August 2014August 2014

Step inside the Stanfills’ comfortable, classic and colorful abode

Welcome Home

Neon Lily brings Eastern European cuisine to north Alabama

EasternPromises

Listen to the MusicMadison camps strengthen skills of young instrumentalists, vocalists

Iron Tribe Fitness boasts an inclusive atmosphere and challenging work outs

Join the Tribe

Hogan Family YMCA offers afterschool programming

Keeping Kids Safe

Merrill Gardens at MadisonPROUDLY INTRODUCING

Retirement Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care

License Pending

(256) 217-7970121 Brookridge DriveMadison, AL 35758merrillgardens.com

Delight in our exclusive Anytime DiningSM program and enjoy fresh, restaurant-style meals served on your

schedule – 7 am to 7 pm – seven days a week.

If that isn’t enough, consider this commitment: If you choose to leave within the first 60 days,

we will refund your rent in full!

Opening Winter 2015!

062514dCT_Madison_MadisonLivingMag_A.indd 1 7/8/14 8:01 AM

Madison Living 3

MANAGEMENTAlan Brown

President & Publisher

EDITORIALKatie McDowell

Editor

Gregg ParkerStaff Writer

Nick SellersStaff Writer

Jen Fouts-DetulleoPhotographer

Shane HunterPhotographer

MARKETINGMelanie McClure

Marketing Consultant

CUSTOMER SERVICETammy OvermanCustomer Service

PRODUCTIONJamie Dawkins

Design

Ashley LoganDesign

Amanda PorterDesign

Jonathan WiseDesign

Madison LivingP.O. Box 859, Madison, AL 35758

Advertising Inquires256.772.6677

Madison Living is published monthly by Madison Publications, LLC.

features

food

ARTS & CULTURELISTEN TO THE MUSIC

4

LET’S EATEASTERN PROMISES

IN THE BIZTHRIFT AND PROSPERITY

HEALTHTHE IRON IS HOT

homeHOMEWELCOME HOME

16

22

26

29

30

31

34

22

OUT AND ABOUT

11

EDUCATIONMIDDLE SCHOOLS SEE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS

KEEPING KIDS SAFE

Merrill Gardens at MadisonPROUDLY INTRODUCING

Retirement Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care

License Pending

(256) 217-7970121 Brookridge DriveMadison, AL 35758merrillgardens.com

Delight in our exclusive Anytime DiningSM program and enjoy fresh, restaurant-style meals served on your

schedule – 7 am to 7 pm – seven days a week.

If that isn’t enough, consider this commitment: If you choose to leave within the first 60 days,

we will refund your rent in full!

Opening Winter 2015!

062514dCT_Madison_MadisonLivingMag_A.indd 1 7/8/14 8:01 AM

11

HIGHER (PRICED) EDUCATION

4 Madison Living

HOME

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHANE HUNTER

Comfort is key for Stanfill home in Heritage Plantation

Welcome Home

Madison Living 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Stanfills spend most time in their kitchen and

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHANE HUNTER

Comfort is key for Stanfill home in Heritage Plantation

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

Madison Living 7

We are excited to welcome General Surgeon Douglas Downey, MD. He has joined Matthew Hunt, MD,

to provide the personalized surgical care you deserve.

A member of the Huntsville Hospital Health System

8375 Highway 72 West • Madison, AL 35758

(256) 265-5951Douglas Downey, MD, FACS

Welcome to Madison

Surgical Services at Madison Hospital

• Board certified general surgeons

• 5 spacious, state-of-the-art operating rooms

• 15 pre-op beds

• 10 beds for recovery

• 20 surgical inpatient beds

• 4-bed Intensive Care Unit

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

Both interior and exterior are wired for sound. To entertain in various venues, they integrated the sound system into the overall, hardwired network and cable. During daughter Morgan’s high-school years, up to 200 teenagers attended parties. The Stanfills hosted a friend’s wedding with 100-plus guests.

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

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

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

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

The home has one covered and two open patios. “It’s not uncommon to find one of us lounging with a book on the covered patio while it’s raining,” Steve said.

Armchairs anchor the dining room table. The rug gathers the room’s use of navy, white, maroon and camel.

Madison Living 9

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

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

Their showplace lawn has Japanese maples, dogwoods and cherry trees for optimum foliage color year-round. Diverse shrubbery gives privacy and wintertime interest. Azaleas bloom in spring, yielding to magnificent hydrangea flowers in summer.

In all four seasons, annual flowers brighten the lawn. They plant petunias, impatiens, potato vines and violas. Roses and crepe myrtles add dramatic punches of color.

“Violas in spring are vivid in color and provide a fragrance to let us know spring has arrived,” Laura said. “Hydrangeas offer an abundance of colors – pink, blue and purple – and cut flowers throughout the summer.”

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

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

Both originally from Mississippi, Laura’s hometown is Long Beach. Steve is a Tupelo native.

TOP: The Stanfill family spends most of their leisure time in the kitchen and adjacent keeping room. BOTTOM: This whimsical bedroom uses pink, aqua and a black-and-white chevron rug for effect.

Madison Living 11

LET’S EAT

Eastern PromisesWRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

‘Neon Lily’ seeks to bring Eastern European to Northern Alabama

12 Madison Living

Treasure HuntGo on a

Treasure HuntTreasure HuntGet ready for an a-MAZE-ing summer at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center! Navigate a 2,500 square foot indoor maze and hunt for geocache treasures across the USSRC while learning the history and uses of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA • ROCKETCENTER.COMRocketCenterUSA

NOW OPEN!

Treasure HuntTreasure Hunt

For all the chaos, cramped quarters and fickle weather that come with running a food truck, Liliya Taylor found an important upside. It can be a laboratory where hungry guinea pigs

eagerly line up for experiments. “It’s an opportunity to try something different,” she laughed. “For me, it’s great research. I’ve been adapting my menus and offering people this and that.”

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

Eastern European?“It’s Ukrainian; it’s Russian; it’s Polish” Taylor

explained as she ticked off a list of robust Slavic staples.Golabki: Cabbage rolls in a red sauce with carrots,

seasonings and onions. “People like that,” she said. “I do that with turkey and beef and it’s an alternative for people who don’t eat pork.”

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

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

Fish jerky: Exactly what it sounds like, a snack meant for the beer-drinking brewery crowd. “It’s very good

From a bed of standard Styrofoam, a rainbow of colors erupts in a Neon Lily takeout box of healthy slaw, golabki cabbage rolls and pelmeny dumplings.

Madison Living 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 Madison Living

myprogressbank.com

Member FDIC

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

PROGRESS IS

8337 Highway 72 • Madison, AL 35758 • 256.319.4920

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

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

The development of a clientele for their exotic cuisine is a process Terry Taylor saw as gradually simmering with promise. “It started out slow,” he said. “It’s probably about where Mexican food was maybe 20, 30 years ago. It’s something completely different for this area. A lot of people, they can’t even pronounce the names of the food, let alone know what it is. But word is getting around. More people are trying it all the time.”

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

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

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

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

myprogressbank.com

Member FDIC

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

PROGRESS IS

8337 Highway 72 • Madison, AL 35758 • 256.319.4920

16 Madison Living

ARTS & CULTURE

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

LISTEN TO THE MUSICMadison Music Camps strengthen skills of young instrumentalists, vocalists

Madison Living 17

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

Madison. Almost 200 students attended Madison Music

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

Tankesley judged the camp as “a huge success. The kids had a great time working with some of the best music teachers in the area.”

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

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

Tankesley believes Madison Music Camps can

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

18 Madison Living

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

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

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

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

New for 2014, Army Material Command Band ensembles from Redstone Arsenal entertained after lunch. Students heard the AMC Rock Band, Brass Quintet and Woodwind Quartet. One afternoon, the stage was open to any student or teacher to perform.

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

and Jessica Russ.The marching elective “gave students a

taste” of marching fundamentals without instruments. Each morning, campers worked for 75 minutes on movements.

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

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

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

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

development for the instructors. The camp finale involved all students

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

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

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

Counselors ended the concert with “May the Road Rise Up.”

For 2015, Tankesley and camp staff plan to add more electives, such as composition and color guard, and grow the choir camp.

Madison Living 19

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

DONE IN A DAY, BEAUTIFULFOR LIFE!

WE MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE EASY AND AFFORDABLE.

Celebrating 13 YearsIn Business Supporting Our Local Customers

DONE IN A DAY, DONE IN A DAY, GraniteGranite

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

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

Schedule your free in-home estimate. Schedule your installation.

Select your slab. We have over 200 unique

slabs to choose from.Step 1 Step 2 Step 4Step 3

AN DEALER

DONE IN A DAY, BEAUTIFULFOR LIFE!

WE MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE EASY AND AFFORDABLE.

Celebrating 13 YearsIn Business Supporting Our Local Customers

DONE IN A DAY, DONE IN A DAY, GraniteGranite

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

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

Schedule your free in-home estimate. Schedule your installation.

Select your slab. We have over 200 unique

slabs to choose from.Step 1 Step 2 Step 4Step 3

AN DEALER

IN THE BIZ

ProsperityThrift

and

Madison Living 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 Madison Living

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

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

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

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

Summertime, and the end of school, also brought in greater numbers of young people. “It’s great how

accepting the community has been for us, how supportive,” Waggoner marveled.

“I don’t think they knew that we’re here in this location. It’s taken a while to get established. I think our customers, by

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

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

“It’s great how accepting the community has been for us, how supportive.”

— Cindy Waggoner

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

Madison Living 25

26 Madison Living

For Kelly Oswalt, the notion of fitness or a gym workout as a team sport was a strange and

encouraging breakthrough. “We’ll stand around until everyone’s finished and cheer them on,” she exclaimed. “It makes you feel good. It makes you feel accomplished.”

A born-again athlete winding her way along the comeback trail, Oswalt declared that she had found a route that worked for her at the new Iron Tribe Fitness in the Village Shoppes of Madison on County Line Road. “This is the longest I’ve stuck to a program,” she confessed. “It’s been 20 years since I’ve looked forward to working out.”

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

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

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

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

Iron Tribe Fitness aims to assemble an avid ‘tribe’ of fitness enthusiasts

pumping each other up.

WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

is Hot

The“Iron”

HEALTH

Madison Living 27

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

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

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

But sometimes not as different as members think, Oswalt observed. “There’s some workouts, you go and you look at them and you say, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to do this in 20 minutes?’ and I’m like ‘no way!’ But then I finished it and the coaches were cheering us on and people finished before me were cheering me on and I did it!”

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

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

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

28 Madison Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Iron Tribe Fitness owner David Morris with manager/coach Blair Morris. Patty Cooper does pull ups. Kettle bells line a wall at Iron Tribe Fitness.

Madison Living 29

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

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

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

Through learning enrichment, arts, physical education and positive role modeling, children have an extra support system helping them reach their full potential at the Y.

Studies show participation in afterschool programs boosts school attendance and academic performance.

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

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

Financial assistance is available to those who may need it to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn and grow at the Y.

For more information about Hogan Y Afterschool, contact Kim Keeton at Kimberly.keeton@ymcahuntsville.org or 256.705.9622 ext. 309.

Connect with adults 50 and above interested in the joy of learning! Whether you are working, retired, or semi-retired, you are a perfect fit for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. OLLI experiences are designed for your lifestyle, and the options are endless – short courses held on the UAH campus, socials, speaker series, industrial tours, movies, travel trips, and much more. The classroom environment is casual and fun, with no tests, papers, or grades!

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

Rediscover THE JOY of Learning.

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

Select from over 50 courses per term:

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

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

Keeping kids safeHogan Family YMCA offers afterschool programming

HEALTH

LEFT: Lucy Bausano, 6, and Emma Bausano, 5, with Kimberly Keeton.

WRITTEN BY MARY ANNE SWANSTROMPHOTOGRAPH CONTRIBUTED

30 Madison Living

EDUCATION

One of the things I am excited about this school year is the changes we’re making

in our middle schools. Discovery and Liberty students will have the benefit of STEM academies that can help identify their college and career pursuits. Our middle schools are also moving from a four- to a five-block schedule, which increases the choices for electives. Weekly rotations of the blocks will benefit students and teachers who perform differently at different parts of the day.

I want to commend our Board of Education and teachers for always striving for new approaches. Middle schools are often referred to as “The Forgotten Middle” because so much attention is traditionally focused on elementary and high school.

The STEM academies are an important part of this refocusing because middle school

is such a critical defining point in the college and career readiness process. Studies have shown that if students are not on target for college and career readiness by the end of eighth grade, the impact could be nearly irreversible. In fact, the level of academic achievement attained by eighth grade can have a larger impact on students’ college and career readiness than

anything else that happens academically in those upper grades.

Our Board of Education was wise to make these progressive steps. The new block schedule increases the opportunities for electives, which enhances the students’ learning experience. And with more course options in nine-weeks and semester offerings, it also means smaller class sizes in the core courses.

Julia West, Career Tech/STEM teacher at Discovery Middle, said: “The STEM

Academy we are implementing for the 7th and 8th grade students will allow our students to see first-hand what careers are available. By having this program, students can plan out their classes in the high schools to help them become workforce ready whether they attend a two-year, or four-year institutions, or they begin their work experience directly after high school.” Through a partnership with Sci-Quest, students will have hands-on opportunities to explore career interests in a wide array of disciplines such as robotics, aviation, digital and audio video, 3-D modeling, engineering, and many more.

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

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

Middle schools see exciting developments

Dr. Dee Fowler

EDUCATION

EducationHigher

(Priced)

WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

Students take on a national money chase as they seek aid to pay for more costly colleges and dreams

Bob Jones College and Career advisor Sheila

Roberts says students and their families start devising

strategies to secure financial aid and scholarships well in

advance.

32 Madison Living

Notwithstanding her plans to study biomedical science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mari Yukawa discovered during a tour of the

school that math can be scary. “They had an exhibit listing the hours you’d need for each class and total cost, the textbook fees and class fees,” she recalled. “And the numbers just caught my eye.”

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

According to the College Board, the average cost for higher education in the 2013-2014 school year was more than $18,000 for four-year in-state public colleges and almost $41,000 for private colleges. As students readied themselves to start classes in the fall, many were still dotting the “I”s and crossing the “T”s on customized crazy quilt assemblies of scholarships, grants, loans and work-studies to cover the expense. That quest has become a common experience, particularly at a college-focused high school such as Bob Jones.

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

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

“They aren’t going to take the family farm,” she said. “Maybe their parents have been laid off in their senior year or they’ve had a death in the family. Then they would get the full Pell grant and probably a loan and work-study.” But, she added, less dire financial straits may be covered too. “Let’s say the parents are making $100,000 and the kid gets into Harvard. At $62,000 a year for Harvard, the student could maybe get $40,000 of that. So it pays to complete the financial aid forms.”

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

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

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Gabrielle Daso will be going to Stanford in the fall and will have most of her costs covered by a National Merit Scholarship. Bob Jones High School scholarship hunting team (from left) Graduates Gabrielle Daso and Mari Yukawa, College and Career Advisor Sheila Roberts, Graduate Daniel Lang. Mari Yukawa in the library of Bob Jones High School is intensely relieved that she has found enough assistance to go to the University of Alabama Birmingham.

Madison Living 33

For a 1 year subscription

256.772.6677facebook.com/madisonliving

ONLY $20.41

Subscribe today to

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

256.772.6677

Subscribe today toMay 2014

Sam & Greg’s PizzeriaEnjoy pizza, stay for gelato close to home

Vigorous and rigorous, Zumba class at the YMCA lures an enthusiastic following

Up Beat

Craftsman exterior, sleek interior contrast in Mill Road home

Spartan Stones fi nds business rock solid but competitive after expansion into Madison

Rolling Stones!

Rachel Brown Homes

It was a familiar exercise for Bob Jones 2014 grad Gabrielle Daso, headed to Stanford University. Her two older brothers gave the system a workout when one went to MIT and the other to the University of Pennsylvania. “My parents know how it goes,” she said. “They’ve taken out loans on their 401(k)s and we’re good right now.” Daso’s $64,000 price tag for Stanford was whittled down to a merely painful $18,000 when she was awarded a National Merit Scholarship, a rare prize Bob Jones students have managed a knack for achieving. “It’s huge,” exclaimed Roberts. “Bob Jones had 18 National Merit scholars this year. Some schools have none. UAB in Birmingham gives a totally full ride to students who are named National Merit finalists.”

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

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

34 Madison Living

Dublin Park Fourth of July Celebration

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

1. Lydia, Amy and Sam Garcia

2. Angie and Jeremy Hunter

3. Kayla and Aaron Johnson

4. Ida von Spakovsky and Jessica Keith

5. Jackson Ferguson is flanked by parents Jennifer and David Ferguson

6. Simone and Anthony Walker

7. Lance and Lorena Classen

8. Madison’s first family, Mayor Troy Trulock with wife Dana Trulock

1

2 3

4

6

7

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK SELLERS

8

5

Madison Living 35

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

Jaycee’s Building 2180 Airport Road

For kids pre-schoolthrough 8th grade

Registration available online at huntsvillehospital.org/funrun

9

11

9. Rachel and Mary Beth Knapp

10. Courtni and

Michael Sedlacek

11. Ventress Jacobs and Jacquelyn Daniels

12. Jeremy and Kristin Tomers

13. Kayla Miyasaki-Essix and Brandon Essix

12

13

10

36 Madison Living

Madison Gazebo Concert in the Park

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

1. Tuba player Joshua Hinkle and violinist Edward Calinsky of the Madison City Youth Orchestra

2. Jyoti and Anthony Amrhein with Elise Lin

3. Anna Rakoczy with Sady’s Bistro

4. Fusion band: Brian Townsend, Allen Pendleton, Winslow Davis and Mike McAllister

3

1

4

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

2

Madison Living 37

8

65

9 5. Bonnie and Louis Cabral

6. Elizabeth and Wellborn with Lee Grimes

7. Jessica Stillwell with Sady’s Bistro

8. Trinity, Tyair, Bobby and Ateneh Graham with baby Trevor

9. Photobomb! Melea jumps in on Karen and Dane Walther

7

Drivers: OTR Needed. Home Weekends, Great Pay & Qualitiy Equpiment. Class A CDL, Clean MVR. 1yr Exp Req. Health, Dental, RX, 401k.Jay: 256-432-3944Mon-Fr 8a-5p

JOBS IN ALABAMA!!AIDT assists employers throughout AL by identifying quali� ed applicants by recruitment, screening & training services. Visit www.aidt.edu/jobs for latest jobs & training!

Caregivers & Nurses Male & Female ALWAYS THERE IN-HOME CARE Seeks compassionate Employees Now Branch Of� ces in Pell City & Huntsville. Apply in person: M-F 10-3; 3021 Lorna Rd Suite 100, Hoover 824-0224

#1 Cash now for unwanted vehicles. Running or not. Titles or not. We pay top dollar! (256) 502-1181

ANN’S ALTERATIONS600 Limestone Street, Suite #6Hartselle, AL 256-773-4213

CARRY TRANSIT Decatur, Alabama Now hiring DRIVERS * Good Pay * Excellent Bene� ts & Home Time * 18 Months OTR exp. * Class A CDL with Tanker Endorsement. Apply on Line@ CarryTransit.com

CREEKSTONE SPACIOUS LUXURY APARTMENTS 1570 Lawrence St. East, located .5 miles South from Hwy 43. All ground � oor,

All appliances, ceramic tile, ceiling fans, Individual Alarm Systems & more. Temporary phone 256-275-0427

Soon the mark of the beast will be enforced. Free Book & Bible Study205-339-4837

Looking for a home? Need help with � nancing? Call your neighbors down the street at Davis Realty. We can help you get a great rate! Call Willodean 256-762-5671Davis Realty & Assoc. Inc.115 N. Jackson Ave., Russellville, AL256-332-9920

DEPENDABLE DOZER & DIRT 256-332-4854

DRIVERS WANTED!Falkville to Birmingham Shuttle DriversReq:  21+ yo, Class A CDL, 1 yr exp, pass DOT physical/drug screen.www.� ashtrucking.comCall 920-294-0430

Flow Dynamics & Automation specializing in hydraulics, pneumatics, & lubrication, is seeking an outside sales rep for North AL. 2-5 yrs of Industrial Sales exp preferred. Send resume to mharper@� owdynamics.net

Gann’s Discount Siding and Roo� ng, Inc. 26 Gauge snaplock panel. Made on site. Standard and architectural roo� ng. Member BBB (256) 446-9767

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

Are you a people person?Put your cheerful, encouraging demeanor to work as a Home Instead CAREGiver. Our non-medical companionship and home-helper service supports seniors to live safely and independently in their homes. Join our team!Home Instead Senior CareCall Today 256-883-3080

WE HAVE FREIGHT!!!James R. Smith Trucking of Cullman, AL is currently seeking drivers and Owner -Operators. Bene� ts include daily settlements; direct Deposit or express cash; Trans� o; 100% of fuel surcharge, stop & drop pay; discounts on fuel, cell Phones & tires; pre-pass furnished; excellent home/family time and a payroll deducted truck purchase plan. Contact Greg Quick at 256.338.5168 or 800.633.3252

KDC Properties, Inc.256-355-9090P.O. Box 987Decatur, AL 35602kdcpropertiesinc.comJ. Wesley Cain, AL #286; TN #6499

DRIVERS…DO YOU HAVE Flat Bed experience, a CDL-A, positive attitude, & a desire to earna good living?DO YOU WANT2010 or newer equip.Weekly pay w/Per DiemLow cost med insurance401K w/company matchPaid vacations/holidaysHome on Weekends? We are Grand Rapids based – Terminal inTrinity, AL - regionalover-the-road carrier looking for team players.Call Magic Transportation, 877-588-1333 (1255)

DELL Laptop Special! Come see your local computer experts for sales and service.Mays Computer Co.256-444-4040

We Buy ATVsMotorcycles & Utility VehiclesMotorsports Superstore888-880-2277Hamilton, AL

SPRING CLEAN-UP Need a Dumpster? Call 205-893-7223

RUSSELL DEVILLA Accepting Applications Tues, Thurs & Fri. 8-4 1BR-2 BR Apts. Rent based on Income 256-332-7873

Smith MotorsTwo locations onHwy 31, DecaturLot #1 256-350-9938Lot #2 256-350-9937smithmotorsautosales.com

WE WANT TO HIRE YOU TO RETIRE YOU!Work for a strong stable company. Southern Haulers LLC is hiring CDL-A Drivers for new accounts. Must have clean CDL-A, Hazmat pref. Exc pay and bene� ts. Contact Mike 800.537.4621 EOEsouthernhaulersllc.com

SURVEILLANCE CAMERA MONITORED 24 HOURS A DAY STORAGE BUILDINGS For Rent, All Sizes. Russellville, AL.  We Accept Credit Cards. Call Jerry 256-332-9253 or 256-412-5392 Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm, Sat. 8am-12pm

Steel Building Bargains Allocated Discounts We do deals 30x40, 50x60, 100x100 and more Total Construction and Blueprints Available gosteelbuildings.com Source #18X 251-241-4250

TED MILLSHeating & A/CService & Change out$65 Spring ServiceFree Estimates256-412-5408

Town Hill Mini Storage160 UnitsVacanciesAll Sizes256-332-9928

GUN & KNIFE EXPOEvents in Central and North Alabama. Check www.vpigunshows.com/Valley Productions for shows near you! 256-335-8474

MANUFACTURED HOMES MOBILE HOMES with land. Ready to move in. Owner � nancing with approved credit. 3 bdrm., 2 bath. No renters.1-205-289-8899VMFhomes.com

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

Village Green Apartments111 Village Green Circle, Red Bay256-356-8761Equal Housing OpportunityHandicap Accessible

Classi� edsTo place an ad in Madison Living, call 256.772.6677

Drivers: OTR Needed. Home Weekends, Great Pay & Qualitiy Equpiment. Class A CDL, Clean MVR. 1yr Exp Req. Health, Dental, RX, 401k.Jay: 256-432-3944Mon-Fr 8a-5p

JOBS IN ALABAMA!!AIDT assists employers throughout AL by identifying quali� ed applicants by recruitment, screening & training services. Visit www.aidt.edu/jobs for latest jobs & training!

Caregivers & Nurses Male & Female ALWAYS THERE IN-HOME CARE Seeks compassionate Employees Now Branch Of� ces in Pell City & Huntsville. Apply in person: M-F 10-3; 3021 Lorna Rd Suite 100, Hoover 824-0224

#1 Cash now for unwanted vehicles. Running or not. Titles or not. We pay top dollar! (256) 502-1181

ANN’S ALTERATIONS600 Limestone Street, Suite #6Hartselle, AL 256-773-4213

CARRY TRANSIT Decatur, Alabama Now hiring DRIVERS * Good Pay * Excellent Bene� ts & Home Time * 18 Months OTR exp. * Class A CDL with Tanker Endorsement. Apply on Line@ CarryTransit.com

CREEKSTONE SPACIOUS LUXURY APARTMENTS 1570 Lawrence St. East, located .5 miles South from Hwy 43. All ground � oor,

All appliances, ceramic tile, ceiling fans, Individual Alarm Systems & more. Temporary phone 256-275-0427

Soon the mark of the beast will be enforced. Free Book & Bible Study205-339-4837

Looking for a home? Need help with � nancing? Call your neighbors down the street at Davis Realty. We can help you get a great rate! Call Willodean 256-762-5671Davis Realty & Assoc. Inc.115 N. Jackson Ave., Russellville, AL256-332-9920

DEPENDABLE DOZER & DIRT 256-332-4854

DRIVERS WANTED!Falkville to Birmingham Shuttle DriversReq:  21+ yo, Class A CDL, 1 yr exp, pass DOT physical/drug screen.www.� ashtrucking.comCall 920-294-0430

Flow Dynamics & Automation specializing in hydraulics, pneumatics, & lubrication, is seeking an outside sales rep for North AL. 2-5 yrs of Industrial Sales exp preferred. Send resume to mharper@� owdynamics.net

Gann’s Discount Siding and Roo� ng, Inc. 26 Gauge snaplock panel. Made on site. Standard and architectural roo� ng. Member BBB (256) 446-9767

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

Are you a people person?Put your cheerful, encouraging demeanor to work as a Home Instead CAREGiver. Our non-medical companionship and home-helper service supports seniors to live safely and independently in their homes. Join our team!Home Instead Senior CareCall Today 256-883-3080

WE HAVE FREIGHT!!!James R. Smith Trucking of Cullman, AL is currently seeking drivers and Owner -Operators. Bene� ts include daily settlements; direct Deposit or express cash; Trans� o; 100% of fuel surcharge, stop & drop pay; discounts on fuel, cell Phones & tires; pre-pass furnished; excellent home/family time and a payroll deducted truck purchase plan. Contact Greg Quick at 256.338.5168 or 800.633.3252

KDC Properties, Inc.256-355-9090P.O. Box 987Decatur, AL 35602kdcpropertiesinc.comJ. Wesley Cain, AL #286; TN #6499

DRIVERS…DO YOU HAVE Flat Bed experience, a CDL-A, positive attitude, & a desire to earna good living?DO YOU WANT2010 or newer equip.Weekly pay w/Per DiemLow cost med insurance401K w/company matchPaid vacations/holidaysHome on Weekends? We are Grand Rapids based – Terminal inTrinity, AL - regionalover-the-road carrier looking for team players.Call Magic Transportation, 877-588-1333 (1255)

DELL Laptop Special! Come see your local computer experts for sales and service.Mays Computer Co.256-444-4040

We Buy ATVsMotorcycles & Utility VehiclesMotorsports Superstore888-880-2277Hamilton, AL

SPRING CLEAN-UP Need a Dumpster? Call 205-893-7223

RUSSELL DEVILLA Accepting Applications Tues, Thurs & Fri. 8-4 1BR-2 BR Apts. Rent based on Income 256-332-7873

Smith MotorsTwo locations onHwy 31, DecaturLot #1 256-350-9938Lot #2 256-350-9937smithmotorsautosales.com

WE WANT TO HIRE YOU TO RETIRE YOU!Work for a strong stable company. Southern Haulers LLC is hiring CDL-A Drivers for new accounts. Must have clean CDL-A, Hazmat pref. Exc pay and bene� ts. Contact Mike 800.537.4621 EOEsouthernhaulersllc.com

SURVEILLANCE CAMERA MONITORED 24 HOURS A DAY STORAGE BUILDINGS For Rent, All Sizes. Russellville, AL.  We Accept Credit Cards. Call Jerry 256-332-9253 or 256-412-5392 Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm, Sat. 8am-12pm

Steel Building Bargains Allocated Discounts We do deals 30x40, 50x60, 100x100 and more Total Construction and Blueprints Available gosteelbuildings.com Source #18X 251-241-4250

TED MILLSHeating & A/CService & Change out$65 Spring ServiceFree Estimates256-412-5408

Town Hill Mini Storage160 UnitsVacanciesAll Sizes256-332-9928

GUN & KNIFE EXPOEvents in Central and North Alabama. Check www.vpigunshows.com/Valley Productions for shows near you! 256-335-8474

MANUFACTURED HOMES MOBILE HOMES with land. Ready to move in. Owner � nancing with approved credit. 3 bdrm., 2 bath. No renters.1-205-289-8899VMFhomes.com

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

Village Green Apartments111 Village Green Circle, Red Bay256-356-8761Equal Housing OpportunityHandicap Accessible

Classi� edsTo place an ad in Madison Living, call 256.772.6677

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

B A N K I N G . I N S U R A N C E . I N V E S T M E N T S

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

Kristen Strickland8441 Hwy. 72 W.Madison, AL 35758Offi ce: 256-690-5587Cell: 256-960-1267

Making the wisest investment of all.Making the wisest investment of all.Making the wisest investment of all.