Susan Fewwalksalong thestorefrontsin Madison’shistoric downtown. Overthe yearsthe city has renovatedthedowntownarea,encouragingmorebusiness and residentialgrowthwholemaintaining its historic charm.It iseasilyaccessible on footandplansareunderway toconnect pedestrian andbikepathstoother areasofthecity,likeTown Madison.
ByMARIARAKOCZY maria@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –Meetnewurbanism,thecityplanningtheorythatistakingthecountry, andMadison, by storm.
Ifyou’refamiliarwithSeaside and Rosemary Beach,FL orthe Village of Providence righthereathome,then you’ve alreadymetNewUrbanism initsquintessential forms. As theseexamplesdemonstrate,
NewUrbanistcommunitiesare mixed-usedevelopmentswith restaurants,retail, residential, andoffice spaces allinone. Atthe forefrontof thetheory is walkability.InNew Urbanist communities,carsare secondaryand foot trafficisprimary. Condensed footprints and plentifulsidewalks areconducive to astroll,ratherthanadrive, around town. TheVillage ofProvidence wasoneofthe firsttodebut
NewUrbanismin the Huntsville-Madisonareawhen it was designedin2002.Since then, similardevelopmentshave explodedinpopularityand number inNorthAlabama. It’s following apattern allacross thenation of people moving towardsmixed-use developments.
“Today, prospective office tenantsprefer amenity-rich mixed-usecenters(also known See URBAN Page 3A
BySTAFFREPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON -TheMadison CountySheriff’sOffice is sharing away thecommunity canshow somesupport and love to anofficer injured in anaccident last Wednesday. Madison CountySheriff’sOffice spokesperson Brent PattersonsaidthatDetectiveJosh Mosleywas directingtrafficfromhis parkedcararound 9p.m.whenhe washit by another drivergoing over 80 milesperhour.
TheincidentoccurredonI-565 nearSlaughter Road. Mosley wasbadly injured but ChiefDeputyStacy Batessayshe isin good spirits.Batessays he and everyoneelse inthesheriff’s office arethankfulhesurvived thecrash.
PattersonsaidMosley sustainedmultiple serious injuries throughouthisbodyandhasundergoneseveralsurgeriessince theincident.Hereceivedtreatment intheSurgicalIntensive Care Unit(SICU) at Huntsville Hospital.
“TheMadison CountySheriff’s Office wouldliketoexpress its gratitudetothecommunity for theiroutpouringofsupport and concernforDetectiveMoseley’s well-being. We sincerelyappreciatethemanyassistance offers andarecommittedtobeing there forhim andhisfamily during this challenging time,”Pattersonsaid.
Rocket City Federal Credit Unionhasestablished the“Detective JoshMoseley Fund” account to aidinDetectiveMoseley’s recovery.
“The fund wascreated in response totheoutpouringofsupport andadmirationforDetective Moseley,a valuedcommunity member formanyyears,” Pattersonstated. “Thecredit union is committedtohelpingDetective Moseley during this challenging time, and we invitethepublicto
ByMARIARAKOCZY maria@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –Tanya Maloney,Field ServiceSpecialist at MainStreetAlabama,a coordinatingprogramofthe nationalprogram MainStreet America, gave apublicpresentationlast week abouttheeconomicimprovement possibilitiesofa furtherpartnership betweenthecityof MadisonandMain StreetAmerica. TheMain Streetprogramsoffer resources and support to facilitateeconomicdevelopmentinthedowntown areasofcitiesandtownsacrossthe country.MainStreet Alabamahas
33designatedtowns and 29 affiliated towns,including Athens,Oxford, South Huntsville,and Florence,whose downtown orcommercial business areas theyhave helpedtransformintothriving businesscenters.
Monday’stalkpickedupwherethe cityofMadisonleftoff withMainStreet Alabama whenthe COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“Wehad apreliminary discussionon MainStreetpre-COVID,and we hadto putthatonpause, and so,we’reresumingthattalkjusttosee what kind of interestthereisandtoeducate everybody about theprogram,”prefaced Madison
See MAIN STREET Page 8A
BobJonesathletics scoredbigattheAlabamaHighSchoolAthletics AssociationCoaches
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TownMadisonisthemost recent oftheseNewUrbanistdevelopments andperhapsmostprominent for ToyotaFieldanditsI-565-adjacent location.
PresidentofBrelandCompanies, thedeveloperbehind TownMadison, JoeyCeciexplainedtheadvantagesofNew Urbanistprinciplesin thecommunity,“We wanted Town Madisontohavethefeelof asmall southerntownsoweincorporated designprincipleslikeNew Urbanist todothat. Theseprinciplescreatea communitythatisnotonlywalkable buttimelessinthatitcan change andadaptasthe yearspass.”
Sidewalksand residentialareas placedwithin walkingdistance of restaurants,officespaces,andentertainment venueslikeToyota Field make thearea walkable.
“TownMadisonfeatureswide sidewalksandmulti-usepathsalong with alotof greenspacethatmakes walkingeasyforour residentsand visitors,”saidCeci.“Wewillcontinuethatby carryingthemultiuse[path]alongthelengthof Town MadisonBoulevard andconnectitto otherexistingMadisongreenwaysin thefuture.” That multi-usepathispartofthe SingingRiverTrail, whichisengagingineffortstobring walkability andconnectivitytoallofNorthAlabama.BrelandandtheCityof Madison workedtogethertobringthe addedconnectivitytothearea.
Work involvedcreating awider sidewalkon TownMadisonBoulevard afterthe roadhadalreadybeen builtinordertocontinuetheSinging RiverTrailfrom wheretheHuntsvillesideofthetrailendsonZeirdt Road.Whenthecity approached LouisBreland, founderofBreland Companies,cityplannerMaryBeth Broerensaidhe wasreadyto geton board.
Michaeland MitchellClark,age7,ridetheirbikesalong Bradford Creek Greenway, whichconnects Palmer Park toHeritage ElementarySchool. Therouteprovidesscenicviewsof thecreek, hardwoodforestsalongthe bands,wetlandareas supporting fish,wildlife,birdsand avariedassortment ofplants.Photo by Cristie Clark
Developmentslikethe Village of Oakland Springs(above)arezonedspecificallyto allowforresidential andbusinessareasclosetogethertoincrease conveniencefor residents.
sign (TND)isonbeautiful displayat the Village at OaklandSprings. Like our sistercommunity of Village of ProvidenceinHuntsville,Oakland Springsisalreadyanactive,elegant neighborhoodoffriendsand families. It’s abasictenet ofTND: putting pedestrians firstand vehiclessecond.Narrowerstreets and strategic placementoftreesandsidewalks makewalkingthepriority.Thisis evidentin everything we do,”advertises Village of OaklandSprings.
Both Village of Oakland Springs andTownMadison were designed by AndrésDuanyand DPZCoDesign, oneoftheleading firmsinNew Urbanismandthesame firm behind Village of Providence.
TheCityofMadisonandcity planner,Mary BethBroeren,have also beeninstrumentalinbringing walkabilityandconnectivitytoMadison beyondtheseplanned developments throughadditionalsidewalks and crosswalksalongmajorthoroughfaresand by establishing andextending greenway systems. Adding sidewalkstothedowntown area, multi-usepathsalongCountyLine Road,Hughes Road, parts of Wall Triana,andnear JourneyMiddle Schoolarea fewexamples of the additionsthecityhasmadetoincrease connectivity.
BradfordStationdevelopmentand alongthenorthsideof KeiserBoulevard thatwillconnecttodowntown and willideallyfeatureapedestrian crossingundertherailroadtracks toconnecttoBradfordCreekGreenway. Plans forthenewCommunity Centerinclude anotherconnection toBradfordCreekGreenway from theparkinglot along Browns Ferry Road.
Anall-togethernewgreenway is underway forthe Village ofOaklandSprings.Amile of theOaklandSpringsGreenway hasalready beenpavedwith anothermilenorth of Powell Road inthe works. The city’smasterplanalsocalls forthe multi-usepathnear JourneyMiddle Schoolon theGarnerStreetextensiontobeextended allthe waydown toMadisonBoulevard inthefuture.
“We’vegot anumberof projects thatwehaveinourplanthatwe wanttogo forwardwith and it’s just amatter of gettingthemfunded and balancing allofthose priorities,” saidBroeren.
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON–A local agency isgivingoversight fora clearand definite snaretothe well-being of seniorcitizensinthe North Alabamaregion. andbeyond.
TopofAlabamaRegionalCouncilof Governments or TARCOG is conductingthe Senior MedicarePatrolFraud& Scam SummitonAug.8 in Huntsville.
Reportsof elderfraud tothe FBI’s Internet CrimeComplaintCenter rose by 14percentin2023.
That’s among the reasons thatTARCOG wantsto helpthe communitylearn aboutthemostcommon scams. The2024 summit will explain strategies tooutsmartfraudsters, accordingtoSheila Dessau-Ivey,who servesas TARCOG’s Directorof AgingProgramsDirector.
Thesummit’s venue will be Robert ‘Bob’Harrison Senior Wellnessand Advocacy Center,6156 PulaskiPikeinHuntsville.Registration forthe eventwillbegin at 9a.m.
Thesummitwillopenat 10 a.m.andcontinue to1 p.m.,and itisfree to attend.
Acomponentofthe summit,the Senior Medicare PatrolorSMP at TARCOG empowers and assists Medicarebeneficiaries, their familiesand caregivers toprevent,detect andreporthealthcare fraud, errors andabuse, Dessau-Ivey said.
Inaddition,the Fraud& Scam Summitwillprovide an overviewofscamsand fraudinAlabama, The plannedtopicsinclude “Cybersecurity,” “Financial Scams, Consumer Fraud”and“LegalImplications.”
TARCOG region. These presenterswill shareeducationalinformationand valuableresources to attendees.
Documentingthe concernsfor thissummit, elderfraud reportsto FBI’s InternetCrimeComplaint Center rose by 14percent in2023. Thecenterreleasedthe 2023 editionof itsannual ElderFraud ReportonApril30,2024. “Combattingthe financialexploitation of those over 60 yearsofage continuestobeapriorityof theFBI,”MichaelD.Nordwall said.As FBIAssistantDirector,Nordwall leads the Bureau’s CriminalInvestigativeDivision. “Alongwithourpartners, we continuallyworkto aidvictims andtoidentify andinvestigatethe individualsandcriminal organizationsthatperpetratethese schemesand target the elderly.”
Elderfraud ismost likely amoreinsidiousthreat thanthe reportshows.
Many of thesecrimesgo unreported.Asthe report states,“onlyabouthalf” of thefraud scamcomplaints submittedtothe centerin2023included victims’ages.
The2023ElderFraud Reportstates five key takeawaypoints:
•Elderfraud isan expensivecrime.--Scams targeting individuals who are60yearsoldandolder causedmore than$3.4billioninlossesin2023.
“Thatroad wasalreadybuilt,and it’snottypicalthatonce aroadis builtand you’vegotanideaof what yourinfrastructurecostsarethat thedeveloperisthengoingtosay, ‘Oh yeahI’lljust build awidersidewalkafterthe fact.’But[Breland] waswillingtodothat,andso,the SingingRiverTrailisonthenorth sideof Town MadisonBoulevard,” saidBroeren.
Thecityhasplanstoextendthe multi-usepaththroughthe restof TownMadisonandtootherpartsof thecity.Ideally, thepathwillhave routesthatwindthroughout Town Madisonalltheway to James Record Roadonone routeandtodowntown Madisononanother.
LikeTownMadison,the Village of OaklandSpringshasalsoprioritized thepedestrianwithitsintentional designandlayout.Itfeaturessingle-familyandmulti-familyresidentialandaburgeoninglocalretailand restaurantscene.
“TraditionalNeighborhoodDe-
Greenwaysandoutdoor path systemshave beentalked about by the city since 1999,and agrantin2003 facilitatedthestartofBradfordCreek Greenway.Addingsidewalksto majorstreetshasbeen amorerecentdevelopment.Broerenexplainedthat thecitydidnot requiresidewalks on collectorstreetsuntil2006 and onlya fewyearsbeforethat, thecitystarted requiringsidewalksin residential areas.Since2006,thecityhas“been playingcatch-up”.
Inadditiontosidewalks and pathways, thecityuses zoningas away toencourage connectivity and walkabilityinthecity.Developmentslike theVillage of OaklandSpringsand thedowntownareaarezoned specificallytoallowfor residentialand business areas closetogether,which Broerensays alsoincreasesconvenience forresidents.
Andthecityis farfromdone inits projectstomakeMadisonwalkable andconnected. Thecityhas plans foramulti-usepaththroughthe
On whythecityhas chosen toemphasizewalkability,shecommented,“Ithinkit’sniceto providerecreationaloptions forpeople. It also, incertainlocations,canhelpreduce trafficonthe roadsifyou’vegota walkablecommunity.Peoplemight beinclinedto walkto arestaurant ratherthan getinacaranddrive. Certainly, that’s agoal formixeduse projects likeTownMadisonandlike the Village ofOakland Springs. So thatnotonlyreducestrafficonthe roads, it reduces airqualityimpacts, andso,thereare amultitudeofbenefits”.
Andthedemandis evidently thereamong Madisonresidentsas Broerensaidthecity’s projectsare partly in responsetointerestfrom residents,“Onourcollectorroads that’s wherewehear alot from residentslike‘We’dlikeasidewalkalong Gillespie Road,forexample,oron Wall Triana.’”
Asthedemand forNew Urbanist-typecommunitiesincreases acrossthecountry,Madisonistakingitto another level.Madisonis takingtheprinciples of walkability andconnectivity beyond planned mixed-usedevelopmentstoconnect theentirecityin walkableoutdoor spaces.
Exhibitorswill attend as representativesofstate programs,community partners,nonprofitand communityorganizations andareabusinessesinthe
•OlderAmericansfell thebrunt. –Seniorcitizens disproportionately experience theimpactof scamsand fraud. More than101,000victims who are60yearsoldandolder reportedthiskindof crimetothe FBI’s complaint centerin2023.Conversely,victims younger than20yearsold represent theleast-impacteddemographic.
•Techsupport topsthe list. –Techsupport scams were the mostwidely re-
SeeSUMMITPage 8B as“live-work-play”locations) over single-useofficeparks by amargin of83to17percent,accordingtoa 2014studybythe NAIOP Research Foundation, whichrepresentsthe commercial realestateindustryin theUS,”citestheCongress forthe NewUrbanismoftheincreasingdemand. Theshifttoward mixed-usedevelopmentscanbeseenright here in Madison.Inthelastten years,the cityhasacquiredtwomixed-usedevelopments,TownMadisonand Village ofOaklandSprings(sisterdevelopmentto Village ofProvidence), andothersadjacenttoMadisonlike Clift Farm,and hasseenthecitytake aproactive approachtomakethe infrastructureall overtownmore walkable.
ElementaryschoolsinMadisonCitySchools willhostOpen HouseonJuly30.Studentswillreturntoclassroomson Aug. 1.
ByGREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –Student familiesinallelementaryschoolsintheMadison districtcan attendOpen Houseonthesamedate, July 30,to getreadyfor the2024-2025school year. OpenHousecananswer manyquestions,butthe best reasonto attendOpen Houseisanintroduction tothe child’steacher.Aftertalkingtotheteacher at OpenHouse,achildcan be readyfor agoodstart when classes resumeon Aug.1. Openhouses forelementaryschoolwill run from5-7 p.m. Familieswillvisit at scheduledtimes: •ColumbiaElementary School –OpenHousewill open at 4p.m.inthecafeteria forKindergarten 101. The4p.m.timeslot alsois reserved forstudentsinstructuredlearning whowillhave asensory-friendlyatmosphere.
ForgradesK-5,students withlastnamesA-Hcan attendfrom 5to6p.m. Studentswithlastnames I-Zarewelcomefrom 6to 7p.m. Teachersencourage studentstobringschool supplies.
•Heritage Elementary School–Studentscan gain a first-timeexperience intheirnewclassroom andbecomemorefamiliarwiththesetting when classes resume.
Forbetter‘trafficcontrol,’studentswithlast namesA-Gwill attend from 5to5:40 p.m.,last namesH-Ofrom5:40to 6:20 p.m.andlastnames P-Zfrom6:20to 7p.m.
•HorizonElementary School –Studentswith lastnamesA-Lcanvisit from 5to5:50 p.m., followedbylastnamesM-Z from 6to6:50 p.m. Familiescanbringdonated suppliesand register for ExpandedDay, if needed.
Horizon familiescan useshuttleservice availableatMillerPlaza,just westofHorizon.Students can request clubinformationandsignup foroptionsduringthe firstPTA
meetingon Aug.27.
•MadisonElementary School –Studentswith lastnamesA-L canvisit from 5to5:50p.m.,followedbylastnamesM-Z from 6to6:50. Parentsand guardiansareencouraged tosignup forMadisonElementary PTA.
Businformationincludingvehicle nicknameand route schedule will be available.
•MidtownElementary School --Studentsin Midtown Kindergarten101 willattendonJuly30from 4to5p.m. inthecafeteria. Familiesshouldbring classroomsupplies.
Forgrades1-5atOpen House,studentswithlast namesA-Gwill attend from 5to5:40 p.m.,last namesH-Ofrom5:40to 6:20 p.m.; and lastnames P-Zfrom6:20to7 p.m. On Aug.23,MidtownPTA’s Back-to-SchoolBashwill offerfoodtrucks,inflatableamusements,a movie,playgroundfunand craftactivitiesfrom 5to7 p.m.
•MillCreekElementarySchool –Mill Creek willusethesethreetime slots: studentswithlast namesA-G, 5to5:40 p.m.; lastnamesH-O,5:40to6:20 p.m.;andlastnamesP-Z, 6:20 to 7p.m.Thestaffwill emailhomeroomassignmentstostudents later. MillCreekPTA will host campus/buildingtourson July 29 forallincoming kindergartnersandnew students.Availabletour timeswillbe9a.m.,noon and 5p.m. Familiesshould completeanRSVPform on Mill Creek’s website.
•RainbowElementarySchool –Forstudents inSPED/self-contained andEarly Beginnings Pre-Kindergarten,a sensory-friendly optionwill be accessiblefrom 4to 4:45 p.m. Familieswiththe lastnameA-Lwillattend from 5to5:45 p.m.,and lastnamesM-Zfrom6to 6:45 p.m. Middleschools willhold OpenHouseon Aug. 6and highschoolon Aug.8. Formoreinformation, visitmadisoncity.k12. al.us.
COOL TREAT -Howdoyoubeatthe heat in bandpractice?With plenty of fluids,early morning starts -andpopsicles, compliments ofMadisonCitySchools Superintendent.Dr. EdNichols,AssistantSuperintendent Eric Terrell, andschoolboardmembers, includingAliceLessmann(pictured above).Marchingbandcamps atboth
High School havebeen goingstrongfor the pastcoupleof weeksinpreparation forthe
Hereare somefunphotosfromschooldistrictleaders’visit to thebandpracticeslastweek.
Health Dept hostingschool shots clinic
BySTAFFREPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON -Asthe back-to-schoolseason quicklyapproaches,the MadisonCountyHealth Department willbe hostingits yearly shots clinic. Residentsarewelcome to come intothe healthdepartment from July 15to Aug. 2,from 8a.m.to3:30 p.m. to receivetheir vaccinationsbeforegoing back to school.
Insuranceisnot required.New Alabamaresidents will have to showa copy of vaccinerecords. Walk-inimmunizations arealsoavailable Mondaythrough Fridayfrom 8a.m.to3:30 p.m. yearround.
ByGREGGPARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON–Aneducationalandupbeatopportunity forelementary studentsintwogradesis open forregistrationfor theupcomingschoolyear.
The2024-2025BobJones HighSchoolScience Academyispreparing againfor challenges andlearning opportunitiesthatincorporate funintheprocess. Thisstudent-led program by dedicatedhigh-school students givesavenueto elementarystudents in MadisonCitySchoolsen-
tering grades4-5. Theacademy, an excitingin-personprogram, hasabout15lessons of science material.Enthusiastichigh-school students willteachthe lessons. Mostsessionsfeaturea game,anactivity orexperiment.Twice each month, participantswillmeetafterschool on Fridaysfrom 4to5:30 p.m. at Bob Jones. Students acceptedintothe academywillreceivea calendarwithdates. Themain subjectareas arechemistry, biology/ humanbiology, environmentalscience andphysics.Lessons includereview games, activitiesand experiments.Students earn tickets (forprizes)by answeringpractice questions,winningreview gamesandcompleting homework. Participatinginthe Bob JonesScience Challenge, ScienceAcademy orboth will excite students about the subjectwhilealsopreparingthemtosuccessfullycompetein science competitionsatmiddleandhigh-school levels. Thesegreat opportunities areexcellent fora childto learnaboutscienceout-
sideofschooland develop an interestinSTEMcareers. ScienceAcademy emphasizesthe introduction ofcareersinSTEMand healthcaretostudents. Thestaffbelievesinthe importance forstudents to have exposuretodiverse careersand fieldsin STEM.Theacademy covers STEM careersranging from electrical engineers to molecularlabspecialists.Astudent is sure to find asubjectthatthey willlike. Historically, BobJones
See SCIENCE Page 8A
ByGREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –Alocalauthor willgive adual-purposesession at MadisonPublicLibrary about herlatestbookandprofessional writing.
GeorginaCrosswilldiscuss her work,“My PerfectHusband,” alongwith asession,“Turning Pro” aboutelevatingwriting to aprofessionallevel. Thelibrary programon July 30will runfrom 6to7:30 p.m. Cross,amysteryandsuspense author,willgive asummaryof “My PerfectHusband”and reveal theinspirationbehindsomehiddenphotographsandfunwiththe NewOrleanssetting(“Somany secrets!”shesaid.)
Inthebook,Lauren’s younger sister,Ellie,goesmissing while theyareenrolledincollege. Twelveyearslater,Ellie’s body is foundinNewOrleansinan abandonedhomewithno clue about what happenedtoher.However, whenthey checkEllie’spockets,
BySTAFFREPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON -Whenit’shot butyoucrave something sweet,turntoadeliciousdessertthat’scoolandcreamy. FrenchStyleCheesecake with Vanilla WaferCrustoffersthe bestofboth worldsas afresh, no-bake, refrigerated favorite youcantopwith chocolate, fruitor vanilla wafercrumbs. Findmoresummerdessert ideas at Culinary.net.
they find photographsof Ellie sitting withtwomen.Oneofthe menhappens to beLauren’shusband,Crosssaid.
“DidAlexmeetLaurenby chance?Or,did he purposelyseek heroutto distracther from the investigation? With everything in Lauren’smarriage nowcoming intoquestion,Laurenmustnot only findout what happenedto her sister,butshe must alsolearn moreaboutthemanshe agreedto marryandinvitedintoher bed,” Crosssaid.
Cross then willpresenther first-everworkshop, “Turning Pro,”thatwill includehertips aboutthewritingindustry.She will explainwaystoget started in the professionandpossible ways tobecomepublished,alongwith themindsetthatshehasadopted onbecoming apublishedauthor.
“Forthosewho attend whoare interestedinwritingandpublishingabook, Iplan to sharewhat Iknowandtipsforencouraging themto finishtheirmanuscript,” shesaid.“I’mconsideringlaunch-
FrenchStyleCheesecake with Vanilla WaferCrust Servings:8
Crust:
2cupsvanilla wafers,crushed 1stick butter,melted 1/4cupbrownsugar WhippedCream: 1cupheavycream 3tablespoonssugar 1teaspoonvanilla Cheesecake: 8ouncescreamcheese,softened 1teaspoonvanilla 1/2cuppowderedsugar
ing amonthlyseriesofthese workshops.Pleasejoin us,andI can getabetter ideaofinterest.”
“Evenifguestsaren’t interested inwriting, theyareavid readersandbookloversso thetalkwill bemostinteresting,” shesaid.
As afull-timewriter,Cross has published sixbooks,andcounting.
Crosswrote“OneNight”and “NannyNeeded”(Bantam, PenguinRandomHouse)andisthe Amazon Best-SellingAuthorof “The Stepdaughter, My Perfect Husband,”“TheMissing Woman” and“TheNiece”.
Georginais amemberofInternational ThrillerWriters, MysteryWritersofAmericaand SistersinCrime.Sheandher husbandDavid watchmanybasketballtournamentsandenjoy time withtheircombined family of four sons. Formoreinformation, visit Georgina-Cross-Author.com,Instagram:@georginacrossauthor or Facebook/GeorginaCrossAuthor.
To makecrust:Mixcrushed vanilla wafers,melted butter and sugar;pressintopie pan or individual puddingcups.
To makewhippedcream: Inlargebowl,usingelectric mixer,mixheavycream,sugarand vanillauntilthickened into whippedcream.
To makecheesecake:Add softenedcream cheese,vanilla and powderedsugar to whippedcreambowl.Usingelectricmixer,mixuntil smooth. Pour over vanilla wafercrustand chill 3hours.
By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –Girls can sign up fora yearofadventureand camaraderie during Recruitment Night forGirlScouts. Theopenrecruitment willbe heldinthe AsburyChurch gymonAug. 13from 3to5p.m. Local troops will host activities forthegirls while Scout leaderstalk toparents.
Asof May2024,theCity of Madison had36Girl ScoutTroopswith 413 Scouts.
“I’m very proudtobea GirlScout leader,”Beth Crockersaid. “WhenI found outIwas having alittlegirl, (Girl Scouts) wasthe firstthingI thoughtof.”
“Girl Scouts isn’t just snacks and crafts,”Crocker said. “Overthe last eightyears,mytroop has attended cybersecurity classes three timesatthe University ofAlabama inHuntsville.We’ve been whitewaterraftingon theOcoeeandtaken two rock-climbing classes at High Point.”
“AtCamp Tricoevery year,girlsdoarchery,canoeing, hatchet-throwing and all cooking,”Crocker said. “JeanDowns’ troop is afew yearsaheadof us andhashiked at the GrandCanyonand taken classesfor self-defense and carmaintenance.”
Currently,girls have
four ways to joinGirl Scouts:
•Traditional routewith atroop –“Theone we all know about,”Crocker said.
•Trefoiltroop –Good choicefor familieswhose schedules don’tallow forjoining atraditional troop.“Withthis option, there’s no troop availableatatimethatworks forthe family. Thistype oftroopwillonlymeet onceeachmonth.Several troopsin thecitywill volunteertheir timeto run thetroop,”Crockersaid.
•Individuallyregistered girlorIRG —This childwill not be attached to atroop butwillbean individual scout whocan stillparticipateinlarge, groupevents. TheScout cancompletebadgework at home.This choice worksforgirls whoaren’t interested inassociating with agroup. •GirlExperience Pass –Anew option.“For $150, anadultandchild willbe registeredwith national GirlScoutsUSA andwill have access to four eventsputonbyour council, whichiscalled ‘North-CentralAlabama,’”Crockersaid. These optionsalsoare opentogirlsin home school, whocanbenefit fromthemultiplepaths tomembership.Leaders encouragegirls whoare home-school studentsto
JoinTVpersonalityandparanormalinvestigatorLesleyAnn Hyde as sheleadsher
SouthernGhostGirls Tours&ParanormalInvestigations,on ahistoric interactiveparanormal investigationofthehouseandgroundsatthehistoricLowryHouse in Huntsville.Itisoneof the mostsignificanthomesinAlabamatohaveaCivil Warhistory.The homeholdsasad love story thatendedintragedyfortheoccupantsinthehomethathas ledtothe ladyinwhite apparition beingseenmanytimesinthefrontbedroom.Investigatetoseeifsheisstilllingeringthere. The home wasalsopart oftheundergroundrailroad. Aportionofthe proceeds goestowards the historicalpreservationofthehome.Gotowww.southernghostgirls.comfor moreinformation. TheLoweryHouseislocatedat1205KildareStreetinHuntsville.
SOUNDSOFSUMMER -Thefree concerts have beenheldat Home Place Park,100Shorter Street inMadisonduringthepast coupleof months. MadisonArts Alliance sponsorsthis concert seriesandpresentstheevent in partnership withMadison VisionaryPartners. The last concertintheserieswill beheldJuly25. It will feature“Second Hand Smoke”This
BySTAFFREPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON -Next month, familiesacross the Tennessee Valleywill have theopportunityto tourhistorically-accurate replicasoftheNiñaand Pintaships.OnAug.23, theshipswillopen for toursinHuntsville.They willbedockedatDitto LandingMarina,293DittoLanding Road,through Sept.8. In1986,theColumbus Foundationhadthe idea to buildthecaravelships. Twoyearslater,the foundationhired John Patrick Stansfieldtodesignthe Niña.Inhis research,he foundmastership-buildersinValenca,Brazil, whousedtheMediterraneanWholeMoulding ship-buildingprocess. Thispower-tool-free approachtoship-building meantthattheship was built by handthesame waycaravels were builtin the fifteenthcentury. By1991,theNiña was readyforits first voyage. ItleftitsBrazilianportto be filmed fortheRidley Scott film,1492:Conquest
of Paradise.The over 4,000-milevoyagemarked the firsttime areplica ship made along-distance passage unescorted over openocean.Unfortunately,Stansfieldneverhad theopportunityto see the ship’smaiden voyage as hediedinanautomobile accident in 1990.
ThePinta wascompletedin2005.Soonitjoined theNiñatotourtheUnitedStatesasa floatingmuseum. TheSantaMaria wasnever replicatedas it wasaconsiderablylarger shipthatwashistorically-knowntobedifficult tomaneuver. Christopher Columbusevennotedhis dislike fortheSantaMaria’slackofmaneuverabilityinhis journals. SangerShipsLLC receivedno government fundingfortheirmissiontoeducatethepublic aboutcaravelships..The companywassupported solelybyfeespaidtotour theships.
Thepublicisinvitedto tourthe ships. Theships willbeopenforself-guidedtoursfrom9a.m.to5 p.m.No reservationswill benecessary.Thecostis
$10 foradults,$9forseniors (60+) and$8for children (5-18) andmilitary. Children four andunder canenter free. Teachers andorganizationscanscheduleguided toursduringopen weekdays by goingtoNiñapinta.org/tour/html. Group tours requirea minimum of15people. Formoreinformation aboutthetours,email Niñapintatour@gmail. com.
CityDirectorofDevelopment ServicesMaryBethBroeren. Madisonisalreadyanetwork cityintheMainStreetAlabama program. Thismeansthecity pays $600 ayear foraccesstoand discountson workshops,webinars,andconferences,technical assistance,andaccesstoMain Street’s resourcelibrary.
Maloney’spresentationdetailedtheservicesMainStreet providesthroughits Four-Point Approachtodowntown revitalizationandthepotential for downtownMadisonwithacloserpartnershipbetweenthecity andMainStreet.
Usingtheir Four-Point Approach,Organization,Promotion,Design,andEconomic Vitality,MainStreetAlabamaestablishescoordinatingprograms inindividualcommunitieswith anexecutive directorheadinga
teamof volunteers. MainStreet teamsusetheorganization’s resources and services toperform marketsurveys, host special eventsthatattractcustomersto downtown businesses, design downtown areas, assistwithhistoricalpreservation,andcreate branding forthecityand downtownarea.
Owner ofMainStreetCafé andLanierHouseandorganizer oftheannual Wassail Fest, Tammy Hall, voicedherinterestin thestructureandspecial event supportaMainStreetteam couldprovidetodowntownMadison businessowners.
“Rightnow, outsideofMadisonStreet Festival,outsidethat particular event,alltheactivity thatisplannedandperformed indowntownMadisonis done by business owners.The problem that we have is that we’re
To advertiseinTheMadison Record, callDonnaCountsat 256-714-7152
all busy.Wereallydon’thave the time,andI’lluse myself as the perfectexample of the Wassail FestthatwehaveinDecember, whichisa greatopportunity,but ittakessomuchofmytimeto trytoplan and putthattogether,andI’moneperson.And even thoughpeoplehelp youthroughout,it’sstillnot organizedlikeit needstobe.So, that’sthemain reason Ithinkthatwehaveconstantlycome back tothisMain Street approachbecause we needtheorganization,”shesaid.
Asofnow, thecity’s future plans foritspartnershipwith MainStreet Alabama isunclear butthedoor remainsopen for Madisontobecome adesignated MainStreettown and applythe Four Point Approachtobring increasedeconomicopportunity and visibilitytothe downtown Madisonarea.
studentsperformwell inscience competitionsand want to give back tothe community by providing theseopportunitiestoallMCSstudentswiththe ScienceChallenge andScience Academy.
Whencompletingan application, studentsshouldtakecareand be honestwithanswers.Organizers want toconfirm thatallstudents receive anequalopportunitytoparticipate.
attend RecruitmentNightandconsiderjoining alocal troop.
Inanother venue, Scout recruitmentwillbeavailableatregistrationtables at allOpenHouses for MadisonCitySchools:elementary, July 30; middle schools, Aug. 6; and high schools,Aug.8.
GirlScoutsofNorth-Central Alabama willsoonconductthe grand opening ofanotherasset,theGirl ScoutDreamLabnearBirmingham suburb on Aug. 17. TheDreamLab isoneofonly five inthecountry andtheonlyonewith amassive auditorium.
In Vestavia Hills, theDreamLabis the firstin Alabamaand theSoutheast and isthelargest facilityofits kindintheUnitedStates.
“Whatexactlyisa DreamLab?
Academydues forthe year are$25 to covercostofmaterials.However, scholarshipsareavailablefor studentsinneed. Foracademylessons, acceptedstudentsshouldbringa compositionnotebookandpencil.
Deadline forapplicationsfromall studentsis Aug. 2. Formoreinformation,emailbjhsscienceacademy@ gmail.com, or visitsites.google.com/
It’s agirl-centeredspace whereGirl Scoutscanachieve theirfullpotential. Thenew centerin Vestavia Hillswill offer11,300 square feet of space,”Crockersaid.
TheDreamLabhasdifferentcomponents:
•SixSTEMlabs and asection for the arts.
•Full-spaceauditorium, unique todreamspacesacrossthe state.
•‘Girlhuddle’spacestositand relax, whichencouragescommunication.
•A largemediacentertocreate podcasts,college videoapplications andother tasks.
•Mockcampsitewith aclimbing wall.
view/bjhsscience. Organizersareguaranteeingadmission to first-through third-place winnersandhonorablementions in the Bob JonesScience Challenge. To register,visit forms.gle/R7abzQhTegt8NtCs7. Allother MCSstudentswho will enter grades 4-5 areeligibletoparticipate.For regular registration,visit forms.gle/8tAWpR7bswEmB1pC6.
•Retailspace. Formoreinformation, email Crockeratbetty82402@gmail.com orvisitgirlscoutsnca.org.
Twomembersoftherecent Class7ABaseball State Championship Teamhave
cans.BradenBooth(above) andZackJohnsonofBobJones werethe onlyplayers from Alabamatomakethe elitelistoftheMaxPrepsAll-Americans.
ByBOBLABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON-Bob JonesHigh, theCityofMadisonandthe StateofAlabamacanall be proudof thelatesthighschool post-season awardsgivento Bob JonesstandoutsBraden BoothandZackJohnson for theirsuperiorplayduringthe 2024baseballseason.
MaxPrepsnamed Booth to itsAll-AmericanFirst-Team as autilityplayerwhile Johnson wasaSecond-Teampickat catcher. Thetwo powerhouse players were theonlyathletes from
Alabamanamed totheelite 30-playerteamselection.Both were tremendousinhelping the Patriotstoits first ever Class7ABaseballStateChampionshipwith athrillingthreegame win over Central-Phenix City.Bob Jones waslisted No. 17intheseason-endingMaxPrepsnationalrankingunder headcoachJared Smith.
Booth wasnamed Mr.Baseballin Alabama, theGatorade AlabamaPlayerofthe Year along with PlayerandPitcher ofthe Year from the Alabama SportsWriters Association. He signedwithMississippi State after a13-1season,including
twono-hitters,whileon the mound with a1.51ERA. He wasalsostellaratthe platebatting.429with10homers and 49 RBIs.
Boothe’s battery-matein Johnsonput on ashowinhis juniorseason withthe Pats as the ASWA namedhimHitter ofthe Yearand First-Team All-State at catcher.TheAlabamacommit recentlyplayed intheNorth-SouthAll-Star Weekbaseballcontest where theSouthdefeated Johnson andthe Northsquad4-1. For thejustcompletedseason, the 6-foot-1,185-pound Johnsonhit .384with65RBIs.
ByBOBLABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
news@themadisonrecord.com
KODAK, Tennessee –The Rocket City Trash Pandas dropped apairof gamestothe TennesseeSmokiesonSunday afternoon,byscoresof7-6and 7-1 respectively. Followinga suspension of Saturday’s matchup dueto rain,thetwoteams resumed playinthe bottomofthe2nd inning tied at 1-1. Brett Kerrytook overon themound for the Trash Pandas(11-10 second half,44-45 overall), tossingtwo scoreless framesto beginhis outing. However, Tennessee (13-8 secondhalf,53-36 overall) wouldeventuallystrike. WilliamSimoneit singled homea runinthe 4th,and KevinAlcantara homeredin the 5th fora4-1 advantage. Rocket City responded immediatelyinthe 6thinning. Nelson Rada, with 9hitsin hislast 5games,doubled home arun. Ben Gobbel thenripped aball up themiddle whichricocheted offthe secondbase bagtotie it up,and Gustavo Camperoprovided theleadright afterwitha single.
Ben Gobbel tackedonsome insurance inthe8thinning with his fifth long-ballofthe season, butitwas notenough totame the Tennesseebatsinthe 9th. Josh Rivera singled to start theframe andadvance to secondonanerror,MattShaw singled himintotiethegame, andAlcantara ultimatelyended itwith asacrifice flyfor awalkoffvictory.
HARVEST-FormerSparkmanHighAll-State baseball playerA.J.Causeyisnowona tripof what most youngbaseballplayers onlydream of,but neverexperience.The former playerfortheSenatorsiscurrentlyinArizonaintraining campandassessmentafter beingselected by theKansasCity Royalsinthe fifth roundofthe 2024MajorLeagueBaseball Draft.He wastheNo.138 overallpickandoneofeight players calledinthe firsttwo days of theDraftfromthe Tennessee Volunteers,freshoffclaimingboththe SEC andNational Championships.
“When Iwentinthe draft wascertainlyapleasantsurpriseandit’s greattobechosen with my greatteammates,” said Causeyfromhishomein Harvestpriortopackinghisbags andheadedoutto Arizona.
On the2024 seasonfor Tennessee,the21-yearold Causey was13-3,with125 strikeouts anda 4.43ERAcomingin19 appearancesandsixstarts.His13 victoriesweretied forthebest inthecountry.The6-foot-3,225 righthanderisknown forhis
unusualsidearmpitchingstyle and asuperbspecialty changeup.Hisnearsubmarineangle andmovementcertainlymake
In the secondgameoftheday, the Trash Pandaslookedlike they wouldget right backupoff themat. TuckerFlintcrusheda fastball tothelawnin right-center foraquick 1-0lead,andSam Bachmanneeded just 12pitches to getthrough the firstinning onthemound.
Once again,the reigning SouthernLeague champions were nothelddown forvery long. TheSmokies loadedthe basesandscratchedacrossa runinthe 2ndinning, thenloaded themright backupagainin the3rdbeforeFelixStephens poppedanopposite field grand slam fora5-1lead. Tennessee wouldtackontwo moreruns in the 6thfor a7-1victory.
TheTrash Pandas return hometo Toyota Field this week from July 23-28asthey host the Chattanooga Lookouts.The lineupofpromotions includes Reeds Jewelers LadiesNight on Tuesday, Tito’sDogDay on Wednesday, Christmas in July on Thursday, FriendsNight withspecialty jerseyauction on Friday, postgame fireworks onboth Fridayand Saturday, cappedon by aBluey Meetand GreetonSunday. Go to www.trashpandasbaseball.com formoreinformation.
Crematoryon-site
Family
John R Purdy, Loretta Spencer, Sarah Chappell
ByGREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON –After foundingEsports at BobJonesHigh School in 2019, AubreeWhitehas beenhonoredasthe first-everPlayVSCoach ofthe Yearinthe rapidlyexpanding fieldof Esports.
White started withPlayVSin Bob Jones’inaugural season. Since then, sheignited atransformation thathas seenthe programsoarto remarkableheights.Shehascompiled12championships,including nine back-to-backstate championshipsin RocketLeague.
modelofhowaprogram should be runthatothersbothenvyand respect.
White’s impactextendsbeyond the worldofcompetition.Asa womaninthe gamingindustry,she servesas abeaconof inspiration. Withher positivevibeand unwaveringsupport,Whiteembodies the essenceofcoachingexcellence.
White’s leadershiptranslated intoa first-timescholarship for Joshua Vannoyinthe field ofEsportsto attendthe Universityof Mississippi. Vannoywas the first Esports student inAlabamato sign withaNCAADivision 1school.
Whitehadthreeteams in this year’s final four forthePlayVS Cup. Underherguidance,the program has growntoencompassmorethan 100 students,competinginalmost everytitleoffered.
Whitehas been astandoutin coaching’s comprehensivecommunity.She is afoundingmember ofthe SuperCoachprogramanda
Bob Jones Esportshascompiled animpressive tally of 10 State Championshipsandtwo Central U.S.Championships.White’sdedicationtoher players isunmatched, as shemeticulously manageseveryaspectoftheiresports journey, from trainingtotournament logistics.
outstanding recordinAlabama Class1A-7Afromthe first yearsin Esports: •Fall 2019 RocketLeagueState Champions;LeagueofLegends State Runner-Up. •Fall 2020 RocketLeagueState Champions;LeagueofLegends State Runner-Up. •Spring2021 RocketLeague StateChampions; League ofLegendsState Runner-Up; Central U.S. Madden ‘21 RegionalChampions. AnativeofLimestoneCounty, Whiteearned abachelor’sdegreein Englishand secondaryeducationat the UniversityofNorth Alabama AtUNA, she wasaffiliatedwiththe Honors Program. “I’ve always beenpassionate about everything English,and I cannotexpresshowamazingitis to wake up every dayandstriveto passonthatpassion to otherhumanbeings,” shesaid.
In
Thissummaryshows Bob Jones’
BySTAFFREPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
HUNTSVILLE -Huntsville Parks& Recreation will soonopenregistration forits popularMaleMentorshipProgram forthe 2024-2025school yearandisalso looking fordedicatedandcompassionate mentorstojointheteam.
Aposter promotingmalementorship signups.Thereare several photosof young boys working withmen ondifferent projectsandanotherofthemplaying videogames. Aimedatempowering young boys ages 7-16 to becomeconfident,positive individuals, theMaleMentorshipProgram equips participants with essentiallife skillsthrough avarietyof engagingactivities,supportive mentorsandinspirational speakers. Registrationopens July 22 andcontinuesthrough Aug.19.Duetolimitedspace, interestedparticipantsareencouragedto registerpromptly. Theregistration feeis $25perchild.
Scheduledthroughouttheschool year and overseenbytrainedrecreationstaff, theMaleMentorshipProgrampresents opportunities forparticipants tolearn, grow and buildmeaningfulconnections in asafeenvironment. Theprogramis structured intotwoage groups –ages7-12 and ages13-16 –tailored to providepersonalizedattentionand development.
In additionto participants,the program isactively seekingmalementorswho are
At Bob Jones,she teaches English 9,English10and ReadingLab.
passionate about making apositive impact inthe community.All prospective mentorswillundergo athoroughbackground checktoensurethesafety and well-beingofprogramparticipants.
“This initiative isamongthemost fulfillingprograms we offerbecauseit shapesthelivesofour youth, equipping themwithskillsthat arefundamentalto their futuresuccess,” Parks&Recreation Director JamesGossettsaid. “Wehope ourenthusiasm abouttheprogramis shared by othersinourcommunity who have wisdom to sharewithourparticipants.” Visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/malementorship formoreinformation.
hosttheChattanoogaLookouts.
MADISON -BraedenNetherton grew upinthesmallcommunityof Tharptownlocated onAlabamaHighway 48just eastof Russellvillein FranklinCounty.She wasabountifulstudent-athlete whowas an outstanding athleteinsoftball, basketball,volleyball,trackand cheer forthe Wildcatsof TharptownHigh whereshe attended from2008-2012.
Shehasusedherexperiences as ayouthto grow intoanexceptionalcoachand hasbeen namedthenewheadcoachof theBob Jonessoftballprogram.
“Iamincredibly thankful for theopportunitytobethenew headcoachatBob Jonesasthis opportunityallows metobring my passion forthe gameand commitmenttodevelopingstudent-athletesto aprogramand schooldistrictwith astrongtraditionofexcellence,”saidNetherton,uponherbeingnamed headcoachbytheCityofMadisonSchoolBoard.
The30-yearNethertontook theposition vacated by Whitney DeaverwhoexitedBob Jonesaf-
tereightseasonstotakea similarposition at HuntsvilleHigh. “Ihopetocontinuethesuccess of thecoacheswho ledthis program before me whilemaintainingthehigheststandards in character, classand work ethic,” saidNetherton, whowill alsoteachEnglishLanguage Arts.
Whileinhighschool,she wasthird inherclassin academics,waspresentedwitha Citizenship Awardand wasa memberoftheHomecoming Court.Uponcompletion ofhigh school,she attendedAlabama SouthernCommunityCollege whereshe wasaFirst-Team All-Conferenceperformer for thesoftballteamand amember oftheschool’s cheersquad.She earnedherassociate’s degree in liberalartsfromtheschool. She laterearnedher bachelor’sdegreeinEnglishLanguageArts andeducationcertificate from AthensStateUniversity and soon receivedhermaster’sdegreeinEnglisheducation from theUniversityof WestAlabama. Nethertonandherhusband, Hunter,havetwo sons,Baylor, 8,and Boston,5.
Shebeganherteaching/
coachingcareer at DecaturHigh in2017 whereshenamed New Teacherof the Yearandmoved tonearbyBrewerHighin2021 whereshebecamethehead coachofthesoftballprogram. Whilewiththe Patriots’program, she wasnamed the2022 HartselleEnquireCoachofthe Year,ledthesquadtothemost winsintheprogram’shistory in 2022,hadthree All-Stateplayers and five players whocommitted toplaycollegiatesoftball.
Nethertonis ateacher both inthe classroomandon the softballdiamond.Shesaid, “Mygoalisallstudents leave myclassroomwithadvanced readingcomprehensionskills andadvanced writing skills, whileobtaining skills inproblem solving and ahigherorder ofthinking. Moreover, Ihope to help my playersunderstand the importanceofbeing exemplarystudentsand fundamentally sound athletes whorepresent Bob JonesHighSchool in the highest regard.”
ByBOBLABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON -Thenewheadcoach ofthegirl’sbasketballprogramat Bob JonesHighisnowonboard. Sherell Robertsonarrivedwithin theLadyPatriotswith awealth of knowledgeandexperienceincludingplayingthree years at Auburn Universityfrom2007-2009where she servedasteamcaptain.
“Fromrecruitmentand evaluation, Iconcentrateontrainingand development whilecreatinganenvironment whichpromotesboth academicand athleticsuccess at the highestlevel,”saidthe38-yearold Robertson, whocomestoMadison from ayear’sstop at Tennessee ValleyPrep SportsAcademywhereshe wastheheadcoachoftheboy’sbasketballteam.
Hercoachingexperienceincludes four yearsasheadcoachofgirlsbasketball at Mae Jemisonandoneyear priortothatpositionasheadcoach of asimilarteam at McNairJr.High, bothinHuntsville.
BeginninginMay2021,Robertson
alsoheldthepositionofowner and trainer at TezMania SportsInternationaland TezMania SportsUSA.In those roles,shedeveloped workout regimensandtraining programs for athletesofall agesand abilities,coordinatedtraining sessions and set achievablegoals foreachathlete.Her strongcommunicationskillswith parentsandorganizationalexpertiseensuredthesmoothoperationof training facilitiesandschedules.
Robertsonismarriedtoherhusband,QuantezRobertson,Sr., and theyhave three children, daughters Autumnand Kendallandoneson, Quantez,Jr. They’vebeen afamily since 2015.
The38-yearold Robertsonearned abachelor’sdegree inliberalarts-Sociology.“Ifeel Iamdedicatedtoharnessingthepowerorsportsto fosterpersonal growth andexcellence amongstudent-athletes,”she added.
Robertsonpossesses what she feels arestrong fiscalskills and fundraisingexperience,in-depthknowledge ofNCAA rulesand proficientpublic speaking skills.
“I firmly believe in promoting pos-
Newest memberofthe coachingstaff at BobJones HighincludesSherell Robertsonwhohasbeennamed the head coachofthe LadyPatriotsbasketballteam. The formerplayeratAuburn isexcited aboutherlatestopportunity incoaching.
itive mentalhealth,self-careandindividuality among young athletes,” said Robertson.
SethTarrer, center,stands alongside membersofthe MadisonCity SchoolsBoard andschooladministration afterbeingnamed thenew head coachoftheBob Jones girlssoccer program.Tarrer hasbeen in asimilar coachingpositionsince2019 at DiscoveryMiddleandhas been aformercoachfor AYSO United,Briarwood ChristianSchoolofBirminghamand AuburnHigh.
Free twinshavecertainlyleft theirmarkonthe north Alabama athletic community
ByBOBLABBE bob@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON -Everysuccessful athlete hassomeone whosupportsthem,drives themtobe abettercompetitorbothmentallyandphysically. Thesupportiverelationshipcancomefromanyone butis remarkably better whentheinspiring personisafamilymember.
ForParkerand Peyton Free,recent brotherandsister graduates fromBob JonesHigh,supportingoneanother sincetheybeganinathletics wasalways magnifiedfromthestandpointthey are twins. Thefraternaltwosome recently completedtheirprep athleticcareers for the Patriots,andeachsignedan athleticscholarshiptocontinuetopartakein their favorite athleticendeavor. Parker signedtoplaytennis at Samfordwhile Peytonputhersignatureontheline to play soccer at GeorgiaSouthern.
“Ithinkhe(Parker)mademe abetterathleteashe wasvery athletic and Iwouldalways wanttobeat himwhen we competedas my pride wouldriseto whereitmademebetter,”said Peyton. “Wehaveagood relationship, especiallyclosertolasttwoyearsas we realized we wouldbeseparatedsoonas we go to college,”said Parker.“Beingtwins,I feel we’reonthesame wavelengthmany times.”
The18-yearoldtwins were bornsix minutes apartonNov.25,2005, theday after Thanksgivingto Troy andEmily Free.Parkerwasbornat12:20intheafternoon while Peytoncametojoinhim minuteslater.Both would ventureintoa normal childhood andbeginin athletics by age three.Peytonjumpedintosoccer amongothersports at agethree andby agesevenshe wasnamedtheMost ValuablePlayeraspartoftheindoorsoccer league,andshesaidthatmoment was ultimatelythe reasonshestayedwith soccer.Meanwhile,Parkerwasparticipatinginseveralsportsincludingbaseball, football,basketballand soccer.His father wasacoachoftennis for10years
in Louisianaand urgedParkertotakeup thesport. Parkerdid so at agesevenplayinga coupleUSTAtournaments ayear andsoonbegan aserious runathisbest sportbyage 12 wherehestopped other sportsandconcentrated strictlyonhis talentsin tennis.
Parker’s talents have ledhim to being rankedNo.2 in AlabamaandNo.140nationallybytheUSTA in18Uboys. While at Bob Jones,hewontheClass 7A individual StateChampionshipbothasa sophomoreandjunior,but chosenotto playhighschool tennisinhisjustcompletedseniorseason.Instead,heput forthallhis effortstoUSTAevents prepping forhisupcomingcollege career.
“I’ve always lovedtheindividualpart of tennisand thatI love as youdon’thave to relyonteammates.It’smore personal whether youwinorlose,”saidParker.
The5-foot-5Peyton stuckwithsoccer throughouther yearsand wasnamed All-Stateforherplayinhigh schoolas team captainfor the Patriots. She also earned Midfielderofthe Year award. She hassurgedthroughherplaywith aBirmingham-basedclub team.“Idescribe my playasveryaggressive and Idribble theball alot,”added Peyton, whoalso lovestosingandbakewhereher specialtiesarechocolate chipcookiesand bananabread.
As forbeingbrother and sister,the relationshipis even closerduetothe fact of beingfraternal twins.Peyton saidof theirbond, “Ialways hadsomeoneto compete against whether it wasplaying soccerin thebackyardorgoingone-onone playingbasketballonthegoalwe hadonourdriveway. Parkerisfunny, smart,kindandhard-working.He’s very goodinmathand wouldhelpmewith my homework.I seeallthelittlethingshe doestobebetter.I twicehadCOVID-19 and wasbed-ridden forone week onone ofthosetimesand Parker wasthere tohelp.Remarkably,henevercaught COVID.”
“Peytonneverplayedtennisas it was always soccer forher,butshe wasalways
thereforme when Iplayed,”said Parker ofhisthoughtsoftheir relationship.“I helpedher withsocceras we took individuallessons when wewere younger. Sheis very aggressive andpowerfulon thesoccer field.She’sstrongand can dominateotherswithher strength.She’s fearless. Matterof fact, shehas shown meupseveraltimesthroughthe years andthatcausedme to bedisappointed in myself.”
Thoughbothplayedsoccertheynever participatedonthesameteam in aco-ed setting.
Likemostsiblings,Christmasseason hasalways been special forParkerand Peyton. Peyton reflectedon some oftheir experienceswith theirtwooldersiblings,Jansynand Austin.Shespokeof early Christmasmornings, “Wewould go to bedinthesame roomthenightbefore Christmasandsomewould sleeponair mattresseswehad. We wouldall getup inonChristmasmorningand go toour
Christmastree to see what waswaiting foreachone of us.It’s greatmemories.”
Peytonwillstudy biology in college withaspirationsof gettinginto the school ofdentistry.She left Bob Jones with a4.09 gradepointaverage.Parker’s gradepointaverage wasamongthe top 50in thesenior class at 4.4 and hewill study accountingwith adreamofsomedaybeinga business owner.
Likehissister, Parker feels he,too,is aggressiveinhissport. “Yeah,I’m aggressiveonthebaselineandlikemy forehandstrokeasit’s my beststroke.I dousemybackhand,bothone handand two-handed. IlikevolleysasIworkmy wayforwardtowards my opponents runningthem offthecourt.”
Thedynamictwosomehas left their marks ontheir highschoolandthe athletic community in NorthAlabama. Theirfriendshave presentedthemwith nicknamesthatallowothers to identify whothey are:“SheFree” and “He Free.”
ingthetransferportal andmakinga stop at Tennessee.Hejustcompleted hisjuniorseasonwiththe Vols but decided toturn professional by signingwith the Royals.
“I trustintheLordwith my timelineofpossibly makingit totheMajorLeaguesasI’dliketosay maybe twoyearsfromnow I’dliketobein ‘The Show’withthe Royals,” said Causey, whoindicatedhewilltake muchofhis signingbonusfrom the Royalsandlet that moneybeinvested, thenhelphis mother and father withtheir home wherehegrew up.
Likemost young boys whotaketo thebaseballdiamond,Causey had dreamsof playingprofessionalbaseballas early ashecan remember.He andhis threebrothersalongwith other youngstersintheneighborhood wouldconvergeintoCausey’s backyardfordailygamesof Whiffle Ball. He setupmultiple fieldsutilizingdifferentcornersofthe yard as thehomeplate areaofeach field
setup. Theaction wasfast,furious and very competitive.Causey added abouthismemoriesof thefun time as ayoungster growing up in Harvest, “I wish Iwas thebest playerin our WhiffleBallaction, butI honestlythink my little brother,Nick, wasthe best. Idorememberhaving thosedreamsofonedaybeing aMajorLeagueBaseballplayer.” BornonNov.19,2002, in HuntsvilleHospital, hisgivennames are AnthonyJordanand hascertainly made aname forhimselfonthe baseballdiamondand comes from amarvelous familywhich includes his parentsandthree brothers. Watching theMLBDraft intheirliving roomfrom their Harvesthome, theentirefamilysat together playing aboardgame while watching andlistening to theDraft.Causey’s phonesuddenlyrang andon the otherendof thecall wasarepresentative of theRoyals whoinformed theAll-American pitcherhe was
about topickedbythe team inthe fifth round.
“Wewerewatchingand then the momentcame when my name was called,” saidCausey.“It wasanawesome moment.Weall screamed with joyandhad agrouphug. Forme personally,whatjusthappened took aboutanhour before it hitme. I’ma professional baseballplayer.” Adreamcome true forCausey whowasasked about apossible baseballcardofhimselfthatcould one daybeaddedtohis alreadycovetedcollectionhestill has in his home.“I’mnotsurewhatI want my cardtolook likeifI everhave one made.”
Causeyshouldconsiderwhathis baseballcardwilllook like. There’s no predictingthe future,butmaybe one day, thosemomentsofpretendingwhile he playedWhiffleBallwill become realitywith acollectable cardofhis ownasa playerinMajor League Baseball. Causey Continued frompage1B
ByJOHN P. RANKIN MadisonHistorian
Afew weeks ago, afriendandfellow historianofthearea,NancyRohrasked meif IknewwhereAsa Thompsonof Mullins Flat wasburied.Havingnever beforeresearchedanything regarding an Asa ThompsonintheMadisonCountyhistoricalperiod, ItoldNancythat Iwouldsee what Icould find. Withina dayorso, Ifoundmanyhistoricalrecords abouthimandhis familymembers: RobertA.,E.H.,and Polly(aka Mary) Thompson.Theyallboughtland inthenearbyoradjacentareastoone another,accordingto my digital files of collectedprivatelandpurchasesand salesdatawithinMadisonCountyfrom 1805to1920. Ithencross-checkedAsa’s nameentriesinMargaretMatthews Cowart’sbookof“Early LandRecords ofMadisonCounty,Alabama”.Asa was the firstpurchaseroflandinthe SW/4 ofSection31of Township4,Range1 West,on February2,1818. That wasthe firstdayofsaleof property westofthe OldChickasawIndianBoundary Line. Is specificareawas knownbackthenasthe Mullins Flat area,namedaftertwoMullinsbrothers whosquattedonChickasaw Indianlandsbeforeitwascededto theU. S.government.Onedaylater,on Feb. 3of 1818,AsapurchasedfromtheU.S.governmentmorepropertyintheSE/4of Section36of Township4,Range2West whichwasadjacentonthe westsideof thepropertythatAsahadpurchasedthe daybefore. Thehistorical recordsalsoshowthat in1846theexecutorsoftheLast Will andTestamentofprominentDr.David Mooresoldpropertythatjusthappensto bethelocationnowoftheMooreCemeteryon RedstoneArsenalwithinAsa Thompson’sinitialpurchasesofgovernmentland. That landisintheMarshall Space FlightCenter’sareaof Redstone Arsenal. Thespecificlocation waslong agocalledMullins Flat.TheMooreCemeteryisimmediatelysouthofthelocationof NASA-MSFC’sBuilding4628on thesouthsideofCentaur Road whereit runssouthofMartin Road. Thus began theunravelingof along-time mystery notonlyofwhereAsa Thompsonisburied, butitrevealedconnectionsof doctorsDavidandAlfredMooreand their familymembersinMadisonCountyand totheir eventualtiestotheCityofMadison.Someofthematerial whichdetails theMoorefamilyofphysiciansandtheir livesinMadisonCounty was firstpublishedintheMadison Record newspaper in2020,butitisintendedthatitwillsoon be updatedinanotherarticle.
To continuethequesttodetermine thelocationof theburialsiteofAsa Thompson,it wassoon foundthat Asa hadwrittenhis ownLast Willand Testament(LWT)onDecember 3of1827 apracticenormallydoneinthe“old days”justbeforeanimpendingdeath. TheWillaswitnessed by Henry Jordan, asonof Revolutionary WarPatriotBartholomewJordan, wholived from1818 onthenorth-centralareaoftoday’s RedstoneArsenal.However,bythenHenry hadmovedsouthtoMullins Flat afterhis marriage,whichcamewith part ofthat landashisnewwife’sinheritanceand weddinggift.Asa’s LWTwas additionallywitnessed by SamuelBreckandR. P. Jones.Allthreeofthewitnessessoon testifiedofthe validityofthe Thompson LWTintheMadisonCountyProbate Court, wherethe LWTwasenteredinto probateonMay1,1828-- whichsignified that Asahaddiedbeforethatdate.
Probatecourtrecordbooksprovide someofthedetailsofthe WillanddispositionofelementsofAsa’sestate,butthe in-depthdetails followinghisdeathare recordedintheestatepapers filedintwo thickfoldersstoredin acabinetofthe MadisonCountyRecordsCenter.Those recordsareslowlyandcarefullybeing movedfromtheHuntsville-Madison CountyPublicLibrary’sthird floortoa newly-renovated facilityinOwensCross Roads.These recordsofAsa Thompson include even receipts forvariousservicesandproductspurchased orsold by his familyduringtheperiodafterAsa’s death,as wellasthose forestatesummarizationandnotesofobligation forinterimfunding.
Oftenduringthisperiodoftheearly countyhistory,peopletransacted businesstransactions by using personal notesofobligationormoney owed ina type ofinformalcreditaccounting.In the Thompsoncase,therewerenumerousnotesofobligation forfunds requestedandreceivedfromBartleyM.Lowe, whohadmarried adaughterof James ManningSr.Bartley wasa formermilitarycommander,sometimesrecordedas
aCaptain,and othertimesas aGeneral, inthemilitia actions againstIndians in Florida,thestate whereBartley was born.InFebruary of 1818 JamesManninghadinitiallysettledthe landaround what todayisGate9entrance intothe arsenalarea, whichincludedMatthews Cave before thatareawas purchased fromManning by Luke Matthews, who wasinitially aLimestoneCounty resident.Manninghad several children before he builtand movedintooneof themostimpressive housesnot only in Huntsville butalsooftheentiresoutheasternportion ofthe UnitedStates.He finished buildinghisHuntsvillehousein 1824, butitwasdemolishedinthe1920s by thelast owner,adirectdescendant of JamesManning.Furthermore,two of JamesManning’s childrenmarried children ofthenearbyfamilyofAsa Thompson.Thetwofamilieslivedonarsenallandsseparated by theplantation oftheLanier family thatincludedsons namedBurwell, Isaac, andWilliamLanier.TheseLanierbrothers inherited fromtheirparentsthousandsof acresof plantationlandsbeforetheCivilWar,but thatwarleftthemnearlydestitute,and twoofthebrothersmovedintothetown ofMadisonafterthe war.
To understandtheconnectionofthese familiesofearly arsenalland ownership, thelandrecordsshowthatby1838, Asa’s widow(PollyorMary)Thompson and herremaining familyprobablyneeded cashinamountsthatinducedhertosell almostall of Asa’s acreagetoDr. David Moore, whosebrotherDr.AlfredMoore residedintheareaoftoday’sCity of Madison foratime.InthetermsofMadison CountyDeedBookR,beginningonpage 155,DavidMoore purchased 710 acresof Asa’slandthathadpassedinto Polly’s ownershipfromherhusband inthe Probateproceedingsthatbegan in1828 and lastedseveral years.Inaccordancewith Asa’s LWT, hisestatewas dividedinto8 parts, withequal portionsbeingdistributedtohiswidow and7 children. Therefore,the1845landsaletoDavidMoore carriedthesignaturesof Pollyandher children.However,thatland deed contained a5-acreexception,reserving that smallparcelforthe residenceof Pollyat thattime.Itfurtherhadwording inthe exceptionclause about aportionwithin the5-acreparcelthatwas reservedas the family’scemetery,located “inthe garden”behind Polly’shouse.Thedimensionsofthereservedcemeteryproperty were specifiedas 5“chains” by 1.25 “chains”--meaning 330feet by 82.5feet andconsistingof0.625acres, aboutthe sizeofanaverage townlotinthebeginning oftheCityofMadisonandlikewise thesizeoftheMoore-LandmanCemeteryonthearsenal.The5-acreproperty that wasnotpartofthesale indicates thatitthereforeincludedthe other 4.4 acres forthe familyhouse,plusa garden and keepingacow orhorse. Ittherefore reservedlandforthehouse,garden, outhouse,pasture, andyard“wherein Inow live”aswrittenbyPolly.Obviously, Polly andherfamilynolonger wantedtomanagealargefarmconsistingof705more acres,buttheyalsodidnot want tomove away at thattime. Thesmallcemetery wasundoubtedly the burialsite ofher husbandAsa Thompson, the first ownerofthe land.Apparently, Pollydid not wantto abandonthe graveofherhusband,andperhapsshecontinuedto live onthesmallparcel of 5acresuntilshe also wasburiedinthe familycemetery. Subsequent landtransactions forthe overall Thompsonoriginallands failed tomentioninthe deeds anywithholding of a5-acrereservationforthe house,garden,cemetery,etc.,as aformerresidence of PollyThompson. MadisonCountyDeedBookV,onpage 162,in1845 recordedthatDavid Moore soldallofthe landthathegotfrom Polly,(again,withnomention thistime of anyreservedparcel)indicatingthatthe restoftheMoorefamilyhad movedaway orpassed away withoutexecutingany newdeedforthe reservedparcel. That year wasalsothe time ofDavidMoore’s passing. Thesale wasmade by Dr.DavidMoore to alocalBenjaminHarrison, whowas relatedtothe later23rdUnited StatesPresident of thatsamenamewho served atermduring 1889-1893.Deed BookCC, page 160, recordedthatRobert C. Harrison(likely asonofBenjamin) soldthe landtothepreviously-named neighboringLanierbrothers in1859. The Lanierbrothers in1883soldthesouth half(320acres) of Section31, Township 4,Range1WtoSamuelMoore,asonof Dr.DavidMoore, perDeedBookHHH, page 304. Thiscontainsthe landofthe Moore Cemetery,whichlocals before the RedstoneArsenal wasestablished
See RANKIN Page 8B
Rainforestsare large, thickforestsfound in wetareasaround the world. Themostrecognizedare thetropicalrainforests.Theseare like,butnot identical to,jungles. Thetropicalvariety isin places closer to theEquator,including Africa,India, Centraland SouthAmerica, Australia,and Asia.The largesttropicalrainforestinthe worldisthe Amazon Rainforest in SouthAmerica.Thisforestis2.6 millionsquare miles; it is almost as largeasthe continental United States.Mostof theAmazon,over60%,isinBrazil;it covers more thanhalfofthe country.The temperaterainforests arefartheraway from theEquator wherethere is cooler weather.Hoh Rainforest in Washington State, and theTongassNational Forest,inAlaska, aretemperaterainforests in theUnitedStates. Rainforestsare namedassuchbecausethey arefound in places that experienceheavy rainfall eachyear.They arehometodiversecommunitiesofplantandanimalspeciesandare importanttothe environmentbecausetheyarehometomanyendangered species.
Arainforestischaracterizedbythe four layers ofplant lifefound within them.The toplayer is calledtheemergent layer. Trees that areastallas200 feetpeakout from thecanopybelow.The second layeriscalledthe canopy.Hightrees,anywherefrom75to170 feet, createascreenof leavesandbranchesblocking much of thesun. Thenextlevel,below thecanopy,istheunderstory. Smallertrees, shrubs,andplantsliveintheunderstory. Thebottomlevel is theforest floor.The floorisusually lessdense becausesomuchlight is blocked out fromabove;onlyplantsthat need littlesunlight liveonthe forest floor. Sometimes, largetreesdieand fall, allowingmorelight to come throughand creatingdenservegetationon theforest floor.A huge varietyofanimalsliveinrainforests.Sometropicalforests include frogs, gorillas,chimpanzees,sloths, bats, parrots,toucans,leopards, elephants, andmonkeys.
ByBECKY MILLER God’s Lemonade Stand
But youare achosenpeople, aroyal priesthood,a holynation,God’sspecial possession,that youmay declarethepraisesofhim whocalled yououtofdarknessintohiswonderful light.1Peter2:9NIVBible gateway
Thereisamajormotel chainthatintheiradvertisingsays, “we’llleave the lighton”and PastorChris HodgesofChurch ofthe Highlandsmentionedthis inhis recentsermon,and Ithought what aneattitle to buildon.
Nomatterhowmuch youdisregardordisbe-
lieveinGod.Nomatter howuglyyou get.No matterhowlost youare. No matterhowmuchyou hate‘church’andbrick andmortar buildings. God lovesyou.
Youcannothatepeople and sayyoulove God.If youhavebeen away from church forawhileordon’t knowhow totrulybeassuredofsalvationlean intoGod. Readthebookof John.Godloveseveryone.
PRAYER:FatherGod helpguide my stepsand runawayfromeviland hate andrunto you.Use meLordfor yourkingdom purposes.InJesus’name. Amen.
God’sLemonadeStandis writtenbyformerMadison residentBecky Miller.Her dailydevotionsappearon Facebookorat godslemonadestand.blogspot.com.
Road WallHighway Baptist 6597WallTriana
BIBLE FirstBibleChurch 29113 Browns Ferry Road
MadisonBibleChurch 1520 Hughes Road
CATHOLIC
St.John’sCatholic 1057Hughes Road
Most Merciful Jesus Catholic Parish 10509 SegersRoad
By DAWN REED
IPraying forGod’s willis thebestthing. Thewisestthing. The hardestthing.Oneof themostdifficult lessons of my life.Ithappenedon July 20,1994-30 yearsago,this week.It wasaWednesday.
Sandrahadbeentoldearly onshe wouldnever everbe ableto have children.So,whenshebecameterribly sickonadaily basis,she was sureshehadcancer.
Thedoctorgavehershocking news:she wasnot terminally ill,butpregnant.Surprised and thrilled,Sandra,alongwithher husband,Steve,sharedthenews far andwide. Herpregnancywasmiraculous, yetuneventful.She gave birthtoa beautifulbaby boythey namedBradley.
Theirtears ofjoyquicklyturned totears ofdesperation. Theirbaby boyhad aheart condition.Surgery wastheir only option.
Threeweeks later,whenthesurgerydayarrived, wewere on amissiontriptoLorain, Ohio. Thissaltof-the-earthmotherandfather were deartous. Ourteamprayedoften. We circledup,holdinghands,and calledout to ourFatherinheaven. “Youcandoit, Lord.I knowYoucan doit. Andwewillsing Your praises totheends of theearth,” Iprayed fervently, morning andnight.“We believe it, Lord. We knowYoucan.” Ihad neverprayedforsomething sohard.This wasgoingtobethe
CHURCH OF CHRIST CentralValley 5700 MooresvilleRd.
Church of Christ Hughes Road at GoochLane
TheChurch of Christ on theHighway 7594 Wall Triana Hwy.
Church of Christ of Madison 556 Hughes Road
Monrovia
Church of Christ 595 NanceRoad
Swancott Church of Christ SwancottRoad
Wall Triana
Church of Christ 7535 Wall Triana
CHURCHOF GOD FirstChurch OfGod 1547 Capshaw Road
EPISCOPAL
St.Matthew’s Episcopal 786 Hughes Road
GOSPEL
Bright Star Full Gospel 5167 Wall Triana Hwy
JEWISHSYNAGOGUES
Temple B’naiSholom 103LincolnSt. S.E.
LUTHERAN
FaithLutheran 660 GillespieRd
LambOfGod Lutheran 11716 CountyLine
MessiahLutheran 7740 Highway 72W
METHODIST
Asbury Church 980 Hughes Road
Asbury -Harvest 8089 Wall Triana Hwy
FellowshipUnited Methodist Church 29768Huntsville
Brownsferry Rd.
Good Shepherd
United Methodist 1418 OldRailroad Bed
GraceUnited Methodist Church 2113 OldMonroviaRd.
Grady-MadisonAME 129 GoochLane
HarvestPointe Methodist Church 103 GinOaksCourt
biggestmiraclesincethe RedSea.I couldfeel it. Iknewit.
Thesurgery went well andwe were thrilled, buttherewerecomplications.Inthenight, Sandraand Steve’s preciousbaby boywenttobe with Jesus.We. Were.Devastated. (Ican’thelpcryingas Iremember.)
Stillonmission,wehad Vacation BibleSchoolscheduledthatmorning.Weloadedthe church van, pushingthrough the heartbreak. At the church,Iwent intothebasement beforeeverythingstarted.A fewofthe older members were preparingsnacks forthekids.
“Did youhearaboutthebaby?” Iasked oneseniorlady. My eyes filledwithtears.“We aredevastated,” Isobbed.
Withoutbatting an eye, sherespondedsternly, “Youmust not have prayedfor the Lord’swill.”I wastaken aback. Howcould she speaksuchwords?
Iwas furiousandhave never wantedtopunchanoldladyinthe mouthsobadly.I stormedout of the church tofumeinthe church van.
“Notprayedfor Your will?!”I wailedto God.
After ahalf hour ofcrying, Irealizedthe womanwas correct, butI stillwantedto hitsomething. Not once during thecrisishad Iasked forGod’swill. Ihadonly prayed formywill, neveraskingfor what Hethoughtbest. Hisanswerhad stopped me cold.
That experience wasone of the mosteye-openingspirituallessons
MadisonMethodist Church 127 Church Street
Parker Chapel Methodist Church 28670 PowellRoad
SpringhillUnited Methodist Church 1605 Zierdt Rd.
St.Paul United Methodist Church 6206thStreet
St.Peter UMC 107 StewartSt. Ford’s Chapel United Methodist Church 280 Ford Chapel Drive
MORMON
TheChurchOfJesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints 1297 Slaughter Road
NAZARENE
MadisonFirst Church 8234 MadisonPike
NONDENOMINATIONAL Center Of Hope Church 5167 Wall Triana Hwy.
Cornerstone Word Of Life 3783 Sullivan Street
FellowshipOfFaith Church 132 MapleStreet
Ihaveeverlearned.Sincethatday in1994, Ihaveprayedfor the Lord’s will-nomatter what.Ithas notalways beeneasy.Regardinghealth, family,ministry,missions,writingopportunities, pluseverything else…insteadof tight-fistingand holdingontowhatI think isbest,I openmyhandstoHisplanforme. When Jesusprayedinthe Garden (Luke22:42),Herelinquishedcontrol to His Father. He knewitwould bedifficult, yetHesurrendered. God worked it forgood. Prayingfor God’s willallowsHimtodo what isbest even when we cannotenvisionthe outcome. Hecanalways betrusted.I do nothavealltheanswersbut Iknowthe OneWho does. Eachyear, we honor BradleyHatfield with Gideon Memorial Bibles. Itellhis momI’m neverforgetting Bradleybecause he changedmylife.
GraceFellowship
TheHarbor
MadisonMission
OasisTabernacle 8006 MadisonPike
RayOfHope
calledtheMoore-ThompsonCemetery. Ofcourse,now theArmy maps showit astheMoore-LandmanCemetery, 46-1 eventhoughthesourceoftheLandman nameseemstohave been applied after thepassingof James PeterBurns(who gotitfromSamMoore)andbefore the Army tookthearsenallands.Itwasused intheearly 1900sasthe burialplace for BlackfamiliesoftheMullins Flat area. Amanborninthatareaofarsenal landsandnamedasCharlesBurns was thesubjectoftwoarticlespublished this yearinthe February 7and 24 issuesof theMadisonRecordweekly newspaper. Thesearticlescanstillbeseenintheonlinearchivesofthatnewspaper. During the1990s,Charlescamebacktovisit the HuntsvilleareafromChicago in orderto research his familyhistoryandtoerect markers forhisancestorsthatareburiedinthearsenalareacemeteries.Fora time,hewasalsoemployedonRedstone Arsenal.Charleshadlefttheareaasa youngman whenhis fathertookthefamilytoChicagobeforetheArmy’sacquisitionoftheland.Charlesdidlivehere longenoughto recall hischildhoodand close relativesorfriends,but he needed assistanceashe researchedhis expanded familyconnections. Ranee`Pruitt, long-timearchivistoftheHMCPL, and Iassisted himwithhis research as needed.AsCharles agedbackinChicago,he begantowritehisautobiography asa familyhistory.Ireceivedadraftcopyand providedittoBeverlyCurry(Redstone’s ethno-archaeologist)afterthepassing ofCharles.AfterBeverlyincorporated intoherofficial final reportmost ofthe thingsthatCharleshadwritten,she retired,andthensoonafterwardshepassed away.Ranee`alsopassed away ayearor solater,but at least we hadpreservedthe uniquemanuscriptofCharlesBurns’lifetime.Partofthestoryoftheunfinished Burnsautobiography waspublishedin Decemberof2006as asegmentinBeverly’sethno-archaeological finaldocument, entitled“THEPEOPLEWHOLIVEDON THELANDTHATISNOW REDSTONE
Summit Continued frompage3A
portedtypeof elderfraudin 2023. Approximately18,000victims whoareat least60 yearsold reportedsuchscamstotheFBI Center.Personaldatabreaches, confidenceand romancescams, non-paymentornon-delivery scamsandinvestment scams roundedoutthetop five most commontypesofelderfraud.
ARSENAL”. Beforeshepassed,Beverly requestedthatI freelyprovide acopyof the reporttoeachcollege or university orlibraryinthearea, whichIhavedone, sometimesindigitalformandsometimes asprintedcopies,because Iwas privileged toassistinthedevelopmentandeditingof thebook,as wellas personallypreparing thefull-nameindex. Nowwith variousmodernresources, whenNancyRohr requested anyknowledgeortheories of thelocation ofAsa Thompson’sburial, Iwasmotivatedto lookbackinto my oldnotes andmemories to findthatCharlessaidthatthearsenal’sMoore-LandmanCemeteryhad beengiventohis grandfather James P. Burns by SamMoore. At thetime,Idid notknowanything about SamMoore, but nowIdo. Also,Inow realizethatthecemetery’slocationcertainly fitsthelocation ofAsa Thompson’slandfrom 1818. This wasland whichAsastill owned at the timeofhisdeath, and whichwas sold by hiswidowand childrenafterAsa’s death. Itisalsotheonlyknowncemetery very closetothearea whereAsalivedprior tohisdeath. Therefore, aquickcheckof landandprobate records showedhow the ownershipofAsa’slikelyburialsitetransitionedthroughoutthe1800stothetime ofCharlesBurns memoirs. Moreresearch could bedoneofthe land recordsafterthe1920stosee whythe cemeterynamenowincludes aLandman. Thereare twoother Landman Cemeteriesonarsenallands, buttheyarenot in Mullins Flat.Rather,theyareinanother area at adistance away from theMooreLandman,46-1Cemetery--nowherenear Asa Thompson’sland.Furthermore, they have noknownconnectiontotheland holdingsoftheDavidMoorefamily.In fact,thereisalmostnolikelihoodthat anymemberoftheDavidMoorefamily waseverburiedintheMullins Flat area. TheyaretypicallyallintheMaple Hill Cemetery,withveryprominentmemorials. Accordingly, itseems appropriate tocovera part of thehistoryofDr.DavidMoore,whopurchased thelandsthat
•Mostcostly fraud--Investmentscamsaccounted forthe costliesttypeofelderfraudin 2023. Theseschemescostvictims morethan$1.2billioninlosses that year.
hadbeen first owned by Asa Thompson, whereAsa is almostbeyond question buriedin averysmall familycemetery ofhisown. According toSmith &Deland’sHISTORY OFALABAMA, doctorsDavid Moore andhis youngerbrotherAlfred were sons of John F. andhiswife Rebecca Fletcher Moore,who also hada sonnamedRichardthatlived intheMonroviaarea.Both AlfredandDavid were surgeonswith GeneralAndrew Jackson’s army ashe wenttothebattlewiththeCreekIndiansatTalladega.Oneorboth ofthem mayhavetreatedthesoldierswho were woundedthere mensuchasSam Houston,whogotanarrow in oneofhis legs. Additionally, DavidMoore’s child SamuelB.Moore isdescribed on page 36a ofthe 1995book“MapleHill Cemetery, PhaseOne”asbeing buriedthereinan unmarkedgrave.Evenso, he wasa famous personin Huntsville’shistory as the ownerof an even-morefamous cow named“LilyFlagg”, nowcommemorated with astreetnamedforher.Sam’s house wasonAdamsStreetin Huntsville, and heserved asanadjutantinthe 26th Alabama Infantry Regiment,CSA. According to on-line FamilySearch data andOwen’sHISTORY OFALABAMA andALABAMABIOGRAPHY (VolumeIV) John F. Moore’s fatherwas MarkMoore, whosewifewas Sarah Mason. TheMasonnameisalsolinkedto Madison’sDr.Richard MatthewFletcher,whomarried RebeccaMasonin1855. RichardFletcher wasa son of James Nicholas Fletcher,who wasa neighbor ofDr.AlfredMoore inthe1850 census, bothliving verynearthehistoricallocation of what hasbecometheCity of Madison. It is noteworthy that thehouseholdof Dr.AlfredMooreinthe1850censusincludedhis father John at age91,listed as aclergyman.Correspondence found inthe FamilyFiles oftheHuntsvillelibrary mentionthatRev.JohnMoore had aMethodistEpiscopal church inLimestoneCountyfrom 1818. John Moore
diedtwoyearsafterthe 1850 census was taken,sohemay be buried inLimestone CountyornearAlfred’s firsttwo wives inanotherMooreCemetery in western MadisonCounty.Oldmapsalsodepict averysmall MooreCemeteryon the northsideof GillespieRoadwestsideof HughesRoad, saidtobethe burialplace of twosmall Mooregirls,butall tracesof such acemeteryare gonenow. Oneofthe tallestobelisksin Section 7ofHuntsville’sMapleHillCemetery, whereseveralearlygovernorsof the state areburied, hasthe inscription“In Memoriam”forDoctorAlfredMooreand hiswife Mary Watson. TheInMemoriam termisoftenusedtoindicatethatthe named partiesare notburiedwhere the marker islocated,but their memoryis tobeperpetuated by those whovisitthe cemetery.However,withthismonument andthe immediatelysurroundingarea there aregoodindicationsthatseveralof the Moorefamilyare in fact buried there, includingthedoctor himselfandhis last wife,Mary Watson. In anearbyareaof MapleHillisthe family site of burials ofDr.David Mooreand hisfamilymembers. In 1818 Dr.AlfredMoorehad alsoprivatelypurchased 160 acresoflandin LimestoneCounty,justwestofthe MadisonCounty line. That landwas about one-halfmilewestofthenow-gone Burgreen Gin locationandonthe south sideof Brown’sFerry Road inthe Nubbin Ridgeareawhere JamesNicholas Fletcher lived. JamesNicholas Fletcher wasthe fatherofMadison’sDr.Richard Fletcher.Thistract wasclosetoseveral LimestoneCounty parcelsamountingto well over 1,000 acrespurchased by Alfred’s olderbrotherDr.David Moorein 1818 -1831. Dr.David Mooreownednine plantationsinhis lifetime,which ended in1845.However, Alfredhas remained relatively “lost in history” compared to hismuchmorefamousbrotherDr.David MooreofHuntsville.Alfred’supdated story willbe againaddressedinasubsequentarticle.
•Cryptocurrency--Scammers arecoming forpeople’scryptocurrency. More than12,000victims whoareat least60 yearsold indicatedthatcryptocurrency was“amediumortoolusedto facilitate”thescam.
TARCOG’scoverage includes DeKalb,Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshallcounties in North Alabama. Forthis region, TARCOG isdesignatedas theAreaAgencyonAging. TheTARCOGstaff worksto
planandthen provide services toindividuals whoare at least60 yearsold. Theagency’sEconomicDevelopmentand Planning teamprovidescommunityand regional planning, tradeandindustrydevelopment,jobcreation and project fundingservices to localgovernmentsand TARCOG membersthroughout the region.
Formoreinformation on the nationwidetrends,see the FBI’s 2023 editionof itsannual Elder Fraud Report, whichisavailable at fbi.gov/news/stories.For Alabamaandlocal trends,the SeniorMedicarePatrolFraud &ScamSummit willopendiscussions.Formoreinformation, visittarcog.us.
Thefollowing unclaimed vehicle(s) will be sold on August 30,2024 -Time- 9am, if not claimed- 3207 GovernorsDr SW., Huntsville,AL35805. 2017Land/ Range Rover SALGS2FV9HA340916
07/17/24,07/24/24 ADID 605444
ABANDONEDVEHICLES
434-917-4678 Decaturarea.
Edger stillin box, $100. Call 256-466-5686 Decatur
males&females.7 weeks, parentsonsite, shots/deworming. Personalprotection, Call 256-275-1315 Shoalsarea BELGIANMALINOIS,7 MONTHS old, male &female, $500each,
TO GOOD home, leavemessage:256-905-0826or256-476-5601.
MOTHER CATSANDKITTENS Sweet,loveable,allcolors, and very pretty. 256-773-1131 GORGEOUS PARTISTANDARD POODLE Puppies,$600 females, $500 males, Registered,up to dateshots/worming,256200-0310Arab
LABRADOODLEPUPPIES BornMay1st, Registered,1stshot,dewormed. Call orText 256-366-7718. MINIATURE SCHNAUZERSCKC &AKC $600andup.256-653-9594 www.schnauzerpupsforsale.com
AUCTIONSaleDate: September04,2024at10A.M. TowProTowing 2511Washington St.NW Huntsville,AL35811 256-599-1381
2018 Mercedes-BenzCLA250 WDDSJ4GB0JN647898 2023 Chevrolet Malibu 1G1ZD5ST1PF183246 2019 Chevrolet Equinox 3GNAXHEV7KL372144 2019 NissanSentra 3N1AB7AP0KY220401 2003 GMCEnvoy 1GKDS13S13281790
07/17/24,07/24/24 ADID 605478
ABANDONEDVEHICLES
FieldingTowingand Recovery 2322 ClintonAveW Huntsville,Al 35805 256-534-5883 August12,2024 At 8:00am
2008 SILVER CHEVYCOLBALT 1G1AK58F187167564
2010 WHITENISSANALTIMA 1N4AL2EP4AC148512
2008 MAROON HONDAACCORD 1HGCP36868A029405
2022 SILVER MAZDACX-30 3MVDMBBL7NM442558
2005 SILVER NISSANXTERRA 5N1AN08UX5C654616
2017 WHITENISSAN ROUGE JN1BJ1CP7H002103
2007 BLUEDODGECHARGER 2B3KA43G17H879862
07/17/24,07/24/24 ADID 605640 ABANDONEDVEHICLES
FieldingTowingand Recovery 2322 ClintonAveW Huntsville,Al 35805 256-534-5883 August19,2024 At 8:00am
2019 REDJEEPCOMPASS 3C4NJCAB2KT623758
2018 REDCHEVYMALIBU 1G1ZD5ST5JF256321
2015 WHITEFORDMUSTANG 1FATP8EM5F5401063
2001 SILVER NISSANALTIMA 1N4DL01D21C159943
2007 MAROON FORD EXPEDITION 1FMFU17587LA17977
07/24/24,07/31/24 ADID 606551
ABANDONEDVEHICLES
FieldingTowingand Recovery 2322 ClintonAveW Huntsville,Al 35805 256-534-5883 August23,2024 At 8:00am
2007 BLACKHONDACIVIC 2HGFG128X7H521751
2006 SILVERVOLKSWAGON JETTA
3VWRF71K66M817247
2017 GRAYDODGEJOURNEY 3C4PDCBG0HT533673
2012 SILVER HONDAFIT JHMGE8H32CC000418
2004 BLUE GMCENVOY 1GKES12S846171560
07/24/24,07/31/24 ADID 606563 AbandonedVehicles
Thefollowing unclaimed vehicle will be sold on August30,2024 -Time- 8am,ifnot claimed500 MountLebanon Rd,Toney, AL35773.
2007 HONDAACCORD 1HGCM56357A119071
07/24/24,07/31/24 ADID 606073 ABANDONEDVEHICLES
Thefollowing vehicles will be auctionedon September04, 2024at8:00A.M. MIKE’SWRECKERSERVICE 1100 Hoover Street Huntsville,AL 35801 256-536-2226
2009AcuraTSX(Black) JH4CU26619C03604
2018 NissanFrontier (Silver) 1N6DD0ER4JN723140
2014 Ford Explorer (Silver) 1FM5K8D88EGB31699
2012 VolvoS60 (Red) YV1612FS5D2198297
2007 Honda Civic(Silver) 1HGFA16567L120458
2007 FordTaurus (Blue) 1FAFP56U17A184937
2002 HondaAccord(Green) 1GHCG56692A069849
2009 Hyundai SantaFe(Silver) 5NMSG13D89H254514
2014 Hyundai SantaFe(White) 5XYZU3LA9EG190769
2016 Hyundai Sonata(Red) 5NPE24AF8GH338365
2013 Hyundai Sonata(Black) 5NPEB4AC6DH641758
2013 Hyundai Sonata(Silver) KMHEC4A47DA071052
2017 Hyundai Elantra(Silver) 5NPD84LF4HH107259
1998 Chevrolet Camaro(White) 2G1FP22K5W2125902
07/24/24,07/31/24 ADID 606213 ABANDONEDVEHICLES
Thefollowing vehicles will be Auctioned onAugust01,2024, 12:00 Noon at 2327 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville,AL35801. ROADSIDETOWING 256-533-0809 06 FORD EXPEDITION 1FMFU19596LA96460 99 HONDACIVIC 1HGEJ8242XL014994 08TOYOTAAVALON 1T1BK36B08U286638 15 HYUNDAISONATA 5NPE24AF8FH002388 08 VWBEETLE 3VWRF31Y28M410333 05 CHEVYIMPALA 2G1WH55K159269902 01 CHEVYEXPRESS 1GBFG15R011220922 02 BUICKCENTURY 2G4WS52J621234685 07 KIASORENTO KNDJD736075681789 00 FORD CROWN VIC 2FAFP73WXYX129428 93 FORD RANGER 1FTCR10A9PUD69931 06TOYOTACAMRY JTNBE46K673042798 03 HONDAPILOT 2HKYF18633H535296 12 CHEVYMALIBU 1G1ZB5E06CF203332 05 DODGERAM 1D7HA18N15S197817 01 CHEVYBLAZER 1GNDT13W71K255787 03AUDIA4 WAUAT48H53K016908 08 FORD EDGE C 2FMDK36C59BA49071 10 CHEVYHHR 3GNBABDB3AS636748
