The Madison Record - May 12, 2021

INSIDE: Bob Jones, Sparkman and Madison Academy softball teams advance in state playoffs

M adison RECORD WEDNESDAY May 12, 2021

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NEWS

School board approves rezoning for elementary schools

Class of 2021

Graduation for Madison City Schools is fast approaching. School leaders were visiting Louis Crews Stadium at Alabama A&M to plan out the logistics for the May 17 ceremonies. Page 3A

By JOHN FEW john@themadisonrecord.com

COMMUNITY

MADISON - The Madison City Board of Education approved an elementary rezoning recommendation from MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols on Thursday. The rezoning is necessary to accommodate the opening of Midtown Elementary School this August.

Construction of the new $34 million campus is being completed on Wall Triana next to the Kroger grocery store. The school will hold 800 students.

School officials say the decision culminated an extensive process including the submission of a proposed plan to the public, solicitation of written comments, public hearings, adjustments See REZONING Page 2A

Behind the Trash Pandas nickname

Through the daydreaming and doodling of two friends, the Rocket City Trash Pandas nickname, logo and mascot have come to life, through their creative company Brandiose.

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EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL IS BACK! - After years of speculation, rumors and finally planning, professional baseball is back in the Tennessee Valley with the highly anticipated arrival of the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

“Once these gates open for baseball it’s going to be a relief seeing all of these families come in with smiles on their faces, sprinting across the concourse to find their seats and get in line for all of this concession food,” said Garrett Fahrmann, General Manager of the Trash Pandas. The Trash Pandas opened the 2021-22 season with a six-game series in Chattanooga against the Lookouts. The played at home for the first time last night to open another six-game series at Toyota Field against the Tennessee Smokies. See page 1B for details.

City council interviews police chief candidates

School district hit with possible cybersecurity hijacking threat HOSA The HOSA State Leadership Conference offered a venue for Bob Jones High School students to gain recognition for their hard work and to network with other students that share similar interests. Page 5A

MORE EDUCATION

LEGO Robotics A prime example of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM applications, LEGO Robotics is popular at Heritage Elementary School.

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CLASSIFIEDS

FIND JOBS INSIDE: There are plenty of jobs within today’s classifieds pages.

See page 4A.

INSIDE Records .......... 2A Events ............. 5A Education ........ 6A Sports ............. 1B

Business ......... 4B Kids................. 5B Church ............ 6B Lifestyles ......... 7B

themadisonrecord

By JOHN FEW john@themadisonrecord.com

By JOHN FEW john@themadisonrecord.com

MADISON – Madison City Schools has been the target of cybersecurity threat, school officials said last week. According to MCS superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols, the school district had been dealing with the threat for several days.

“One of our advanced threat protection systems alerted us to a potential cybersecurity breach,” Nichols said. “Our Technology team, along with our cybersecurity partners, immediately pulled critical systems offline to begin analyzing the threat. Their belief is that it was an attempt to lock our system and hold it for ransom. The probe prompted our team to engage in a multitude of ongoing mitigation techniques to minimize the likelihood of success of the attack. Appropriate law enforcement agencies were alerted of this attempted breach, and we continue to consult with the proper authorities to ensure

our safety.”

Nichols added the school district has found no evidence any of their data or personal information has been compromised.

“This data is your data, not just ours, so I felt it prudent to report this to you and where we currently stand in our efforts to protect your data and our network,” Nichols stated in an email to parents last week.

Nichols said the school district’s websites were not affected in any way, but the server See CYBER ATTACK Page 2A

MADISON – The Madison City Council interviewed the four finalists vying for the city’s police chief position on Saturday.

Madison’s former police chief David Jernigan retired earlier this year. John Stringer, one of the finalists has been serving as Acting Chief since January.

The interviews were conducted at City Hall and were open to the public; however, no questions from the public were permitted.

“We received over 60 applicants, narrowed it down to these final four. They’ll get 14 questions, each from the city council,” Madison Mayor Paul Finley said.

See INTERVIEWS Page 2A

Paving continues on I-565 widening, with some weather disruptions

By STAFF REPORTS MADISON – Resurfacing work that started last month for the Interstate 565 widening project will likely stay suspended until the middle of this month because of the weather, but an official said paving could be completed in the late summer.

Milling and paving on the more than 7-mile section to be

widened started last month, but rain and cool temperatures forced resurfacing to be suspended in late April, according to Seth Burkett, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Transportation’s North Region.

No paving work was planned this week.

With more rain predicted, “paving is now anticipated to resume on Sunday evening,

May 16, weather permitting,” Burkett said. The paving work will be done at night, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday night through Thursday night each week, weather permitting.

“At this point, we anticipate finishing paving in the late summer,” Burkett said.

Reed Contracting Services is the contractor for the $14.3 million project to widen the

highway to three travel lanes in each direction, from a halfmile west of Interstate 65 to a quarter-mile west of County Line Road. According to Nashville-based Rogers Group Inc., it purchased a quarry, sand plant, five asphalt plants and all construction assets of the Huntsville-based Reed Contracting in March.

See I-565 Page 2A

16 pages • 2 sections

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2A • THE RECORD

May 12, 2021

State to end participation in federal pandemic unemployment relief

By STAFF REPORTS

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MONTGOMERY - Governor Kay Ivey announced today that Alabama will end its participation in all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs effective June 19, 2021 including: • Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides for an additional $300 weekly payment to recipients of unemployment compensation.

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits for those who would not usually qualify, such as the self-employed, gig workers, and part-time workers, • Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides for an extension of benefits once regular benefits have been exhausted, and • Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides an additional $100 benefit to certain people with mixed earnings.

Any weeks filed prior to and up to June 19 and are eligible under any of the federal program requirements will continue to be processed under these programs.

“As Alabama’s economy continues its recovery, we are hearing from more and more business owners and employers that it is increasingly difficult to find workers to fill available jobs, even though job openings are abundant,” said Governor Ivey.

“Among other factors, increased unemployment assistance, which was meant to be a short-term relief program during emergency related shutdowns, is now contributing to a labor shortage that is compromising the continuation of our economic recovery.”

“Alabama has an unemployment rate of 3.8%, the lowest in the Southeast, and significantly lower than the national unemployment rate.

Our Department of Labor is reporting that there are more available jobs now than prior to the pandemic.

Jobs are out there,” continued Governor Ivey. “We have announced the end date of our state of emergency, there are no industry shutdowns, and daycares are operating with no restrictions. Vaccinations are available for all adults. Alabama is giving the federal government our 30-day notice that it’s time to get back to work.”

ADOL has reinstated the work search requirement for all claimants, which was temporarily waived during the height of the pandemic.

This requires all claimants to actively search for work to remain eligible for unemployment benefits.

“We have more posted job ads now than we did in either February or March 2020,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “Ads for workers in the leisure and hospitality industry are up by 73%. Overall, ads are up by nearly 40%. There are plenty of opportunities available in multiple industries in Alabama.”

Rezoning from public input, additional community input on those adjustments, and then a final plan.

The plan Nichols presented to the school board Thursday was the fourth revision of the rezoning map. It was approved by a unamious vote from school board members.

Nichols thanked the community for their in-

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put leading up to the vote.

“We fully understand how important this issue is to many of you and the adjustment required of those of you whose children have been rezoned,” he said. “We appreciate and thank you for your input, your patience, and your cooperation through this necessary process.

Our district is justifiably proud of the great schools and the quality of the educational resources and opportunities available throughout our school system. You can be confident that wherever your children are zoned in Madison, they will receive a first-class education.”

Nichols said the rezoning plan he proposed had been vetted by the Justice Department and private plaintiffs in a 60-year-old desegregation case.

“The District is party to a long-standing desegregation suit initially brought against the Madison County Board of Education more than 60 years ago,” Nichols explained.

“Since 2017, the District Court now overseeing that case has reviewed annual reports and notices of rezoning plans submitted by MCS.” He said the current final proposed elementary rezoning plan has been reviewed without objection to the plan.

The United States District Court presiding over the suit was given 30 days advance notice of the District’s proposed rezoning plan and has interposed no objection to it.

“We now expect to proceed promptly with the registration of elementary students for the fall semester,” Nichols added.

Nichols said rezoning plans are also underway for the city’s third middle school in the Fall of 2022.

Journey Middle School will open in the Fall of 2022.”

“Rezoning is nothing new for Madison City Schools,” Nichols said.

“Throughout our 23 years of existence, zone lines have changed because of

new schools and also to balance populations from explosive growth. Five elementary schools and a high school have been added since MCS separated from Madison County Schools in 1998, along with major expansions at Bob Jones and Liberty Middle.

“Our district’s philosophy from the outset has been that our schools are strongest when the attendance zones – demographically, culturally, and from a socioeconomic standpoint – are as close as possible to being mirror images of each other.

We firmly believe that implementing that philosophy has been key to the District’s academic success. Each required rezoning is viewed through a lens of how best to continue the balance that is the hallmark of our schools,” he said.

You can go to the school district’s website at www. madisoncity.k12.al.us for more information about the rezoning.

Interviews The candidates include Madison Police Department Major John Stringer. He has been with the Madison Police Department since March of 1997 and has been the Acting Police Chief for the Department for four months, managing 107 employees and a budget of $8.7 million. His regular position is Major/Assistant Chief since October of 2019.

Another candidate, Retired DEA agent Clay Morris served as the Department of Justice (DOJ) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from September 1995 to September 2020 as Assistant

Special Agent in Charge, Deputy Director, Section Chief, and Acting Diversion Program Manager, in the Birmingham District Office and the Atlanta Field Division.

Jeffrey Walls is a Police Commander of the New Orleans Police Department and has served in this role for approximately 10 years, currently supervising 100 certified officers.

Johnny Gandy is a Captain of the City of Virginia Beach Police Department, currently supervising more than 100 certified officers and non-sworn staff for a precinct of approxi-

mately 250 square miles.

Three of the four candidates said their top priority if selected would be to work on recruitment and retention of new police officers. Walls didn’t focus on recruitment, saying his first move would be making the department more open to the community.

Mayor Finley said the decision is likely to made on who the next chief will be made soon, likely within th next couple of weeks.

Video of the interviews will be made available through the city’s website at www.madisonal.gov.

I-565 In another development along the interstate, the first phase of the I-565 interchange at Town Madison and Toyota Field — the eastbound ramp from I-565 — opened nearly two weeks ago.

The interchange will improve interstate access for Toyota Field and give commuters to Redstone Arsenal additional interstate access for those using Gate 7 on Zierdt Road.

Cyber Attack 411204-1

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that controls access to their websites is down for additional maintenance. “Our websites may be a day or two behind in providing our normal updates,” he explained.

“In today’s world, no organization nor individual is completely safe from

Staff Directory French Salter, General Manager, 256-722-6677 french.salter@theredstonerocket.com

Madison County Record is published each Wednesday by Madison Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 859 Madison, AL 35758.

John Few Editor 256-772-6677 john.few@madisoncountyrecord.com Gregg L. Parker News Writer gregg.parker@madisoncountyrecord.com Bob Labbe Sports Writer bob0873@yahoo.com

potential cyber threats. However, Madison City Schools has made cybersecurity one of its top priorities in recent years. We have dedicated the resources to ensure that we have the most protection possible in an event such as this,” Nichols said.

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May 12, 2021

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CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2021 - Graduation for Madison City Schools is fast approaching. School leaders are shown here are visiting Louis Crews Stadium at Alabama A&M to plan out the logistics for the May 17 ceremonies. The school district decided to hold the ceremonies at the A&M stadium to help insure proper social distancing while accommodating everyone planning to attend. Graduation for Bob Jones begins at 3 p.m. Graduation for James Clemens begins at 8 p.m. The rain date is May 18. The Madison Record will publish a special salute to the Class of 2021 in the May 26 issue.

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MADISON CO. - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office arrested Darren Pullen, 39 of Huntsville, and charged him with two counts of terrorists threats after he phoned two separate Huntsville City School campuses last Tuesday making threats.

According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, investigators attached to both the FBI North Alabama Violent Crimes Task Force and the North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force utilized the resources of the Sheriff’s Office and FBI to quickly locate Pullen

and ensure that there was no danger to either of the campuses.

“The investigation revealed that Pullen had made phone calls to both campuses making threats that included bomb threats,” a release from the Sheriff’s Office stated. “There were no suspicious packages or devices found at either campus and they were able to return to normal daily activities.”

“The safety of our students and staff is a priority, regardless of what school they attend or system they are a part of,” Sheriff Kevin Turner stated. “The quick

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May 12, 2021

Student families say ‘thank you’ during Teacher Appreciation Week

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – Students and their families showed their gratitude for educators in both the classroom and the boardroom during Teacher Appreciation Week.

On campuses across Madison City Schools, teachers realized that parents and their children have not ignored their perseverance, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers not only taught in the classroom but had to ‘emcee’ online lectures by Zoom and other virtual platforms.

Madison Elementary School PTA members urged families to “support our Super Teachers for

their perseverance this school year,” according to MCS district posts. Virtual students dropped off gift items in bins outside the school building and submitted items digitally to their teachers.

The “Stock the Fridge” campaign filled the teachers’ refrigerator full of goodies during the week (meshornets. memberhub.store/store/ items/775611).

Administrators also heard ‘thank you’ from Madison Elementary PTA. Members posted a message that stated an adjective for each letter in the word ‘Principal’ -“Principals are Patient, Reliable, Important, Nurturing, Caring, Intelligent, Phenomenal, Approachable, Leaders, Supportive.”

The tribute to administrators’ admirable qualities coincided with National Principals’ Day. Jamie Golliver is Principal at Madison elementary. Demetria Freeman is Assistant Principal.

For each day of Teacher Appreciation Week on May 3-7, the MES PTA designated a ‘super’ theme. The PTA proclaimed, “Real Superheroes Don’t Wear Capes ...

They Teach!”

For May 3, students wrote their thoughts on a sheet that started with “I think you are super because …” They could write a message or draw a picture for their teacher.

For “Donate Super Supplies” on May 4, students brought provisions, like disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues and

pencils to teachers. For “Dress Like a Superhero,” students dressed as sidekicks for their heroic teachers.

On May 6, they wrote thank-you notes to show their appreciation. On May 7, teachers received “Super Gifts,” like flowers, gift cards and any small token from students.

MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said in a video address on April 30 that the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Week “should be ‘Teacher Appreciation YEAR.’ Thank a school bus driver, cafeteria worker, custodian, front desk employee and other support workers, as well. For without them, Madison City Schools would not be the top-notch system it is.”

Madison Mayor Paul Finley delivered a proclamation at the May 6 MCS Board of Education meeting declaring the week of May 3-7 in Madison as Teacher Appreciation Week. He is pictured (right) with MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols. Friday culminated a week of gestures by citizens, businesses and city leaders expressing appreciation to teachers for their service and dedication.

Snapshot Madison city chess students continue to excel in state, regional and national competitions. The Madison City Board of Education recognized winners from recent competitions at its May 6 BOE meeting.

K-3 Team awards - MCCL Primary Team - tied for first in the primary club division: Kylie Zou, Esteban Jerez, Alice Zou, and Margaret Lin. Rainbow Elementary – 1st place Primary School Team: Dennis Lenski, Emory Howell, Cora Newberry and Annabelle Hsu; coach: Will Stevenson; sponsor: Brittany Wilson. Columbia Elementary – 2nd place Primary School Team: Daksh Sunil, Mason Park, Vedanth Siva, and Carter Bae; sponsor: Winona Wilson. Heritage Elementary – 3rd place Primary School Team: Andrew Tkach, Anish Vadrevu, Shrabin Bista, and Saisha Iyer; sponsor: Emily Mangrum; coach David Hayes. K-3 Individual Awards: Horizon Elementary second grader Kylie Zou won 1st place in the Primary individual championship on Saturday with a perfect score of 5 pts. Her sister, Alice, won 3rd place with a score of 4 pts. Esteban Jerez won 4th place, and Jimmy McHugh won 5th place. Tying for 5th and winning a medal was Esinam Tettey. In the Primary Under 300 division, Mason Park tied for 5th place.

K-6 Team Awards: Rainbow Red team - Holland Lang, Jethro Jones, Noah Hsu, and Kate Meyer tied with Altamont as co-champions in the Elementary School division. Rainbow Blue team members Caden Jordan, Cooper Meyer, Tyce Crosswy, and Jack Meyer won 3rd place team. MCCL Primary Team – 2nd place team in primary club division: Sophia Jerez, Christina Yang, Samsara Rajbhandari, and Emerson Phillips. K-6 Individual awards: In the Elementary Championship division, Jethro Jones won the 5th place trophy. Tying for a 5th place medal were Kate Meyer, Anna Ai, and Laya Gowder.In the Elementary Under 600 division, Samarjeet Bista won 4th place, Cooper Meyer won 5th place, and tying for a 5th place medal was Jack Meyer.

K-9 Team Awards: Discovery Middle School Teal team – 1st place: Xavier Bruni, Steven Pan, Nirvana Rajbhandari, and Caleb Chen; coach: Michael Guthrie; sponsor: Julie Goldston. K-9 Individual Awards: Xavier Bruni won 4th place, Andrew Yang won 5th place, and Nirvana Rajbhandari tied for 5th place in the Championship section. There was a five-way tie for first place in the Under 1100 section. Joseph Park tied for 1st with 4/5 pts.

JCHS team members – 1st place: Will Fox, Om Badhe, Sherwood Dong, and Shreya Sunil; coach: Dr. Gerald Larson. Bob Jones Blue team – 2nd place: Victor Lundy, Constance Wang, Josh Lin, and Kennedy Gore; coach: Jonathan Rasberry; sponsor: Julie Goldson. K-12 Individual Awards: In the High School Championship section there was a 5-way tie for 1st place with Sherwood Dong and Om Badhe declared co-champions. In the HS Under 1400 section, there was a three-way tie for first place with Edward Calinsky and Sam Pratt tying. Rachael Ehrman won 4th place. Tying for 5th place was Kennedy Gore. All Girls State and ChessKid USA Girls & Women’s Nationals: Bob Jones High School – 1st place in State and Nation - Constance Wang, Kennedy Gore, Maanasi Limaye, and Rachael Ehrman.

The following James Clemens High School film students were recognized by the Madison City Board of Education for winning first place at the recent New York Film Festival (AAHSFF). The students are in Clay Combs Jets Press class. Hannah Jones, Zach Williams, Grant Meder, Andrew Williams, Abby WImberly, Carly Parker, Grayson Waggoner, Joe Dobbs, Alex Butler. The contest involved a 48 hour challenge. They did everything over that short period of time - writing, reproduction, filming, post production. Check out their work, entitled Late for Dinner: at https://bit.ly/3deBkQ9.

The following students at Liberty Middle were recognized by the Madison City Board of Education for their 1st Place victory over 26 teams in the recent Science Olympiad State Championship: Carlin Chacko, Aasim Musani, Abdullah Shaikh,, Amna Minhas, Eugene Park, Hannah Park, Oviya Gowder, Arjun Gaikwad, Sahishnu Saha,Thy Pham, Rheeya Sudhagar, Praneel Avula, Sai Mudium, Nikhita Katragadda. Several students also won awards in individual categories. Also pictured with the team are Liberty Principal Shannon Brown and teacher Lori Schrode and Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols.

You can follow the latest local news updates at

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May 12, 2021

THE RECORD • 5A

Sprocket

Not just physics & formulas! A funny and fascinating memoir of a farm boy turned Design Engineer

The story behind the Trash Pandas nickname and mascot MADISON - Jason Klein and Casey White were inseparable kids from a San Diego suburb, their imagination fueled equally by sports and Disney, “always daydreaming and doodling driving our parents nuts,” as Klein recalls.

One summer, they created a sequel to a sequel to a sequel. They wrote a screenplay, built sets and made costumes for“Back to The Future 4,” a movie they would try to produce. They were rising fourth graders at the time.

It is through their daydreaming and doodling that the Rocket City Trash Pandas nickname, logo and mascot have come to life, through their creative company Brandiose.

In high school, Klein wore their school mascot costume, and parlayed that into gigs with the San Diego Padres,as a costumed Friar, and as a bi-ped Shamu strolling around SeaWorld. Then,like countless talented high school students before him, Klein was recruited by the University of Alabama – to become Big Al, the elephant mascot.

Said Klein, “I’d never been to the South. I didn’t know anybody in the South. I packed my bags and the next thing you know, I’m in front of 70,000 people at Bryant-Denny Stadium.”

While Klein matriculated in Tuscaloosa, White played one year of college football before moving to New York City’s Pratt Institute, one of the most prestigious arts colleges in the country.

As they built their business long-distance, they wrote letters to 150 minor league teams, offering their services for design and rebranding. They got one response. The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, in Jackson, Tenn., told them, “If we likeit, we’ll buy it.” They liked it, and the cornerstone for Brandiose was laid.

They continued to build the business,even as Jason moved to Guntersville with his wife, Heather, a TV reporter who was hired by Huntsville’s WAFF, Channel 48, and dispatched to the Sand Mountain beat. Eventually, her career led them to the West Coast, and Casey and Jason could resume in-person collaboration in their San Diego offices.

With their track record with other teams, Brandiose was the no-brainer

choice for BallCorps, which had narrow edits potential nicknames down to 10 after soliciting fan suggestions: Army Ants, Comet Jockeys, GloWorms, Moon Possums, Puffy Head Bird Legs, Space Chimps,Space Sloths, Thunder Sharks and Trash Pandas. Klein wasn’t sold on the Trash Pandas, though it was White’s favorite.

“There’s a folksiness to the raccoon concept,”White explained, saying “this is the most-engineered animal and this is the most engineered city.”

He even played YouTube videos of raccoons picking locks and doing other ingenuous things to sell the team officials.

“It was one of my favorites and I might have laid it on a little heavy,” White said. “But you have to do some selling. I just felt like it was a community that wanted something fun to rally around and that a raccoon as a mascot was sort of a brilliant metaphor for the area. It’s a dichotomy which is partially why we liked it. There’s the country part of Alabama, and the raccoon is sort of a stereotype of that … and also this super ingenious creature that’s a metaphor for all these brilliant people.”

The name itself was more a process of logic than imagination. Matt Highley submitted Trash Pandas, among more than a dozen other suggested nicknames. He sifted through “all the space names I could think of”and noted all the other odd animal names applied to other teams, like El Paso Chihuahuas and Amarillo Sod Poodles.

The prevalence of raccoons in the area prompted the light bulb to appear above Higley’s head. And he knew the raccoon’s nickname, and “I thought it’d be a pretty good minor league team name.” Alas, even his wife, the former KerryHassler of Madison, remarked how ridiculous it was and warned, “You’re getting your hopes up.”

Like 75percent of American males in their 30s, Higley has a fantasy football team. Naming one’s team is often the greatest annual challenge of a participant’s imagination. Matt Higley’s team name is Harry Hot Dog, something remarkably lame and with no real back-story, either in logic or imagination.

“Yeah,” he sighed, “you’d think I’d have a better name.”

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EDUCATION

6A

May 12, 2021

Bob Jones students gain perspective, win awards at HOSA conference

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – The HOSA State Leadership Conference offered a venue for Bob Jones High School students to gain recognition for their hard work and to network with other students that share similar interests.

“The competitive events motivate HOSA members to develop skills that will ultimately be valuable in the future as they enter the medical field,” sponsor Melinda Lawson said. Lawson, a registered nurse, holds other medical credentials.

(HOSA now represents “Future Health Professionals.”)

“Students determined to succeed and willing to pursue excellence by preparing for their event have this beneficial opportunity,” HOSA Historian Hannah Evans said. “(The conference) is important not only for its competitions but also for

its inspirational speakers and leadership workshops.”

“Students that attend SLC gain insight about health care, along with knowledge and skills that are valuable to their future careers,” Evans said.

In addition, newly elected state officers receive scholarships. Bob Jones student Nini Nguyen was elected 2021-2022 1st Vice President/Secretary for Alabama HOSA. Students in first, second or third place qualify to compete at the International Leadership Conference in June.

Since 2009, Lawson has served as HOSA advisor. “The benefits I’ve received interacting with HOSA members through participation in our local chapter events and SLC are experiencing students’ excitement and satisfaction of seeing students succeed, which builds their self-confidence and courage,” Lawson said.

“I love that SLC provides my

students with an opportunity to strengthen knowledge, improve skills and develop leadership abilities. The opportunity for our students to interact globally with students allows them to strengthen interpersonal relationships. Competition teaches them to accept with grace both success and defeat, which are characteristics of leaders of tomorrow,” Lawson said.

Numerous students earned a place within the top six entries in their event: • Biomedical Debate Team – Xueer Chen, Megan Danh, Thomas Nguyen and Aubteen Pour-Biazar. Second place.

• Dental Science -- Pranav Ramesh, second.

• Emergency Medical Technician Emergency Preparedness Team -- Sami Crosby, Katie Laferrera. Fourth place.

• Epidemiology -- Neha Chopade, third; Emma Karl, sixth.

• Health Career Photography

Health Occupations Students of America or HOSA at Bob Jones High School claimed top places at the HOSA State Leadership Conference.

-- Jordan Moro, fifth.

• Medical Law and Ethics -Soorya Ramesh, first.

• Medical Math -- James Yoo, sixth.

• Medical Terminology -- Emily Lee, second.

• Nutrition -- Joshua Lin, first.

• Pathophysiology -- Puja Chopade, second; Benjamin Gunasekaran, fifth.

• Pharmacy Science -- Nini Nguyen, fifth.

• Physical Therapy -- Alecia Walker, second.

• Veterinary Science -- Vanessa Nguyen, third.

Bob Jones students will compete at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in June. Following the event, Lawson hopes to report her students’ successes.

Four students from Madison named in Top Ten at Calhoun

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – Four students from Madison achieved academic records that qualify for the Top Ten at Calhoun Community College for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The college recognized its Top 10 students during a special Honors Day Program on the Decatur campus on April 30.

“Students that have a minimum GPA of 3.7 and have completed at least 35 semester hours qualify to be considered for the Top Ten student competition,” Carla Swinney said. Swin-

ney works as Coordinator for Student Advocacy, Special Projects and Discipline at Calhoun.

Calhoun’s Student Services Department hosts an annual self-nomination process, which allows students to apply who have high academic records.

A designated committee with Calhoun faculty and staff reviews each nomination packet to determine finalists for Top Ten. The Top Ten live across North Alabama. Four live in Madison: • Tyler Legere – Electrical and computer engineering major from Madison. His goal is to attend Lipscomb University and

ALLERGY

obtain a degree while continuing to play baseball.

GPA 3.9.

• Mallory Lott – Business accounting major, Madison. Lott plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and pursue a career as a forensic accountant with FBI. GPA 4.0.

• Sarah Prater – Business administration major, Madison. After graduating in business from Calhoun, Prater will create a non-profit animal shelter to rehabilitate animals with behavioral problems. GPA 4.0.

• Brenna Sullivan – Nursing from Madison.

Sullivan plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Auburn University and pursue a graduate dual-track advanced practice degree, culminating as both Acute Care Nurse

Calhoun Community College’s top ten Practitioner and Doctorate-level Nurse Anesthetist. GPA 3.8.

Other students in the Top Ten are Barry ‘McCall’ Atchison, Hartselle, 4.0 GPA; Delanie Compton, Moulton, 4.0; Guy Greenhaw, Athens, 3.8; Sarah Khouri, Huntsville, 4.0 GPA; Jenna Marie

Sica, Decatur, 3.8 GPA; and Easton Williamson, Hartselle, 3.8 GPA. “Each year, we receive a large number of applications, which makes the judging process so competitive,” Dr. Patricia Wilson said. Wilson is Vice President of Student Services.

“We’re excited to an-

y

Another round of the Farmers to families food box distribution was held May 3 at Madison City Stadium. The next distribution date is May 24. Distributions start at 9:30 a.m. and go until supplies are gone. “Farmers to Families” is a $4 billion provision of the Cares Act that purchases food from US farmers to help families in need, and ensure that it does not go to waste. Daystar Church, in partnership with the Madison City Schools, Madison Police Department, Faith-Based Coalition, The Rotary Club, and the USDA, is handling this outreach.

Each foodbox contains approx 30lbs. of healthy perishable food products such as pre-cooked chicken or pork, dairy products, and assorted fruit and vegetables. They are available to all families on a first come, first served basis. Families need not show any proof of need or identification.

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nounce that this year’s Top 10 Students are not only made up of highly driven scholars, but they have already demonstrated their exceptional leadership qualities and academic excellence during their time at Calhoun. For that, we are very proud,” Wilson said.

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THE RECORD • 7A

Heritage claims kudos at FIRST LEGO League Challenge

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – A prime example of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM applications, LEGO Robotics is popular at Heritage Elementary School. Students showed their dedication to the discipline at the FIRST LEGO League Challenge.

The Activators and Shifting Gears teams from Heritage delivered an impressive showing at the state competition.

The challenge emphasizes friendly competition as teams research, problem solve, code and apply engineering. Students build and program a LEGO robot that navigates a robot game’s missions.

Teams also participate in a research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem.

This year’s contest was in virtual format. The challenge attracted 22 teams with approximately 220 students.

“This year’s challenge was titled, ‘The Replay

Challenge,” coach Rachel Gibbs said. “In both the innovation project and robot game, students motivated their community to get out and get active.

Teams presented their project and robot, as well as a judging conversation in a 30-minute Google Meet session.”

Rachel Gibbs, who is gifted specialist at Heritage, coaches the Activators. Third-grade teacher Ariel Grimmett mentors the Shifting Gears team.

Judges are professionals in the community who have experience with robotic projects, design and programming.

The Activators Team, all fifth-graders, includes Harshtha Chander, Carson Forsyth, Laya Gowder, Grant Jauken, Zachary Johnson, Emily Lynn, Ishita Rajput and Eleri Sanders.

In the Shifting Gears Team, fourth-grade members are Anshita Agarwal, Sheldon Erickson, Prachi Khadka, Kaitlyn Nelson, Diego Santos and Colin Stonecypher, along with fifth-graders Evelyn Da-

vis, Declan Giles and Elizabeth Peterson.

“Our Activators Team took home the Robot Performance Award, coming in first place and earning the most points in the robot run portion. The Activators also won the Robot Design Award,” Gibbs said.

“For robot performance, the winning team’s robot earns the most points by completing missions successfully on the robot table through strategy and programming,” Gibbs said.

“The Robot Design Award (goes) to the team who (had) the most effective and innovative strategy, along with robot design and coding. They exemplify teamwork by including everyone as an important part of the process.”

By joining FIRST LEGO League, students receive multiple benefits at both local and state levels.

“Students (can) practice important executive skills that will be very useful later in life, such as researching, goal setting, planning and evaluating results,” Gibbs said. “I believe the

Straight from victories at FIRST LEGO League Challenge, Activators team members at Heritage Elementary School are Zachary Johnson, front from left, Grant Jauken, Emily Lynn, Ishita Rajput. Eleri Sanders, back from left, Laya Gowder, Carson Forsyth and Harshtha Chander. program’s most valuable aspect is the opportunity for students to build teamwork skills, such as trust, communication and collaboration.”

For a teacher, the LEGO activity is rewarding “to watch students grow and build relationships with one another and work as a

unified group to solve a real-world problem,” Gibbs said. Her team members most enjoy the chance to meet and learn with their friends every week. They feel a sense of family.

“Our parent coaches also play a huge role in our LEGO Robotics journey each year. We wouldn’t

succeed at the level we have historically without their support,” Gibbs said.

The Activators’ parent coaches are Matt Johnson, Matthew Lynn, Sherri Lynn and Yvonne Sanders. The Shifting Gears’ mentors are Pedro Capo-Lugo, Rich Erickson and Heidi Peterson.

State championship proves easy victory for Discovery Scholar’s Bowl Team

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON – Their win wasn’t even close.

Keen minds on the Scholar’s Bowl Team from Discovery Middle School handily won the state championship by going undefeated and beating every team by 200 or more points.

The contest, held virtually on April 17, has a lengthy title — Alabama Scholastic Competition Association’s Middle School State Championship Tournament.

“Teams played online in Zoom and used an online tool, buzzin.live, to signal or ‘buzz in’ when they knew the answer to a question,” Coach David Sippel said. At Discovery, Sippel teaches seventh-grade “Life Science” and “Medical Detectives.”

Team members are Patrick Bruce, co-captain Ben Landingham and Steven Pan in eighth grade and Mark Allison, Owen Bryuns and co-captain Karsten Wallace in seventh grade.

For tournaments, National Academic Quiz Tournaments LLC writes the questions and governs competitions. “Moderators read the questions and make any required rule interpretations,” Sippel said. “Scorekeepers keep track of the tally.” This year’s corporate sponsors were AAIA GHS, Jacobs and ERC. In individual honors, Pan compiled the

second highest total of points during the tournament.

Teams in the state tournament qualified by finishing in first or second place in district competitions. Scholar’s Bowl, a team academic competition, involves teams of four players and up to two substitutes who respond to questions from a moderator.

“The first player to ‘buzz in’ and correctly answer the question gets 10 points,” Sippel said. That team then can attempt to answer three additional, collaborative bonus questions. Each round consists of two 10-point halves.

“Discovery beat all its opponents in the preliminary Round Robin competition where they played five teams in their pool. Pool winners and top-achieving, wildcard teams then enter the eight-team Sudden Death bracket round,” Sippel said.

“Discovery won all games through the semi-finals. In the finals, teams must win two of three rounds to win the championship. Discovery beat their opponent, West Point Middle School, in two straight rounds in the finals,” Sippel said.

By participating in Scholar’s Bowl, students learn to work together as part of a team. “Bonus questions allow them to collaborate and develop consensus-making skills,” Sippel said. Diverse topics provide a wide range of knowledge for these talented students. “As a coach, I get

Raising their arms in victory, members of the Discovery Scholar’s Bowl Team are Mark Allison, front from left, Owen Bryuns, Patrick Bruce and Coach David Sippel, back from left, Ben Landingham, Steven Pan and Karsten Wallace. the opportunity to spend time with great nized the Discovery team at its April 29 kids and have the thrill of watching them meeting.

For more information, visit dmscholdevelop and achieve.”

Madison Board of Education recog- ars.weebly.com.

Local students picked to receive National Merit Scholarships MADISON – Students in Madison City Schools and local private schools are among recipients of corporate-sponsored funds in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

These students are in 2021’s first announcement of National Merit Scholars. Program officials will name additional recipients on May 12, along with winners of college-sponsored awards on June 2 and July 12.

Approximately 160 corporations, company foundations and other business organizations finance the scholarships: * Caroline M. Bendickson – James Clemens High School. Probable career field is biochemistry. National Merit Leidos Inc. Scholarship.

Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos is a global science and technology solutions and services leader working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil and health markets. The company’s 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. * Nolan J. Drummond – Bob Jones High School. Probable career field is mechanical engineering. National Merit Leidos Inc. Scholarship. * Devika Shankar – James Clemens.

Probable career field is medicine. National Merit Bentley Systems Scholarship.

Bentley Systems Inc. is a global leader in providing architects, engineers, geospatial professionals, constructors and owner-operators with comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure. Founded in 1984, Bentley has more than 3,000 colleagues in 50 countries.

* Duke D. Yeom – James Clemens.

Probable career field is computer science. National Merit BASF Corporation Scholarship.

BASF Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, has a highly diversified product mix, including chemicals, colorants, automotive coatings, inks, plastics and pharmaceuticals.

Scholarships were issued to students in private schools nearby Madison: * John Bennett Lange -- Westminster Christian Academy. Probable career field is medicine. National Merit Truist Scholarship.

Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., Truist Financial Corporation operates banking offices in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Florida and Washington D.C. Truist awards are offered to employees’ children. * Joshua Lin – Bob Jones. * Noah E. Murphree – Westminster Christian Academy. Probable career field is engineering. National Merit Leidos Inc. Scholarship. * Madison R. Taylor – Madison Academy. Probable career field is neuroscience. National Merit General Dynamics Corporation Scholarship.

Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., General Dynamics employs about 50,000 workers worldwide. The company has leading market positions in business aviation, information systems, shipbuilding and marine systems, and land and amphibious combat systems.

Most scholarships are renewable for four years of undergraduate study and provide annual stipends ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Some awards provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.

For more information, visit nationalmerit.org.

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Trash Pandas start season on road, plays host this week

INSIDE SPORTS

By STAFF REPORTS

Area softball champs Bob Jones, Sparkman and Madison Academy won their area softball championship Friday night. They will now head to their Regional tournaments this week.

Page 2B

The Trash Pandas opened the season last week in Chattanooga against the Lookouts. They played at home for the first time Tuesday at Toyota Field.

Rice drafted by Titans Former James Clemens All-State player Monty Rice was drafted by the Tennessee Titans after his stay with the Georgia Bulldogs. Rice, a linebacker, was the Titans’ thirdround draft pick.

Page 3B

COMMUNITY

Minor League baseball has returned to North Alabama

By BOB LABBE bob0873@yahoo.com MADISON- After years of speculation, rumors and finally planning, professional baseball is back in the Tennessee Valley with the highly anticipated arrival of the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

“Once these gates open for baseball it’s going to be a relief seeing all of these families come in with smiles on their faces,

staff, a diverse group of young talent mixed among some minor league veterans in the field and the plate along with a bevy of athletes who are expected to help bring back winning baseball to the area in the confines of Toyota Field, the team’s home stadium.

The team is the focus for all who attend games, but the Trash Pandas’ staff in also situated to tend to the fans flocking to expeSee BASEBALL Page 2B

sprinting across the concourse to find their seats and get in line for all of this concession food,” said Garrett Fahrmann, General Manager of the Trash Pandas.

“It’s going to be an overwhelming joy opening these gates for what they were meant for.”

As the Double-A, South League farm team of the Los Angeles Angels, the Trash Pandas’ 28-man squad features five of the Angels’ top 30 prospects.

Included is a strong pitching

CHATTANOOGA - The Trash Pandas began a sixgame series at Toyota Field with the Tennessee Smokies on Tuesday night. This follows last week’s six-game series in Chattanooga against the Lookouts to open the 202122 season.

The Trash Pandas ended that series with 2-4 record.

Their first win came Thursday. Behind an incredible 10run outburst late in the game, the Trash Pandas earned their first win in franchise history, 10-7 over the Chattanooga Lookouts in the second game of a doubleheader.

Behind a dominant night at the plate from Orlando Martinez and heroics in extra innings, the Trash Pandas earned their second straight win, 12-10 over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Friday.

With the score tied 10-10 beginning the 10th inning, former Lookout Mitch Nay launched a towering two-run blast down the left field line to give Rocket City a 12-10 lead.

In the bottom of the frame.

The Trash Pandas will play at Toyota Field nightly through May 15 at 6:35 p.m.

They will also play May 16 at 2:35 p.m. to wrap up the series with Tennessee.

Jordan #ChillCity Moore Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy will present “Tinker Bell” on May 15-16, and Jordan #ChillCity Moore, local actor, musician and volunteer, will perform in a lead role as Peter Pan. Page 4B

Perfect game Kylie Zou, a second-grader at Horizon Elementary School, may be young, but her mastery of chess shows skills far beyond her age, scoring a perfect game in competition. Page 5B

HISTORY

Liyah Nelson, center, stands atop the podium as gold medal winner in the Class 4A girls 100-meter race. The senior at Madison Academy also ran as part of the school’s 4x100 relay, which also won the state championship.

MA and Sparkman shine gold in state track meet

By BOB LABBE bob0873@yahoo.com

A look at Percy Brooks Keel Historian John P. Rankin takes on a journey into the history of Percy Brooks Keel.

Page 8B

GULF SHORES- The 2021 AHSAA State Track Meet is now in the record books and local schools picked up three gold medals with superior performances. Sparkman High won the girls 4x100 relay event in Class 7A while Madison Academy picked up gold hardware in two girls events in Class 4A including the 4x100 relay and the 100-meter.

Overall, James Clemens had nine individual All-State perfor-

mances while both Bob Jones and Sparkman four each and Madison Academy earning two.

In Class 7A, Sparkman’s 4x100 relay team took the gold with a winning time of 47.44 seconds.

The four-girl squad included Janae Hilliard, So., Ayanna Tolbert, Sr., Amanda Davis, Jr., and Madesen Holman, Sr. Additional medal winning performances in Class &A include 110m hurdles- 2. Tyler Pitts, 12, Bob Jones, 14.47; 300m hurdles- 2. Tyler Pitts, 12, Bob Jones, 38.62; high jump- 2. Cosey Scarebrook, 11, Bob Jones, 6-06,

3. Keenan Walker, 10, James Clemens, 6-04; 4x100- 3. James Clemens, 42.56, Chad Coulter, Manny Sanders, Ephriam Rolingson, Keenan Hill; 100m girls- 3. Janae Hilliard, 10, Sparkman, 12.48; discus- 2. Kirsten Tigner, 12, Bob Jones, 128-04.

In Class 4A, Madison Academy’s senior Liyah Nelson won the 100-meter with a gold medal time of 12.38. Nelson, who has earned an athletic scholarship to Samford in Birmingham, was also the anchor leg of the 4x100 relay squad, which claimed the gold with a winning time

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of 50.75. Her teammates on the relay team included Angelina Williams, Sr., Libby Privett, Jr., and Rocky Andrews, Fr. “When I received the baton we were behind three other teams and I kicked it into high gear as it was very challenging how far we were behind,” said Nelson, who is now an eight-time state champions and twice runner-up in her six years at Madison Academy. “I pushed myself as it was very close at the finish line for our win.”

The 5-foot-2 Nelson, who carSee TRACK Page 2B

2B • THE RECORD

May 12, 2021 AREA CHAMPS - Bob Jones, Sparkman and Madison Academy won their area softball championship Friday night. The Lady Patriots defeated James Clemens 12-0 to win Class 7A, Area 8. Sparkman won a close one over Huntsville, 8-7, to take the Class 7A, Area 7 crown, and MA overpowered Randolph 17-0 to win Class 4A, Area 13. The teams will begin regional tournaments this week. For times and locations, go to www.ahsaa. com. Pictured left: Bob Jones (top), Sparkman (bottom left) and Madison Academy (bottom right) softball teams.

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Bob Jones volleyball player Paola Delgado Ramirez, center, signed an athletic scholarship with Southern Union State Community College in a ceremony held at Bob Jones. She held her signing alongside her parents, Luis and Jessica, and her younger brother, Sebastian.

Check us out at

themadisonrecord.com

Bob Jones’ Paola Delgado Ramirez signs with Southern Union State Community College

By BOB LABBE bob0873@yahoo.com MADISON - Paola Delgado Ramirez once had thoughts of giving up her efforts in her favorite sport of volleyball. Like many high school athletes, the Bob Jones senior seemed to feel she may not be upto-par in her athletic craft and contemplated hanging up her volleyball uniform.

“At one time I thought maybe the next level was not for me, so I actually began looking at other plans for my future,” said Ramirez, senior team captain for the Patriots in 2020.

At 5-foot-5, 145-pounds, Ramirez is not your typical tall volleyball player, but her gutsy and energetic efforts on the court are many times the highlight of a Patriots’ winning point or match. Struggling

to face the stagnant time through the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Ramirez was attending a camp just prior to her senior season and all seemed to be going well as she was anxious about her play in her senior season. While attending that pre-season camp a college coach made their way to speak with Ramirez, as she described, “The coach told me I was a complete athlete and player.

At that moment, I felt I could move from high school to college playing volleyball.”

Her persistence paid off as Ramirez sat down with her parents, Luis and Jessica, and her seven-year old brother, Sebastian, and signed an athletic scholarship to play volleyball in college for the Bisons of Southern Union State Community College located in Wadley, Ala. Ramirez wants to study nursing

in college following in her mother’s footsteps as she, too, is a nurse.

Ramirez will attend Southern Union with a 3.5 grade point average.

“I love the sport and how it’s about teamwork, a whole team it takes to win,” added Ramirez. “I feel I’m competitive and intelligent and I know I’m a very good vocal leader.”

Growing up in Puerto Rico, her family moved to Madison in her eighth grade school year and she continued pursuing volleyball after giving up basketball and track. Progressing through her years of volleyball she was contacted by several schools about playing in college before she chose to play for the Bisons.

“I received a text message telling me Southern Union wanted me,” said Ramirez. “Maybe God wanted me to not quit and to play in college.”

What’s up at the Track ries a 4.20 grade point average putting her No. 13 in her senior class, signed with Samford after entertaining two other scholarships offers.

She set a personal best of 12.01 in the prelims of the 100-meter before taking the gold with her 12.38 time in the finals. “I got out of the starting block very quickly and was focused.”

All-State performances as a top eight finisher and not among the medal winners included for Sparkman, 200m- Johnny Holloway, 12, 200m-girls- Madesen Holman, 12, 400m girls- Madesen Holman, 12; for Madison Academy, pole vault- Aaron Davis, 12; for James Clemens, shot put- Jaylen Drake, 49-005, 200m- Chad Coulter, 22.74, triple jump- Willie Campbell, 44-11, 200m- Manny Sanders, 22.92, girls long jump- Madison Rose, 17-015, javelin- Cadence Huntsinger, 112-0,

The Sparkman High girls 4×100 relay team took home first place in the 2021 AHSAA State Track Meet in Gulf Shores. The Lady Senators on the winning relay squad were, left to right, Janae Hilliard, Ayanna Tolbert, Amanda Davis and Madesen Holman. triple jump- Cadence Huntsinger, 35-11, 4x100- Madison Rose, Tramani Osley, Aniyah Alexander, Riana Wilford, 50.14, 4x800- Kayla Willett, Sydney Freeman, Makensie Parker, Katy Gudgen, 10:21.84.

In team scoring, the final results were. Class 7A Boys- 1. Vestavia

Hills 104.5, 11. Bob Jones 26, 14.

James Clemens 20, 20. Sparkman 7; Class 7A Girls- 1. Hoover 107.5, 10.

Sparkman 23, 14. James Clemens 16, 18. Bob Jones 8; Class 4A Boys- 1.

Bibb County 80, 28. Madison Academy 5; Class 4A Girls- 1. Brooks 75, Madison Academy 20.

feel safe and that’s what we’re here for, the players.”

“We all came here to work in the baseball industry and we’ve done everything but do that up until now,” added Fahrmann. “We’ve been working really, really hard, probably even harder than if we had a team last year, doing stuff for the first time seeing things like a ballpark parking lot fair works here.”

The Trash Pandas are expecting to offer collectable sets of baseball cards later in the season as pho-

tos will be taken here, especially action shots of each player. Many times the minor league baseball cards become collector items in the future.

“We’ll be doing this for the first time as we’ve never had 7,500 people come in here,” said Fahrmann.

“At the same time, we’re going to make adjustments on the fly and make this an awesome season.”

For photos and updates from Tuesday’s home opener at Toyota Field, go to www.themadisonrecord.com.

Baseball Find out at

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rience professional baseball. Having the 2020 season cancelled due to the pandemic, 2021 is now here and Toyota Field is open to full capacity with some pandemic safety precautions still in place, such as facemasks required by all attendees and additional safety measures to protect the players.

“This stadium was built for socializing with the fans and players,” said Fahrmann. We’re not going to be able to do as much, but our main goal is protect the players and their safety. We want them to

May 12, 2021

THE RECORD • 3B

Former Jets standout Monty Rice drafted by Tennessee Titans Second player from James Clemens to be chosen by NFL CLEVELAND, OHIO - Montavian Lamar Rice, nicknamed Monty, was drafted in round three of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker, who played his collegiate years for the Georgia Bulldogs, became just the second player from James Clemens to be picked up by the NFL. Former Jet offensive lineman Logan Stenberg was the first Jet to be chosen and did so in 2020 by the Detroit Lions.

Rice, an All-SEC Selection and finalist for the Butkus Award, given annually to the top linebacker in the country, pushed his way through injuries to sustain his up-tempo play at Georgia. He anchored the No. 1 ranked run defense in the nation the past two seasons, but chose to enter the NFL Draft, skip the Bulldog’s bowl game and held himself out of workouts for the recent Senior Bowl.

Suffering through a foot inju-

ry during much of the 2020 season, Rice posted 49 tackles, four for a loss, and two forced fumbles in nine starts. His play was highly regarded over his career at Georgia where head coach Kirby Smart said of Rice, “I’ve never had a guy who practiced as hard as Monty does.”

Some draft experts actually questioned Tennessee’s pick of another linebacker with the team’s third round pick as the Titan’s defense is thought to be very solid, especially at that position, but the NFL team knew something we didn’t. Just three days after the end of the NFL Draft the Titans indicated they will not exercise their option for a fifth season on inside linebacker Rashaan Evan’s contract. Should the Titans pick up the option the move would cost the team $9.7-million. The former Alabama standout will now become an unrestricted free agent.

Over the past two seasons, Evans has started every Tennessee game playing 80-percent of snaps in 2020.

Snapshot

Former James Clemens All-State player Monty Rice was drafted by the Tennessee Titans after his stay with the Georgia Bulldogs. Rice, a linebacker, was the Titans’ third-round draft pick. Photo courtesy of Georgia Athletics His high school years began at St. John Paull II private school before moving to James Clemens in his sophomore season where he lived with a different family than his. As a freshman, Rice suffered a broken leg

and dislocated knee. At James Clemens, he was part of the “Big Three” for the Jets alongside two other highly recruited players in LaBryan Ray and Kyriq McDonald, both of whom signed with Alabama.

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Titan’s general manager Jon Robinson said of Rice, “He’ll come in and compete at inside linebacker and on special teams. Based on information I got from Georgia, he is a consummate worker, loves football, works hard, leader, and vocal, all of those things were positive in his favor.”

According to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Rice is, “A businessman. He’s very serious about what he does. He’s got a purpose about him.”

Rice was a star player for the Jets under head coach Wade Waldrop and was an extremely versatile athlete on special teams, as well. He played in the youth basketball league in basketball where his team, the Cavaliers, finished 13-0 and won the age division title in his final season of the sport in Madison.

In his experience with college recruiters, Rice was offered by many of the top programs in the country and actually committed to LSU, but changed his mind at the last minute to sign with Georgia. Overall, he had up to 20 offers before making that final decision to become a Bulldog. He made an impact on the SEC East Division team as a freshman playing in 14 of Georgia’s 15 games.

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BOB JONES GIRLS SOCCER Bob Jones girls soccer finished the season in the second round of the state 7A playoffs, but not before a dramatic 2-1 double OT victory over Huntsville in the first round on April 27. The nail-biter was a big win for the Lady Patriots and provided team photographer Scott Edwards some great opportunities to capture the players in action.

Here a couple of photos. There are more from the game on the Bob Jones High School Girls Soccer Facebook page. Bob Jones girls went to advanced, facing #2 Vestavia Hills in the second round of the state playoffs on April 30 at Madison City Stadium. The Patriots narrowly lost, 0-1, ending their season.

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CHAMPS - Cheerleaders at James Clemens High School were honored at the May 6 Board of Education meeting for winning first place at the recent UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando. The squad was congratulated for their performance and for being such great ambassadors for JCHS and Madison City Schools.

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Toyota Field in Town Madison plays host to more than just the Trash Pandas baseball games. On Friday, hundreds attended the “Message from the Mound” concert featuring Grammy Award winner, Chris Tomlin.

It was hosted by the North Alabama Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Photo courtesy of the Rocket City Trash Pandas and FCA. For more information about upcoming events at Toyota Field, go to www.trashpandasbaseball.com.

To advertise in The Madison Record, call Donna Counts at 256-714-7152

COMMUNITY

4B

May 12, 2021

Meet Jordan #ChillCity Moore

Moore performs in ‘Tinker Bell,’ works with models and Sparkman photographers

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com MADISON COUNTY – Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy will present “Tinker Bell” on May 15-16, and Jordan #ChillCity Moore, local actor, musician and volunteer, will perform in a lead role as Peter Pan. Fantasy Playhouse has worked with Huntsville Botanical Garden to plan this live, outdoor production of “Tinker Bell!” Suitable for families, this show gives a different view of Peter Pan’s story.

The audience will see Tinker Bell’s side of the story. “This fresh and intensely theatrical adaptation of the classic story emphasizes play and fun (and) the complicated nature of friendship. A new, twinkling light shines on all characters as J.M. Barrie’s story is reborn from this feisty fairy’s point of view,” according to Fantasy Playhouse material.

Showtimes are May 15 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and May 16 at noon and 3 p.m. American Sign Language interpreters will attend on May 16 at 3 p.m. Rain dates are May 22 and May 23.

In other pursuits, Moore models with the Alabama Fashion Alliance, which supports and cultivates local designers and artists in the fashion and beauty industry. In 2012, fashion designer LeJeune founded the Huntsville-based alliance after success of the first Fashion Week Alabama.

“Jordan’s artistic and musical skills, perseverance, kindness and positive attitude will be the reasons why we will hear more of him in the fashion world and theater,” model Laura Voeten said.

In artistic collaboration, Moore, the alliance and the Photography Department at Sparkman High School recently collaborated on a modeling workshop at Sparkman. Models volunteering for the workshop were Moore, Jennifer Hart, Ev-

elyn Hill, Lizzy Voeten and Laura Voeten.

For Moore, his involvement “was so important, because I’m a huge advocate for arts education: band, photography, dance, painting and theater. Exposure and education of the arts helps shape individuals, provides a positive outlet, as well as offers different avenues of self-employment.”

The workshop resulted after Eric Mittman, Photography Director at Sparkman, contacted Laura Voeten. He recruited several models for sessions with his intermediate and advanced photography students at their new studio.

Laura Voeten found it “amazing to see that the community here in Madison and Huntsville makes connections and learns from each other. Professional models working with emerging photographers at Sparkman is a great example of how we can all work together in a fun environment.”

For more information, visit

Jordan #ChillCity Moore is performing in Fantasy Playhouse’s production of “Tinker Bell” and recently collaborated with photography students at Sparkman High School. fantasyplayhouse.org, alabamafashionalliance.com, Facebook/

Jordan ChillCity Moore or Instagram theofficialchillcity.

In the Service

Sergeant Major Bobby Lee completed several deployments to Middle East

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madisoncounty record.com MADISON – Retiring as a Sergeant Major, Bobby E. Lee began his military career as an officer with commissioning by University of Alabama ROTC in 1984.

He first served as Platoon Leader in 1st Battalion, 167th Mechanized Infantry, Alabama Army National Guard. In January 1986, he assessed into the Active Army as Infantry Officer.

After completing initial training at Fort Benning, Ga., Lee was assigned to 4th Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. In December 1989, he deployed with Operation Just Cause.

He then was assigned to 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in August 1990 and deployed with Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He served as Deputy Brigade Adjutant and Commander of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infan-

try Regiment.

After his assignment to Fort Stewart, Ga., Lee worked as Assistant Professor of Military Science at East Tennessee State University. He joined Tennessee Army National Guard in 1995, serving full time until retirement.

His other deployments included two tours for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Gustav for hurricane relief in Baton Rouge, La. Lee retired from the Army in September 2020 as Operations Sergeant Major, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Currently, he works as a civilian contractor for PEO Aviation at Redstone Arsenal.

When he retired, Bobby and his wife, Ashleigh, moved to Madison County. “We’re happy to be back in God’s Country.

Bobby is no longer the most hated man on his street the third Saturday in October for the Alabama - Tennessee football game,” Ashleigh said.

The Lees have two sons, Mat-

thew and Patrick, along with one grandson and one granddaughter.

Bobby’s pastimes are playing golf and working in the yard.

Ashleigh enjoys her role as ‘Grams’ and tending to Jaxson, a therapy dog.

Bobby is an active Life Member of both American Legion, Post 229 in Madison and Gentry-Isom VFW Post 2702 in Huntsville and a member of Redstone Arsenal Sergeant’s Major Association.

His honors include Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and medals for Meritorious Service, Army Commendation, Army Achievement, Army Good Conduct, Iraqi Campaign, Global War on Terrorism, National Defense Service, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Southwest Asia Service (two Bronze Stars) and Kuwait Liberation.

In addition, he earned Ranger Tab and badges for Master Parachutist (Bronze Combat Star), Air Assault, Expert Infantryman, Combat Infantryman,

Sergeant Major Bobby E. Lee deployed to Operation Just Cause in December 1989.

Master Gunner and Combat Action.

Bobby earned a bachelor’s de-

gree in business management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION - Betty Thompson recently celebrated her 87th birthday in a fun way. She was treated to an outdoor party at the Hurbert Family Farms tulip field near New Market. The group had fun spending the day enjoying the beautiful weather and picking tulips with friends and family. Pictured above are: Charlotte McManus, Madge Genter, Brenda Pearce, Betty Thompson (Birthday), Trish Sommers, Liz Newcomb and Ann Lifer. You can read about Hubert Family Farms in the May issue of Madison Living.

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For story updates go to themadisonrecord.com

Historical society, city give facelift to Roundhouse

ALSO INSIDE Madison City Schools plan for summer learning

Victoria Jones

Local musician navigates the music business her way

Around Town with Lee Marshall Shopping center renovation Out & About at Hurbert Farms Upcoming events

and much more Madison Living 1

Check out the latest issue of Madison Living Magazine Look for the May issue of Madison Living this week.

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May 12, 2021

THE RECORD • 5B

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May 12, 2021

Second grader plays perfect game in chess championship

Survive and thrive my friends

By GREGG PARKER Gregg.Parker@madison countyrecord.com

By BECKY MILLER God’s Lemonade Stand God is a very present help in time of trouble. Psalm 46:1 Bible gateway

MADISON – Kylie Zou, a second-grader at Horizon Elementary School, may be young, but her mastery of chess shows skills far beyond her age. Scoring a perfect game, Kylie claimed the honor of Primary Individual Champion in the 2021 State Scholastic Chess Championship.

“What makes Kylie’s victory unique is that she won with a perfect score of five points, winning every game that she played,” Ranae Bartlett said. Bartlett is Executive Director of Madison City Chess League or MCCL. “Kylie was the clear winner, and there were no ties for first place.”

In that same championship, Kylie’s sister, Alice Zou, earned third place in contest with a score of four points. Alice is a kindergartner at Horizon. “These two girls have a bright future,” Bartlett said.

“One of the things I would credit for this success in our K-3 age group of kids is the MCCL All Star Chess Club program. Second- and third-graders are nominated by their chess coaches from every elementary school in Madison,” Bartlett said.

Started in 2015, the MCCL All Star Chess Club “is paying huge dividends for our students,” Bartlett said. “This year with the restrictions from the pandemic, we did not want to miss a beat, so we set up a virtual All Star Chess Club.”

Instructors for the All Star Club are Victor Lundy and Constance Wang, members of Bob Jones High School Chess Team. Bartlett supervises online practices. “This (setup) has been a great opportunity for our high school players to volunteer and

It is no understatement to say that this past year of lockdown has been harrowing, challenging, fearful, tense, and lonely. Man was never meant to live life in isolation.

Before Covid and getting used to the new temporary normal I longed to see family, hug a friend, shake a hand at church, just not speculate or argue over all the divisive subjects of this pandemic.

When a prisoner is put in isolation it is to punish him. Isolation also breaks the spirit and steals joy.

In Genesis it clearly states man was not made to live alone. Zoom is nice but not like seeing an actual person. As you tear down isolation walls that have been erected in your life stop and give thanks for what you learned during this time. Some lost lives, it was hard for doctors and nurses who at times probably felt helpless. Also give thanks for freedom and never take it for granted again.

PRAYER: Oh Lord I am thankful for friends and family and the gift of touch. I pray today for broken hearts of people who lost loved ones to this disease.

Help me be a peace maker during these time’s of coming back together. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God’s Lemonade Stand is written by former Madison resident Becky Miller. Her daily devotions appear on a Facebook page entitled God’s Lemonade Stand or at www.godslemonadestand.blogspot. com. Becky can be contacted by email at writemiller2002@yahoo.com.

BE MORE. GO BUILD.

share their skills with our youngest players,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett noted that Madison has compiled quite a history of winning stats in Kylie’s section of the State Scholastic Chess Championship: * 2021 -- Kylie Zou, Horizon * 2020 -- Canceled due to COVID-19 * 2019 -- Laya Gowder, Heritage Elementary School * 2018 -- Aadi Saxena, Heritage * 2017 -- Xavier Bruni, Rainbow Elementary School * 2016 -- Geon Park, Rainbow * 2010 -- Chen Zou * 2007 -- Elora Holland * 2004 and 2005 -- Dennis Dergunov Kylie’s tenacity and skill is apparent from her resume of tournament honors. Kylie won second place in the K-2 Section in the 2021 Winter Knights Scholastic Chess Tourna-

ment playing on the ChessKid.com platform on Jan. 16.

Kylie won second-place honors for the Non-Rated K-3 section of the 2019 Summer Knights Scholastic Chess Tournament. She nabbed first place among players in the Rated K-3 section of the premiere MCCL Halloween Chess Tournament in 2020.

In the 2020 Madison City Schools Fall Scholars Tournament, Kylie ranked in fourth place in the Under 1000 section. For two years, she earned individual awards in the K-3 Section in the All-Girls State Chess Championship and Queen’s Quest Scholastic Chess Tournament.

Kylie and Alice’s parents are Yang Zou, an optical scientist, and Dan Ke, who works as an electrical engineer.

For more information, visit madisonchess.com.

Michael Cole qualifies for Eagle rank in Boy Scouts by organizing blood drives 414043-1

By STAFF REPORTS

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ELDER ABUSE “This project was supported by Subgrant #18-VA-VS-050 #16-VA-VS-076 awarded by the Law Enforcement / Traffic Safety Division of ADECA and the U.S. Department of Justice.” The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or grant-making component.”

Kylie Zou played a perfect game in her section for the 2021 State Scholastic Chess Championship. Kylie is a second-grader at Horizon Elementary School.

MADISON – Michael Cole focused on attaining the Eagle rank when he realized how close he was.

Michael had watched and helped his brother with his Eagle project. “I saw it was a lot of work. My brother had to lead others to help complete the project. Watching him helped me learn what worked and what not to do for my project,” Michael said.

Michael, 16, is a sophomore at St. John Paul II Catholic School.

He joined Scouts as a first-grader in Clarksville, Tenn. His family moved to Madison when he was in fifth grade. “After visiting different troops, we found the smaller troop of Madison United Methodist Troop 204 as the best fit for our family and most similar to the troop in (Tennessee),” Michael said.

“Scouts in Troop 204 were fun. I liked the activities and games. Although I was new to the area, it felt like I had a home right away with familiar parts of the Scouting program,” Michael said.

Michael’s favorite part of Scouting was camping out with new friends. “We had adventure activities, such as canoeing, caving, hiking, fishing and bike rides,” he said. He enjoyed

games, campfire stories and jokes from adult leaders.

At each camp, Michael built relationships with fellow Scouts and troop leaders. “Each experience built memories. With more skills, I learned and, the more I knew about how to handle different and difficult situations, my confidence increased,” he said.

“Having my parents involved in the troop committee helped me. Adult leaders guided but left it to us Scouts to follow through on what needed to learn. This helped me stay focused,” Michael said.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael learned that the Madison area was in emergency need of blood. “Everything was shut down. I wasn’t thinking much about moving forward on my Eagle project,” he said. However, he contacted LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, and, with Scout leadership, he discovered a blood drive’s safety requirements.

“LifeSouth volunteers and workers were very supportive and helpful,” Michael said. Observing COVID-19 protocols, Michael organized two blood drive buses and collected 42 pints of blood. Donors have told Michael that

Michael Cole organized two blood drives to earn the rank of Eagle in Boy Scouts. they’re continuing to give blood because his drive brought awareness of the constant need.

At John Paul II, he is enrolled in honors courses and participates in orchestra band as a trombonist for five years, marching band and Golf Team. He volunteers at church.

Michael’s troop will visit Florida’s Sea Base for a 10-day SCUBA diving trip in June. “Scouts have giv-

en me opportunities and situations to grow in ways I would have never experienced,” Michael said.

Michael’s parents are David and Melanie Cole.

David is Medical Director for Huntsville Hospital’s Occupational Health Group and Troop 204 Scoutmaster.

Melanie, a Licensed Professional Counselor, has worked as Professional School Counselor and mental health provider.

New traffic signals on County Line Road and in Town Madison MADISON – Motorists traveling along County Line Road now have a new signal. On May 7, the intersection of County Line Road and Old Highway 20 began to operate as a signalized intersection.

Motorists are advised to use caution and obey all traffic control signs and

pavement markings.

Also, there is a new traffic signal at the intersection of Town Madison Boulevard and the I-565 ramp. It began operation on Monday morning, May 10. Please be aware of the change traffic condition and observe traffic signal controls.

You can follow the latest local news updates at 411253-1

themadisonrecord.com

Find us at facebook.com/ themadisonrecord

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8B • THE RECORD

May 12, 2021

Madison History

Percy Brooks “Toots” Keel

By JOHN P. RANKIN Madison Historian MADISON - Percy Brooks Keel, Jr., was one of Madison’s foremost historians and first President of the Madison Station Historical Preservation Society, elected in the first meeting of March 1984. He knew everyone in and near Madison for decades, having been a longtime postal employee as a rural carrier delivering the mail from the river to Highway 72 in this western part of the county. It may have been this occupation that led to his nickname of “Toots” or “Tootsie” if he “tooted” the car horn as he delivered mail. Also, he was the self-appointed caretaker for the city cemetery. He lived at 209 Mill Road on the north side immediately west of the new section of the city cemetery. Of course, he personally knew most of the folks buried there during the latter part of the 1900s. Before his own passing in 2010, Percy wrote his memories of involvement with Madison’s telephone history. A future article will detail the history of the telephone company itself, but this is Percy’s own life story, as he wrote it: “My mother Viola Styles Keel, my brother Ralph ‘Buddy’ Keel, and I moved to Madison from Gurley when her nephew, Robert ‘Pud’ True, bought the Telephone Company in 1939 from Mrs. Woodie Collier Cain.

We had the first apartment at the top of the stairs, which were outside, at the back of the Humphrey-Hughes Drug Store building on Main Street. The entrance to the telephone office was located on Garner Street.

The apartment had only two rooms. One where the switchboard was located had a cot so we could answer calls at night.

Mama usually slept there, and Buddy and I slept in the other room, which had two beds and also contained the kitchen.”

“After we both entered service in WW2, the office was moved downstairs to a building behind the drugstore, on Garner Street. The water tank was located on Martin Street, erected in 1936. A gauge on the tank told how much water was in it. We would keep an eye on the gauge to see when the water level began going down, as this happened quite often. Then we would call our customers, about 25 of them, and tell them to catch some water as the gauge was going down.”

“The switch for the fire siren was located on a pole outside Humphrey Brothers store at 112 Main Street.” (This location was later West Station Antiques and then Hale Fire Glass, now unoccupied.) “The siren was located on top of the store so it could be heard at a greater distance. When there was a fire, someone would call, and we

would run outside and turn the siren on. As we had only one fire truck, the first one to arrive would drive the truck, and the rest would follow in their cars or trucks. The switch was later moved to the telephone office so we wouldn’t have to go outside anymore. When the new city hall and jail (now Main Street Cafe) was completed on Main Street in 1955, the siren was moved there.”

“One of my friends, John Logan Lanier, would sometimes come up for a visit. Most of the time Mama would take some time off and leave me to answer the calls. He and I would get into a wrestling match on the cot by the switchboard and wrestle until we gave out or someone would call. We nearly destroyed the cot, but Mama never did mention it. Another thing I thought was so funny.

My brother would drink coffee for breakfast. One morning he tasted his coffee and said, ‘Mama, this coffee doesn’t taste like it usually does.’ Mama replied, ‘I don’t know why. I made it like I always have.’ When she emptied the pot, she found that she had left the dish rag in it. I don’t remember if Buddy drank any more of her coffee or not.”

Percy went on to tell how he had always loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches: “Arthur Humphrey, who had the store on Main Street, knew this. When he would have some overripe bananas, he would call me, and I would run downstairs by the back door and get them, hoping nobody would call while I was gone. The most memorable thing that happened, which would change my life forever, was while working the switchboard I got to flirting with a sweet-voiced long-distance operator by the name of Helen Finley in Huntsville. (Madison to Huntsville was long distance at that time.) We talked every chance we could. I finally got up enough nerve to ask for a date, and she accepted. This started a whirlwind romance, and we were married about three months later on January 24, 1947. This romance lasted until February 2, 1997, when Helen went to be with the Lord.” It seems that the operators of the old manual switchboards had opportunities to reach out and contact others in many ways.

In 1992, for the 50-year reunion of Madison School Class of 1942, Percy wrote a summary of his life to that time. It is printed here verbatim: “Percy Brooks Keel, 209 Mill Road, Phone 772 9716, Madison, AL, 35758. Born April 11, 1924 at Gurley, AL. Parents: Annie Viola Styles Keel and Percy Brooks Keel, Sr. Married Helen Frances Finley on January 24, 1947 at Huntsville, AL. We have a daughter and a son. We had another son, born and died on 13 July 1957. I fin-

ished school in May 1942 and entered the U.S. Navy on July 27, 1942. Took training in San Diego, from there to N.A.S. Seattle, WA, then to NAS Astoria, OR, then to Pearl Harbor, & to the Marshall Islands. Served in Naval Scouting Squadrons, scouting for submarines. Was discharged on December 7, 1945, at Naval Air Station in Memphis, TN.” “I worked at different jobs in Decatur, Huntsville, and Madison. Went to work at the Madison Post Office as Sub Rural Carrier in 1948, then was appointed Clerk in 1949, then Regular Rural Carrier in 1956, and served until retiring in 1982. My interests are Genealogy, family histories, Madison history, etc.

We published our Keel Family history book in 1983. Helen and I are both retired and have done some traveling, mostly in the U.S. Helen worked with the Telephone Co. in Huntsville when we first met, she has worked with Thiokol, McDonnel Douglas, and others, she retired in 1983.”

Just 14 years later, Helen passed away, and then after another 13 years Percy’s own obituary ran in the Huntsville Times: “April 11, 1924 - Jan. 2, 2010: Percy Brooks ‘Toots’ Keel, 85, of Madison passed away Saturday. Percy was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Finley Keel, and a son, Ricky Brooks Keel. Percy worked 33 years with the United Postal Service of Madison. He also served as the first president of Madison Station Historical Society. He was a veteran of WWII, serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of Madison American Post 229. He was a longtime member of Madison United Methodist Church.

Percy was one of the originators of the Keel-Whitaker Reunion, one of the co-authors of the ‘Keel-Whitaker and Related Families’ book, and was a member of First Families of Madison County.”

“Survivors include his daughter, Kathy Ann Keel of Smyrna, Ga.; son, John Brooks Keel and his wife Julie, and grandson, Jesse Brooks Keel, all of Portland, Ore.; brother, Ralph Hardy Keel Sr. of Huntsville; four nieces; and one nephew. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m.

Monday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Maple Hill Cemetery with Pastor Bobby Halbrooks officiating.”

Percy’s grave in Maple Hill is beside his beloved wife Helen, where she is buried with her parents. Percy has left his mark indelibly on Madison and upon all who knew him as one of Madison’s kindest and most caring men. He has been sorely missed by the citizens of Madison who lived here in the 1900s with him.

Percy Brooks Keel (left) and John P. Rankin at Holding monuments in the Madison City Cemetery’s old section. Photo taken 2006.

Percy B. Keel speaks at a city historical marker dedication at the Roundhouse Park on Oct. 15, 1989.

Percy B. Keel with Pat Brown in 1989. Keel was serving as Madison Station Historical Society second vice president. Brown was the Society’s president.

Percy Brooks Keel in 2004.

The Keel House at 209 Mill Road in Madison. Photo taken in 2001.

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