.

Beat together carrots, eggs and remaining ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serves 8.

Drain the pineapple very well, reserving the juice. Add enough cold water to the pineapple juice to equal three cups. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Place the Jell-O in a large mixing bowl and add pineapple juice and water mixture to the Jell-O. Stir for two minutes and then stir in the cranberry sauce and crushed pineapple, mixing well. Next, stir in the nuts. Pour into a small, square dish and refrigerate at least three hours or overnight.

Hospital happenings

HEALTH

Madison stays on the cutting edge of medical care WRITTEN BY MARY LYNNE WRIGHT, MADISON HOSPITAL PRESIDENT

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ootball season is a favorite time of the year – especially with the cross-town rivalries that we now enjoy.

Whether you come from a Patriot or Jet family, or roar like a Panther or Lion, our Sports Center certified athletic trainers (ATs) have every athlete in Madison covered.

Our ATs provide sports medicine coverage for all programs at Bob Jones, James Clemens, Discovery and Liberty, at absolutely no cost to the schools. These are the same ATs that serve several

of North Alabama’s Center recently moved out professional, of the hospital and into collegiate and Physician’s Building 1 on community teams, the hospital’s campus. The such as the Huntsville move provides a convenient Havoc and Alabama and spacious location for A&M. Vein Center patients while Maintaining the Mary Lynne allowing us to use the 4th Wright highest level of safety floor of the hospital for is on the minds of medical/surgical patient all our ATs, which should care. This is great news for joint give parents peace of mind. replacement patients of the From preseason physicals orthopedic surgeons from The to educational seminars and Orthopaedic Center. Our joint sideline coverage, our ATs are replacement patients report very much a part of the team. high satisfaction with their Madison Hospital is personalized pre-surgery care continuing to evolve. Our Vein and individualized physical

therapy after surgery.

Also, I’m excited to share that Madison Hospital recently moved into the third of four phases of the BabyFriendly Designation process, which involves an effort to comply with the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding as measured by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria. Our staff has worked hard on this effort and will soon be preparing for a visit from the designation team.

As always, I appreciate your trust in our team.

Madison Living 13

HEALTH

Gina Turner, a nursing director at Madison Hospital, stands with other registered nurses Jon Kenyon, Jo Collins, Sandy Henderson, Ginger Adams, Alex Pressnell, Markina Cook and Eunjoung Bordenski.

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Vital signs Gina Turner directs nurses at Madison Hospital

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

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ABOVE: Gina Turner, in front, leads a team of registered nurses in medical, surgical and intensive care units, along with inpatient physical therapy. PAGE 17: Registered nurse Sandy Henderson checks vital signs for a patient at Madison Hospital.

16 Madison Living

s a nursing director at Madison Hospital, registered nurse Gina Turner is responsible for the medical, surgical and intensive care units, along with inpatient physical therapy.

As a high school senior, Turner chose the field of medicine because biology and the human body fascinated her. “My first choice was anesthesia school. My adviser started me on the nursing track to become a nurse anesthetist. After life choices and decisions, here I am today,” she said.

Nurses in the medical unit and ICU share similar yet different responsibilities. On the medical unit, nursing is a teamwork approach. These nurses “have more patients; time management is a must ... to manage patients’ plans of care timely, admitting or maybe even discharging patients, which calls for

establishing a new process and relationship with a new patient,” Turner said.

Medical/ICU nurses must communicate with multiple physicians about patients’ progress or if a patient begins to decline. “It takes a team to handle the variety of responsibilities on the unit,” Turner said. “Nurses have health care aides who assist with patients’ vital signs and activities of daily living.”

In ICU, nurses have fewer patients because of the patients’ critical nature. “The nurses (must) think outside of the box and connect all the dots with the patients’ diagnosis, like lab values and vital signs,” Turner said. “They must anticipate what will happen next in the disease process and be proactive before the patient declines.” Time management is a key.

Turner earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She now is studying for a master’s degree in management in health care with the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

In other jobs, Turner worked at Huntsville Hospital, Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit; Decatur General, Pediatric Critical Care Unit; Crestwood Medical Center, Special Procedures and Nursing Administration as House Supervisor; and as a travel nurse in California.

Positive, word-of-mouth comments led her to work for Madison Hospital. The hospital also better accommodates her home schedule and responsibilities.

From years of nursing, Turner quickly remembers an ICU patient who “could not talk because she was clinging to life on the ventilator. However, her family could not stop raving about her. The patient was in her 90s and had an unfortunate horse-riding incident while celebrating her birthday.”

“At first, I was mad. A 90-year-old lady should have never been on a back of a horse, but this woman was not your typical 90-year-old. This lady lived her life to the fullest every day and was fearless,” Turner said. On her previous birthday, she went skydiving.

The woman’s family “bragged on how she showed them love every day and included them on her adventures. The family didn’t regret allowing her to ride the horse; they just reflected on how

Madison Living 17

“The nurses (must) think outside of the box and connect all the dots with the patients’ diagnosis, like lab values and vital signs. They must anticipate what will happen next in the disease process and be proactive before the patient declines.”

— Gina Turner

ABOVE: Time management is an absolute necessity for the nurses with whom Gina Turner works.

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happy she looked while doing it,” Turner said.

“This woman’s family ... didn’t challenge her wishes nor did they second-guess themselves when approached by physicians and staff with the lifeending decision. I could only hope to be as fulfilled at the end of my life,” Turner said.

Turner’s husband Tim works as an independent contractor for U.S. Postal Service. Their children

are Sylvaughn, 18, a senior at East Limestone High School; Timari, 14, an East Limestone freshman; and Nicaya, 7, a Creekside Elementary School second-grader.

Gina Turner enjoys sports, especially volleyball, and assists Columbia High School’s team. “I’m my kids’ biggest fan. I’m always at one of their games,” she said.

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Roger and Pat Cross have earned numerous awards as members of Rotary Club of Madison.

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Service above

self

Cross travels, mentors as Rotary District Governor WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

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lthough she has volunteered in many civic endeavors, Pat Cross has committed to her most demanding role ever. A member of Rotary Club of Madison, Cross is serving as governor of Rotary District 6860 during 2015-2016.

Geographically, Rotary District 6860 covers the north half of Alabama, extending south on the

east near Auburn and on the west to the south of Tuscaloosa. Its 52 clubs have 3,500 members.

Her term runs from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, but Cross’ preparations began in 2013 with several training sessions. She formed a leadership team and organized a calendar of events, while planning district activities, leading committees, defining district challenges and celebrating club successes.

Page 24: During 2015 and 2016, Pat Cross is serving as governor of Rotary District 6860, which encompasses the northern half of Alabama.

Madison Living 23

From home, she focuses on online and verbal communication with fellow Rotarians, clubs and Rotary International.

By Nov. 1, 2015, Cross and husband Roger had visited 48 of the district’s 52 clubs and driven approximately 8,000 miles performing official duties. “As district governor, I carry the message of Rotary International President K.R. ‘Ravi’ Ravindran to the clubs and share his theme for the year of ‘Be a Gift to the World,’” she said.

During visits to clubs, Cross encourages members to pursue projects to help others and celebrates accomplishments.

She meets with clubs’ officers and boards of directors to learn about goals and projects.

“As we have traveled the district, Roger (her husband of 51 years) and I have found that every club has an individual culture but all are united in R o t a r y ’s motto of ‘Ser vice Above Self,’” she said.

R o g e r “provides an enormous amount of support for me,” as a sounding board for ideas, researcher/ scheduler for travel, photographer and website scribe, she said.

In local service, the Rotary 24 Madison Living

Club of Madison always searches for ways to contribute. Cross cited Parrots of the Caribbean, the club’s entertainment and fundraising vehicle; volunteering at Madison Street Festival; and delivering 24 food packages to families at Thanksgiving.

At Christmas, Madison Rotarians participate in downtown decorating contests and the Madison Christmas Parade, where they serve free hot chocolate and cookies. Teenagers in Interact Clubs – the high school version of Rotary – at Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools ring bells for The Salvation Army. The Madison club honors a veteran, city employee, firefighter and police officer of the year. A graduating senior from Bob Jones and James Clemens receives a $1,000 scholarship from Rotary.

In global outreach, Madison Rotarians “have engaged in service in Honduras for many years, building eco-stoves, an environmentally-safer and health-friendly food preparation. Two years ago, a dental clinic was added. Last year, a vision clinic was added” for these villages, Cross said.

Cross is promoting the membership challenge, “100 Members in 100 Days,” and striving to charter new clubs and add Interact Clubs for teenagers and Rotaract Clubs for young adults.

“Promoting fun and developing friendships between Rotarians and clubs is one of my goals,” she said. “Our district sponsors ‘Boiling N Bragging’ in Birmingham, a football tailgate party and district fundraiser for Critical Care Transport Unit at Children’s of Alabama hospital in Birmingham.”

District 6860 Rotarians will celebrate successes at their district conference May 5-7, 2016, at Huntsville Embassy Suites.

Originally, Cross got involved with Rotary in Illinois because she knew and admired individuals in the civic organization. “Members were not only united in service but in friendship. Rotarians worked together on projects, developed lasting friendships and had a lot of fun serving together,” she said.

Her fellow Madison members elected Cross “Rotarian of the Year” for 2004-2005. She earned the “Four Avenues of Service Award” for 20092010.

The Cross’ children are Kelley Grant and husband Douglas of Madison with daughter Carsen, 16, and sons Connor, 14, and Camden, 11, and Whitney Milam and husband Jason of Dunlap, Ill., with daughter Eva, 9.

Hogan Family YMCA promotes Military Outreach Program

YMCA

WRITTEN BY MARY ANNE SWANSTROM PHOTOGRAPH SPECIAL TO HEART OF THE VALLEY YMCA

B

rittany Fortado has a lot on her plate as a military mom with a husband deployed overseas. With two children not yet old enough for school and family far away, having the luxury of free time to cope with the stress of single parenting is tough to come by. Thanks to the Hogan Family Y Military Outreach Program, Brittany and her young family can exercise, play and socialize with others at no cost.

“Our Y membership has truly been a blessing for me and my family,” Brittany said. “It has given me the opportunity to live a healthier lifestyle and work toward my weight goals, and it gives me the chance to have two hours of ‘me time’

while my little ones go to Child Watch.”

Military families can receive free membership to the Hogan Y while a spouse is deployed. Gifts to the YMCA Annual Giving Campaign fund the program. Louisiana natives most recently stationed in Alaska, the Fortados moved to Madison in May and became Y members when a friend, also a military wife, invited Brittany to the Hogan Y. They joined immediately.

“My kids have really grown attached to the wonderful Child Watch staff and have enjoyed making little friends their age,” Brittany said. “The Y has given our family the opportunity to take advantage of Alabama’s warm weather in a safe and fun environment at the swimming pool.

Justin and Brittany Fortado with children Kynlee, 2, and Braylon, 4.

I can’t wait to take advantage of all the amazing sports for my son and swim lessons for my daughter!”

Madison Living 25

EDUCATION

Golden rules

Student outreach helps others WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

ABOVE: Madison Elementary School students collected 1,073 cans of food for InsideOut Ministries. Food drive workers included Jonathan Hammonds, front from left, Aliana Brenneman, Logan Mooney, Alexis Robinson, back from left, and Malachi Bailey.

26 Madison Living

M

adison youth shed any “me-first” attitudes to frequently reach out and help people in need.

Throughout the year, teachers and administrators guide students on each campus of Madison City Schools and, along with the district’s Central Office, coordinate and encourage charitable drives.

In 2014, led by the student council, Madison Elementary School students collected 1,073 cans of food for Inside-Out Ministries. The council included second-grade teacher Lynn Phillips, thirdgrade teacher Lori Hellums and sixth-grade teacher

Shannon Lilienthal.

“Students were very excited to participate and to help others,” Lilienthal said. Teachers explained how Inside-Out Ministries provides short-term emergency assistance for basic living necessities to individuals.

Also benefiting Inside-out, the Science National Honor Society at Bob Jones High School conducted “Give Food, Give Thanks! to collect 2,000 food items,” sponsor Belinda Sewell said. “Sometimes we might not realize hunger is a real problem everywhere.”

At West Madison Elementary School, students can

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invite two guests to Thanksgiving dinner. Kymberly Mittman’s kindergarten class studied a unit of food groups “and talked about what we’re thankful for,” Mittman said. Students collected canned and boxed goods for local families in need.

Traditionally, Discovery Middle School collects canned food during the Beat Hunger - Iron Bowl drive, encouraging students to fill boxes labeled “University of Alabama,” “Auburn University” or “I don’t care.” Inclusion teacher Sara Baragona said many residents also deliver donations to campus for Christmas Charities Year Round.

Also at Discovery, Kathryn Anderson founded Stockings of Hope with brother Lennon to fill Christmas stockings for Harris Home for Children and Downtown Rescue Mission. Students donate toiletries, toys and devotionals.

In anticipation of Christmas, Heritage Elementary School conducts a rummage sale to buy gifts for disadvantaged students at Heritage. Coordinator and kindergarten teacher Michelle White said many children will receive a gift from sale proceeds and subsequent donations to Goodwill.

At Liberty Middle School, the Student 2 TOP LEFT: Malachi Bailey, Student organization spearheaded donations for from left, Alexis Robinson, the Christmas Giving Tree, which yielded gifts for Jonathan Hammonds, Logan Mooney and 13 Liberty students. Liberty youth donated from 25 Aliana Brenneman from cents to $100.

Madison Elementary James Clemens High School gives the “gift of School believe in life” with a blood drive. The Student Government reaching out to help the Association conducted “the first blood drive for community. Student clubs and organizations, James Clemens and the first in over a decade in like Student Council at Madison City Schools,” SGA co-sponsor Melanie Madison Elementary Turner said.

School, coordinate At Columbia Elementary School, Fellowship numerous types of of Christian Athletes organized supplies for South charitable projects to Lincoln Elementary School after a devastating help others.

28 Madison Living

tornado.

At Horizon Elementary School, “We collected 657 cans of food -- not bad for around 80 children,” second-grade teacher Annette Driggers said. The food filled plates at the Downtown Rescue Mission.

“Second-grade teachers thought it was important for children to begin learning to give back.”

Mill Creek Elementary School’s Junior Leaders Club gave “Sweet Treats for Sweet Hearts” to Huntsville Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Helping St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., involves the most people. St. Jude’s staff has treated at least one student from all 11 schools. Physical education teachers in Madison coordinated the “Strike Out Cancer Bowl-a-Thon” at Madison Bowling Center. “We chose St. Jude because several Madison students have been treated there,” retired teacher Joy Brindley said.

Individually, educators create websites for St. Jude campaigns. (heroes.stjude.org/mcskili). “Children are diagnosed daily with life-threatening diseases, like cancer. Families can’t afford to wait until things get better,” Rainbow Elementary School Principal Dorinda White said.

Director of student services Dennis James and wife Pat pursued the most unique, ambitious undertaking for St. Jude. The Jameses climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, to raise one dollar for each foot of elevation, or 19,341 steps for $19,341.

Cumulatively, Madison campaigns have raised about $250,000 for St. Jude.

James Clemens defined a new tradition in 2014 with its Give Back Homecoming Parade. Instead of crepe-paper-in-chicken-wire floats, classes and clubs built floats with materials to donate to charities.

Sponsor Melanie Turner said, “That’s what James Clemens is all about.”

High-tech teaching

EDUCATION

Madison City Schools incorporate more technology to embrace the future

B

ack in my school days, specialist Heidi-Hayes Jacobs. lectures and chalkboard Madison City Schools is exercises dominated committed to a technologyclassroom lessons. A focused curriculum and to giving Texas Instruments calculator was our teachers the tools they need to considered high tech. prepare students for global success.

Technology now is an essential After years of limping by under Dr. Dee severe budget limitations, we part of the school day. Keyboard Fowler skills are as vital today as cursive are making heavy investments writing was less than a generation in technology and ongoing ago. instructional technology training. The In her article, “Challenges of teaching in technology department has dramatically the age of the Internet,” Jennifer Fleming beefed up Wi-Fi connectivity in all our writes that “teaching in the Internet age schools with enough bandwidth to carry means we must teach tomorrow’s skills us well into the future. today.”

Every teacher, principal and other Teachers must “integrate technology instructional staff has a new computer. seamlessly into the curriculum instead of The District took the extraordinary step viewing it as an add-on, an afterthought of offering teachers a choice between an or event,” said national curriculum Apple MacBook Air or Dell Latitude.

Teacher surveys showed a 50-50 split in computer preference. So rather than standardize our electronic devices, we gave them what they were most comfortable with and adapted our tech support to fit their needs. Dozens of our teachers got Digital Content Creator packages for more advanced work. New Chromebooks were acquired for students.

These new devices and capabilities, combined with our virtual environment, give limitless potential to what teachers can do in their classrooms.

More powerful machines, along with individualized training, allow teachers to do more complex applications like editing video and building sophisticated presentations.

I am excited about what lies ahead in our teaching.

Open now, through the holidays!

Open the door to their future

“Science Fiction, Science Future” is an interactive adventure that demonstrates such future technologies as robotics, holograms, augmented reality and invisibility.

Call (256) 837-3400 or visit rocketcenter.com for more information.

RocketCenterUSA

This exhibition is created by Scitech Discovery Centre, Perth, Australia, and produced by Imagine Exhibitions Inc.

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A journey to feed the hungry Mary Lynn Botts takes on Biblical gleaning to help those in need WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

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FROM TOP: Mary Lynn Botts describes her career journey as “very circuitous,” yet preparing her for opportunities to help feed the hungry. Now a volunteer, Mary Lynn Botts previously worked full time for Society of St. Andrew.

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ary Lynn Botts isn’t the type of person to sigh and moan about the world’s many problems. When she sees a need, she gets busy, just as she did with Society of St. Andrew.

Botts was scheduling service projects for the C.H.R.I.S.T. Choir at Asbury United Methodist Church when a friend suggested “gleaning.” A Biblical principle, gleaning involves harvesting leftover crops from fields that would otherwise be wasted and giving it to the hungry.

“I put my ‘Googling’ skills to use and tracked down Society of St. Andrew,” Botts said. “We took about 40 kids on choir tour to a huge warehouse in Washington, D.C., and culled several tons of sweet potatoes and rutabagas.”

Returning to Madison, Botts connected with St. Andrew’s Alabama representative and continued taking youth groups to local farms. First, they gleaned pumpkins at Dennison Farms in Elora, Tenn.

She became a part-time employee with St. Andrew then full-time as project coordinator and now is volunteering. “This job is so much bigger than me. I’m such a little cog in this entire process,” Botts said.

In her work, Botts locates vegetables and fruits on local farms and orchards – “food that’s healthy and edible but isn’t pretty to be sold in grocery stores. I build relationships with local farmers. When they have produce at the end of a growing season, they contact me.”

Her network of volunteers harvests “everything from tomatoes, squash, peas to peaches, peppers and watermelons.” One “faithful lady” collects unsold produce at Madison City Farmers Market every Saturday.

These volunteers bag yellow squash during a ‘crop drop’ for Society of St. Andrew.

“Crop drops” are another way of acquiring food.

“We receive very large quantities at one time – 20,000 pounds of green beans, 30,000 pounds of apples, 40,000 pounds of sweet potatoes,” she said.

Up to 200 volunteers help at crop drops.

In just three years, Botts has scheduled numerous “drops” in Madison, including the Serving the City as One project, with YMCA youth, and Kaitlynn Krupp’s project for Girl Scout Gold Award with James Clemens High School Band.

At Asbury Vacation Bible School, 900 youngsters and parents bagged 60,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, green beans and squash in 30 minutes. “It was an incredible sight to see,” she said.

To distribute gleaned produce, Botts has nurtured another network with feeding agencies, food pantries, soup kitchens and food banks. She has connected with practically all Madison County

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ABOVE: Mary Lynn Botts, at left, and her crew of volunteers take a break after bagging yellow squash and zucchini.

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groups and some in Limestone County.

Hunger is real in Madison County. “A big problem. One we often don’t realize exists,” she said. She first saw evidence when volunteering with Asbury Community Garden. “(The Lord) even placed a homeless high school senior in my home for several months,” Botts said.

“Hunger, homelessness and poverty exist in Madison. We see it in our working poor. Singleparent moms work two fast-food jobs making minimum wage. They have to decide each month, ‘Do I buy medicine? Pay rent? Buy food?’ Our elderly are also at risk.”

Her husband Dr. Mike Botts is president and owner of Botts Innovative Research, which develops sensor systems within the intelligence, defense and scientific communities. Mary Lynn earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama.

Their son Drew works as a fabric designer for Billy Reid and lives in Costa Rica. Their daughter Rachel and husband Carl Schoenholz recently moved back to Madison from Denver, N.C. He is Asbury’s associate youth minister. Rachel works in graphic design for Taylor Strategies, whose customers include Mercedes Benz and Allstate.

“My family is very blessed. Everyone is doing work that they are passionate about,” Mary Lynn said.

“I couldn’t have done this work without my family’s support,” she added. She also acknowledged Don and Loretta Wight, Jim Moon, Sally Warden, Harriett Hess and Rosie Miller who work in fields with her. She credited Madison County commissioners, particularly Steve Haraway, and Huntsville Commissioner Bob Harrison for their support.

Reflecting, Mary Lynn said she feels humbled with her current avocation. At UA, she completed pre-med study but reconsidered that path. “My family debated my career options around the breakfast table” after she took entrance exams for medical, law, business and pharmacy schools.

Mary Lynn told her parents she wanted to feed the hungry. “My father’s response was, ‘Mary Lynn, there’s no money in that.’ My mother’s response was, ‘Oh Leonard. Don’t worry. She’s just young and idealistic.’”

“My career journey has been very circuitous, but, looking back, I was being prepared for when the Lord would give me the desires of my heart and the opportunity to feed the hungry,” Mary Lynn said. “I’m blessed beyond measure. I love that the Lord gives us more than we ever imagined if we only trust Him.” Residents can email botts@knology.net to join Mary Lynn’s volunteer roster or visit endhunger. org or Facebook/Society of St. Andrew-Alabama.

Madison Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

The Madison Chamber of Commerce celebrates ribbon cuttings, after hours events and groundbreaking ceremonies.

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for Weichert Realtors – The Space Place.

Ribbon Cutting and One Year Anniversary Celebration for GNC.

The Madison Chamber of Commerce August Monthly Luncheon with guest speaker John Meredith, president of Meredith Advocacy, and MCC Executive Director Elaine Ballew.

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for AvaLAN Wireless.

Business After Hours hosted by Cellar Door.

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Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for Digital Doc.

Madison Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

iHeartMedia Ribbon Cutting for the Jerry Damson Honda Listener Lounge with Market President Carmelita Palmer and Ben Boles from Jerry Damson Honda Acura.

The Madison Chamber of Commerce September Monthly Luncheon with President of the MCC Board Amanda Weaver and MCC Executive Director Elaine Ballew.

Safety Saturday at Carrington Cove Apartment, with Ribbon Cutting for the bus stop.

The Madison Chamber of Commerce September Monthly Luncheon, sponsored by BB&T.

Ribbon Cutting for Windham Travel & Leisure; pictured, Marianne and Darrin Windham.

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for Diva Fabulous Boutique.

Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council Community Service Day – planting flowers in front of the Hogan Family YMCA.

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James Clemens Carnival

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The James Clemens Carnival is an annual fall event enjoyed by many in Madison, children and adults alike. The festival featured all the greats – carnival rides, fried foods, games of chance and skill and plenty of great items for sale.

1. Caitlyn Johnson and Branwen Apgwilym 2. Randi Greene – JC Choir 3. Bayleigh and Hilary Harris 4. Vicki and Quincey Mullin 5. Ebba Detulleo, Natalia Morales and Berlin Detulleo 6. Hannah, Hartley and Brandon Bruce 7. Whitney Hooper and Vallerie Lamphear 8. Victoria Slayton, Liza Hughey, Turner Hughey and Lauren Hughey 9. Sarah, Ruth and Paul Lee and Gemma King

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

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10. Mirna and Toleen Ali

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11. Glenn and Benham Detulleo 12. Josh Beck, Evan, Travis, Ava, Dave and Robin Kennedy 13. Brad and Brennan Harris 14. Fred, Jamie, Carina, Joey and ChiChi Kao 15. Michelle Yoon and Zoe Hall 16. Shannon Humphrey 17. Hayley Norton, Chase Norton, Mark Davies, Natalie Davies, Cashen Buchanon and Lucas Norton

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18. Jaden, Kalli, Shaun, Stephanie and Alba Nichols 19. Clarence Boswell and Andrea Boswell

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Delivery Driver - CDL A Decatur, AL Local delivery: touchfreight. M-F, 12pm-9pm, $14 hourly with overtime. 1 yr. exp. clean MVR & pass Phy/DS. Contact Rick @ 855-890-7133 TED MILLS Heating & A/C Service & Change out $65 Summer Service Free Estimates 256-412-5408 Town Hill Mini Storage 160 Units Vacancies All Sizes 256-332-9928 MANUFACTURED HOMES MOBILE HOMES with land. Ready to move in. Owner financing with approved credit. 3 bdrm., 2 bath.

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Woodland Village Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center 1900 Olive St. SW, Cullman, AL 35056 256-739-1430

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