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Volume 4 Number 1<br />
Jan/feb <strong>2018</strong><br />
The Early Valentine<br />
____________________<br />
Special Agent-Special Man<br />
____________________<br />
A Picture of Happiness
Hometown madison • 3
publisher & Editor<br />
Tahya A. Dobbs<br />
CFO<br />
Kevin W. Dobbs<br />
Consulting editor<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
Account Executives<br />
Dacia Durr Amis<br />
Karla Johnson<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Camille Anding<br />
Dani Edmonson<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
staff Photographer<br />
Othel Anding<br />
Administrative Assistant<br />
Alisha Floyd<br />
Special Projects Manager<br />
Brenda McCall<br />
Project Assistant<br />
Carrie Truhett<br />
Layout Design<br />
Daniel Thomas - 3dt<br />
• • •<br />
As soon as I figure out how 2017 zipped by so quickly, I’ll try and find time to give <strong>2018</strong> its deserving<br />
welcome. I stand amazed at time’s fleet-footedness and make new resolve to initiate needed adjustments<br />
to our fast-track lifestyle.<br />
Recently, Kevin and I visited a dear friend who played a positive role in our “newly-married” years.<br />
It was a heart-rending visit because our friend was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her daughter,<br />
who has taken on the role as major caretaker, has made major adjustments in her own life to assume this<br />
mission. She shared how she had intentionally simplified her life in order to be near her mother and<br />
enjoy the dwindling moments while her mother still knows her.<br />
Life truly is fragile. Sometimes it takes a disease, accident, or lab report to<br />
realize just how fragile. Who knows what <strong>2018</strong> will write into our lives? I’m<br />
certainly not greeting the New Year with gloom or fear, but I do sense a great<br />
need to prioritize my time so that busy-ness doesn’t dictate life or suffocate it.<br />
Take time to read the great stories we have in this issue of Hometown <strong>Madison</strong>.<br />
It’s our intention at Hometown Magazines to make that time well spent!<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
/hometownmadisonmagazine<br />
For subscription information<br />
visit www.htmags.com<br />
Contact us at info@HTMags.com<br />
601.706.4059<br />
26 Eastgate Drive, Suite F<br />
Brandon MS 39042<br />
• • •<br />
All rights reserved. No portion of Hometown <strong>Madison</strong><br />
may be reproduced without written permission from<br />
the publisher. The management of Hometown <strong>Madison</strong><br />
is not responsible for opinions expressed by its<br />
writers or editors. Hometown <strong>Madison</strong> maintains the<br />
unrestricted right to edit or refuse all submitted<br />
material. All advertisements are subject to approval by<br />
the publisher. The production of Hometown <strong>Madison</strong><br />
is funded by advertising.<br />
In this issue The Way We Were 8<br />
The Early Valentine 16<br />
I Love Us 26<br />
Special Agent-<br />
Special Man 30<br />
A Picture of Happiness 38<br />
Families First Canton 44<br />
That One Thing 54<br />
Hometown madison • 5
6 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Hometown madison • 7
The way<br />
WE were<br />
Mary Lois & Gerald Rayburn<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
There are many recipes for a<br />
lot of things in this world. Ones<br />
for pot roasts or chicken<br />
casseroles, some for disaster or<br />
success. But love? Oh yes–love is<br />
probably the most desired yet<br />
elusive one. Gerald and Mary Lois<br />
Rayburn have done a great job of<br />
throwing the ingredients of life<br />
together to make their own love<br />
story one worth sharing.<br />
“Mother knows best” isn’t just a<br />
platitude in the Rayburn household.<br />
The couple was actually<br />
introduced by Mary Lois’ mother,<br />
lovingly known as ‘Little Momma’,<br />
in early 1964 in Batesville,<br />
Mississippi. They went out on a<br />
double date with some of Gerald’s<br />
friends, “and from then on it was<br />
very nice,” said Mary Lois. “We<br />
laugh about it even now,” she<br />
added. It was a very short courtship<br />
before they announced their<br />
engagement and were married<br />
on April 19th of that same year.<br />
They lived in Canton, Mississippi,<br />
for 45 years before they moved to<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> where they currently<br />
reside.<br />
Gerald had spent some time<br />
enlisted in the Navy and was<br />
stationed in Hawaii working with<br />
a flight crew before he met his<br />
wife-to-be. The rest of his working<br />
life was spent as a salesman of<br />
some sort or another, mainly<br />
dealing in farming equipment.<br />
Mary Lois made a lifelong career<br />
at bookkeeping–first for a car<br />
dealership, then First National<br />
Bank, and finally at Mississippi<br />
State Extension Service in <strong>Madison</strong><br />
County for almost 20 years. She<br />
retired in December of 2008,<br />
excited to be able to spend more<br />
time with her husband and their<br />
grandchildren. Gerald continued<br />
working in sales until he officially<br />
retired “completely” in October<br />
of 2016.<br />
Family is the Rayburn’s main<br />
ingredient in their happy marriage.<br />
“We didn’t really even take any<br />
pictures until the kids,” said Mary<br />
Lois. When their sons were<br />
younger, they would take family<br />
trips every summer. “Probably<br />
when we carried the kids to the<br />
Grand Canyon would be my<br />
favorite memory,” said Gerald.<br />
“That was a beautiful, beautiful<br />
trip,” added Mary Lois. Their<br />
oldest son, Billy, and his wife and<br />
daughter, live in the Memphis<br />
area, while their younger son,<br />
Bobby, lives in Baton Rouge with<br />
his wife and two children. The<br />
Rayburns are sad that they are so<br />
far away from their sons, but love<br />
the fact that they are pretty<br />
centrally located between the two<br />
of them. “If they leave our house<br />
at the same time, they both call<br />
saying they got home at about the<br />
same time,” laughed Mary Lois.<br />
8 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
“Go to church.<br />
Don’t fight.<br />
When you have problems,<br />
sit down and talk them out.”<br />
Mary Lois’ Famous<br />
Painted Cookies<br />
Since their retirements, their<br />
time has been spent relaxing at<br />
home and enjoying the little things<br />
life has to offer. Gerald laughingly<br />
talked about how he “enjoys<br />
fooling with the flowers” and his<br />
Mary Lois has a local claim to<br />
fame as the baker of some of the<br />
best Christmas cookies you will<br />
ever eat. These light, delicate,<br />
beautiful cookies have been one of<br />
the highlights of the Christmas<br />
Gerald and Mary Lois know<br />
that, in addition to all of the little<br />
things like family trips and special<br />
cookies, the key ingredients to a<br />
successful marriage are as follows:<br />
“Go to church. Don’t fight. When<br />
Cookies<br />
• 1 cup Imperial Margarine<br />
• 1 cup sugar<br />
• 1-½ teaspoon vanilla<br />
• 1 egg<br />
• 1 teaspoon water<br />
• 3 cups Gold Medal flour<br />
• 1-½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
• ¼ teaspoon salt<br />
love of golf up until recent years.<br />
Mary Lois can be found almost<br />
every day enjoying coloring in<br />
season for many years among their<br />
family and friends. If you ask her<br />
about them, she will surely hand<br />
you have problems, sit down and<br />
discuss them and talk them out.”<br />
Mary Lois added that “young<br />
Icing<br />
• Confectioners’ sugar<br />
• Milk<br />
• Food coloring<br />
adult coloring books. “I usually do<br />
one page around the news time,<br />
and if I’m not too sleepy, I’ll stay up<br />
and color. They are very relaxing!”<br />
she beamed. The pair of them also<br />
greatly enjoy watching sports as<br />
well, Mary Lois perhaps even more<br />
than Gerald. The Pittsburgh Pirates<br />
and the St. Louis Cardinals will<br />
you a sheet of paper with the recipe<br />
lovingly scribbled on it, glowing<br />
with pride. “They are fun to make<br />
and I hope I’ll be able to do it this<br />
year,” she said. “Just a few weeks<br />
ago, my nephew’s wife came by<br />
one night and they made those<br />
cookies for Halloween. We used<br />
to make them for birthdays and<br />
people are missing out on<br />
conversations with their loved<br />
ones because all of them have<br />
these phones in their hands.”<br />
So keep these tips in your box<br />
of recipe cards, and know that<br />
these little things have cooked up<br />
a wonderful life and marriage<br />
for people like Gerald and Mary<br />
Thoroughly cream margarine, sugar, and<br />
vanilla. Add egg and water. Beat until light<br />
and fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder,<br />
and salt. Blend into creamed mixture.<br />
Divide dough in half. Chill for 1 hour.<br />
On lightly floured surface, roll dough to<br />
1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes<br />
with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased<br />
cookie sheet at 375º for about 6-8 minutes.<br />
Cool slightly and remove from pan.<br />
always be held in prestige in the<br />
Rayburn household.<br />
everything,” Gerald reminisced.<br />
Lois Rayburn. n<br />
Mix confectioners’ sugar and milk.<br />
Add food coloring for desired color,<br />
then ice.<br />
Hometown madison • 9
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Hometown madison • 11
ServingOUR<br />
Community<br />
Why did you decide to be a firefighter?<br />
I think, like most firefighters, it’s for the<br />
opportunity to help other people on a<br />
daily basis. And it’s awesome to show up<br />
to a job you love and work within a team<br />
that’s all striving towards a common goal!<br />
It’s just what I wanted to do since I was<br />
a kid.<br />
How long have you been with the <strong>Madison</strong><br />
Fire Department?<br />
Six years.<br />
Tell us about your family.<br />
It’s just me. But I have two amazing<br />
parents and beautiful twin sisters who<br />
keep me in check.<br />
What is the toughest thing you have<br />
experienced in your job?<br />
I feel like the answer to this question<br />
would be the same among most people<br />
I work with. Although we train and<br />
develop certain skills and are eager to<br />
use those skillsets when needed, whether<br />
fire or medical, it’s still tough when you<br />
have to explain to a family member they<br />
just lost their loved one, or see the<br />
aftermath of the memories and things<br />
destroyed in a fire. And no matter who<br />
you ask, it never gets easy to see a child<br />
scared and in pain. But there are way<br />
more positive aspects of the job that<br />
balance those experiences out.<br />
What are three things on your bucket list?<br />
It’s a really long list! Three things I can<br />
think of right off are that I want to fly in<br />
a fighter jet, scuba dive the Barrier Reef<br />
in Australia, and I want to watch a<br />
baseball game in every major league<br />
stadium.<br />
firefighter/EMT<br />
Ian O’Leary<br />
madison<br />
fire department<br />
Share some things you enjoy doing in your<br />
spare time.<br />
I love to travel! I get out of town at least<br />
once a month and try to experience new<br />
things. I’m big into anything health and<br />
fitness related as well as instructing<br />
martial arts. I’m an entrepreneur, so in<br />
that “spare time” I usually enjoy creating<br />
new opportunities and networking.<br />
Who is someone you admire and why?<br />
Definitely my dad! He is for sure my<br />
hero! He has such a high level of<br />
integrity and the way he spends his life<br />
serving others is truly impressive to<br />
witness. He’s overcome so many<br />
obstacles in his life that have allowed<br />
him and my mom to afford me so many<br />
opportunities. It’s really remarkable. But<br />
most important is his support and belief<br />
in me to be happy in pursing my dreams.<br />
If you could give one piece of advice to a young<br />
person, what would it be?<br />
If something seems too good to be true,<br />
investigate it. People aren’t looking for<br />
attention; they’re starving for connections.<br />
Connect with people. Ask questions.<br />
Never take advice from someone you’re<br />
not willing to trade places with. Pursue<br />
a life of significance, not success. If you<br />
aren’t obsessed with your life then you<br />
should be obsessed with changing it.<br />
Find mentors who have what you want<br />
and do what they’ve done to get it.<br />
What is a favorite childhood memory?<br />
I loved playing sports, so anytime I<br />
was outside competing in a game I had<br />
a smile on my face. I had the most fun<br />
traveling with the family for summer<br />
ball and competing against top teams<br />
from other states.<br />
What is the biggest mistake you think young<br />
people make today?<br />
Not seeing the big picture. Not thinking<br />
for themselves and forming their own<br />
ideas. Relying on social media and other<br />
people’s opinions to develop their values<br />
and self-worth. They allow others to tell<br />
them what they “should” do, instead of<br />
pursuing what is in their heart and what<br />
they want to do. Trying to be perfect<br />
instead of just being present in the<br />
moment.<br />
What is your favorite thing about the City<br />
of <strong>Madison</strong>?<br />
The people. We have a very supportive<br />
community who show their appreciation<br />
for the fire and police departments on a<br />
regular basis. It’s nice to be appreciated<br />
for a career that we chose.<br />
12 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Hometown madison • 13
14 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
ServingOUR<br />
County<br />
Why did you decide to pursue law enforcement?<br />
I enjoy helping others and I knew by<br />
becoming a law enforcement officer, it<br />
would put me in a position to do that.<br />
How long have you been with the <strong>Madison</strong><br />
County Sheriff’s Office?<br />
27 years<br />
Tell us about your family.<br />
I’ve been married for 23 years to Karen<br />
Wilson and have three children, Olivia,<br />
Macey, and Cody.<br />
What is the toughest thing you have<br />
experienced in your job?<br />
Death investigations – whether it is an<br />
accident or homicide (children especially).<br />
Share some things you enjoy doing in your<br />
spare time.<br />
Spending time with my family, also<br />
hunting and fishing.<br />
Captain of<br />
Investigations<br />
Todd Wilson<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> County<br />
Sheriff's department<br />
What are three things on your bucket list?<br />
Go on a cruise with my wife, kill a<br />
trophy deer with my bow, and own a<br />
piece of property in the country.<br />
Who is someone you admire and why?<br />
This is a tough one; I admire a lot of<br />
people for a lot of different reasons so<br />
instead of taking the risk of leaving<br />
someone out, I will say that I admire<br />
people that choose to do the right<br />
thing–even when it’s not the most<br />
popular choice.<br />
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?<br />
I really don’t expect much will change in<br />
ten years. I hope to be still serving the<br />
people of <strong>Madison</strong> County.<br />
If you could give one piece of advice to a young<br />
person, what would it be?<br />
Be a leader not a follower.<br />
What is a favorite childhood memory?<br />
Going to my grandparents’ house on<br />
Sunday afternoons. It was always the<br />
highlight of the week.<br />
What is the biggest mistake you think young<br />
people make today?<br />
Again, I think it goes back to being a<br />
leader. Too many young people today are<br />
basing their decisions on popular trends<br />
instead of making informed decisions.<br />
What is your favorite thing about the City of<br />
<strong>Madison</strong>?<br />
The hometown atmosphere.<br />
Hometown madison • 15
16 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
The Early<br />
Valentine<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
Jason and Kisha Flanigan<br />
were excited about Valentine’s<br />
Day of 2016 more than they<br />
had been any year previously.<br />
They didn’t have special dinner<br />
reservations, bouquets of<br />
flowers, nor heart-shaped<br />
boxes of chocolates in order.<br />
They had much better plans than that; plans to meet<br />
their newborn son – Karter.<br />
The pregnancy was going well, and the anticipation<br />
and excitement of welcoming a new family member<br />
grew daily for the Flanigans. The chilly days of<br />
November came, and Kisha went in for a routine<br />
doctor’s appointment. Feeling great for being six months<br />
pregnant, Kisha was blindsided by the news she was<br />
about to receive. She was going to have to deliver baby<br />
Karter three months prematurely because she had<br />
developed walking pneumonia and her kidneys were<br />
starting to fail.<br />
When most people think of a baby being born<br />
prematurely, they probably assume that it is due to<br />
something being medically wrong with the child. But,<br />
like Kisha herself found out that day, that is not always<br />
the case. She had absolutely<br />
zero symptoms – no warning<br />
that something could be<br />
wrong. But her blood pressure<br />
had reached dangerous levels.<br />
“On the outside I was fine,<br />
but I was not doing well on<br />
the inside,” explained Kisha.<br />
Karter was rushed into this world through an<br />
emergency cesarean on November 7, 2015 weighing<br />
just 1 lb., 3 oz. He remained in the NICU for three<br />
months until his actual due date so that his lungs<br />
could fully develop, and Jason and Kisha were with<br />
him every day, sometimes multiple times a day, to<br />
watch over him and help him grow.<br />
As an 11th grade English teacher for <strong>Madison</strong><br />
County School District, Kisha had participated in<br />
fundraisers and walks for the March of Dimes Foundation<br />
on several occasions because of the support the district<br />
had always lent to the charity. She was always happy to<br />
help and participate, but never expected that she would<br />
later benefit from the work that March of Dimes does<br />
for new mothers and their premature babies. “The<br />
research and the encouragement has really helped me,”<br />
Hometown madison • 17
18 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
she said. “I read positive stories every day. Hearing what they went through<br />
and that it’s not going to last forever helped me get through each<br />
day. Three months may not seem like a long time, but it feels like an<br />
eternity when you’re there,” she recalled.<br />
Through their research, March of Dimes has transitioned from<br />
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s original goal of finding vaccinations<br />
for polio to that of helping and preventing birth defects and<br />
addressing the alarming rise in premature births in the United<br />
States and around the world. They have created many vaccines for<br />
preemie infants as well as many therapies to help them and their<br />
families develop healthy lives.<br />
Because of March of Dimes, the Flanigans learned so much<br />
about caring for their strong little man. They learned how to do<br />
‘Kangaroo Care’ (a technique of skin-to-skin contact between<br />
child and parents), which helped Karter’s breathing and heartbeat<br />
regulate as well as develop a bond between him and his loving<br />
parents. “I swaddled him every day. He still does it. Sometimes<br />
I wonder if he remembers doing that,” laughed Kisha.<br />
Since Karter has been home from the hospital, Kisha and Jason<br />
have dedicated a lot of their spare time to participating with and<br />
supporting the March of Dimes Foundation. Friends and family walk<br />
with ‘Team Karter’ each year to raise money for research through<br />
donations. “I participated, but didn’t realize the importance until I<br />
had my baby,” said Kisha of her involvement before Karter arrived.<br />
“Your time is just as important as money,” she added. But one of the<br />
most important things Kisha said that these families need is the<br />
power of prayer.<br />
We were all small once. We came into this world in tiny<br />
packages, some smaller than others, but no less full of joy. This little<br />
boy, who was expected in the season of love, instead arrived in the<br />
season of thankfulness. The Flanigan family surely wants for neither<br />
of those feelings now that they are healthy and happy together. ♥<br />
Contribute to the work the March of Dimes is doing for premature babies and their<br />
families by making a donation. Please visit Kisha Flanigan’s fundraising website at<br />
www.marchforbabies.org/KishaFlanigan.<br />
Hometown madison • 19
Thanks to<br />
our advertisers<br />
and readers.<br />
We appreciate you!<br />
Follow us on Facebook<br />
20 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
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<strong>2018</strong><br />
Livestock Show &<br />
22 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
It’s that time of year again!<br />
Time when cowboys and cowgirls from all over the<br />
nation descend upon Mississippi’s capital city for the<br />
annual Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo. During<br />
the month of <strong>February</strong>, The Dixie National brings with it<br />
a variety of programs and activities that take place to<br />
educate, entertain, and engage participants and onlookers,<br />
alike. The 53rd annual livestock show kicks off <strong>February</strong> 1<br />
and runs through <strong>February</strong> 18.<br />
The Dixie National Rodeo is the largest professional<br />
rodeo east of the Mississippi River. It is produced by<br />
Smith, Harper, and Morgan Rodeo Company, hosted by<br />
the Mississippi Fair Commission in Jackson, Mississippi<br />
and has been nominated as one of the Top 5 Large Indoor<br />
Rodeos of The Year for the past five years. This award is<br />
voted on by the cowboys in the Professional Rodeo<br />
Cowboy Association (PRCA).<br />
The rodeo kicks off <strong>February</strong> 8 and goes through<br />
<strong>February</strong> 14 at the Mississippi Coliseum. Special entertainers<br />
are featured each day of the rodeo and include Josh Turner,<br />
Frank Foster, The Bellamy Brothers, John Michael<br />
Montgomery, Riley Green, Corey Smith, and Brett Young.<br />
Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster at the<br />
coliseum box office.<br />
The Dixie National Quarter Horse Show, the Southern<br />
Classic, is the premier event of the Mississippi Quarter<br />
Horse Association. Also held in <strong>February</strong> on the state<br />
fairgrounds, it is the largest quarter horse show held<br />
during a stock show in the nation. The Dixie National<br />
Quarter Horse Show is the largest in the South and the<br />
third largest quarter horse show in the United States.<br />
The national exposure the quarter horse show receives<br />
makes it a gathering place for the top horses in the country<br />
and a field day for spectators. With an average audience of<br />
over 4,500, the Friday night free-style reining is the most<br />
crowd pleasing class and demonstrates the great physical<br />
ability of the American Quarter Horse. The Southern<br />
Classic dates are <strong>February</strong> 13-18.<br />
The Dixie National Equine Expo, the largest equine<br />
related trade show in the south, runs in conjunction with<br />
the quarter horse show. It features everything imaginable<br />
for the equine enthusiast. With over 65,000 sq. ft. of<br />
shopping, the Equine Expo is located inside the Mississippi<br />
Trade Mart on the fairgrounds. With vendors from across<br />
the nation, the latest fashions, trends and shopping will all<br />
be under one roof. It is one of the largest equine tradeshows<br />
in the Southeast. The Equine Expo is <strong>February</strong> 14-18.<br />
Hometown madison • 23
Hometown<br />
goodness<br />
Chicken Tamale Pie<br />
• 3 cups diced cooked chicken<br />
(about 12 ounces)<br />
• 1-1/2 cups prepared salsa<br />
• One 15-ounce can black beans,<br />
drained and rinsed<br />
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth<br />
• 1 tablespoon chili powder<br />
• 2 scallions (white and green parts),<br />
sliced<br />
• 3/4 cup cornmeal<br />
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar<br />
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter<br />
• Kosher salt and freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
• Sour cream, for serving<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat<br />
chicken, salsa, beans, 1/2 cup of<br />
broth and chili powder in a 10-inch<br />
cast- iron skillet over medium heat,<br />
stirring, until simmering. Stir in<br />
scallions and remove from the heat.<br />
Meanwhile, combine cornmeal<br />
with the remaining 1 cup broth and<br />
1 cup water in a medium pan. Bring<br />
to a simmer over medium heat,<br />
stirring, until very thick, 5 to 7<br />
minutes. Remove from the heat and<br />
stir in the cheese and butter. Season<br />
with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4<br />
teaspoon pepper.<br />
Spread the cornmeal mixture over<br />
the filling and bake until cooked<br />
through, about 30 minutes. Let stand<br />
for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream.<br />
Pizza Pot Pies<br />
Tomato sauce<br />
• 1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
• 2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary<br />
• 2 ounces diced pancetta<br />
• 1 can crushed tomatoes<br />
(28-ounce)<br />
• 1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
Pies<br />
• 3 cups tomato sauce<br />
• 2 cups diced roasted chicken<br />
• 2 cups broccoli cut into small,<br />
bite-sized pieces<br />
• 1-1/2 cups diced mozzarella<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
• 1-1/2 pounds pizza dough<br />
• 1/3 cup olive oil<br />
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan<br />
Special equipment:<br />
6, 10-ounce ramekins<br />
For the tomato sauce: Warm the<br />
olive oil in a small saucepan over<br />
medium heat. Add garlic, rosemary,<br />
and pancetta. Sauté until crisp and<br />
golden, about 5 minutes. Add the<br />
tomatoes, stir to combine, simmer<br />
over very low heat for 15 minutes.<br />
Add salt and pepper. Set aside.<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />
In a large bowl combine tomato<br />
sauce, chicken, broccoli, mozzarella,<br />
salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.<br />
Divide chicken mixture evenly<br />
between the ramekins. Roll out the<br />
pizza dough and cut circles with a<br />
paring knife that are 1-inch wider in<br />
diameter than the ramekins. Place<br />
the circles of dough over the filled<br />
ramekins and press down to seal,<br />
making sure to pull the dough over<br />
the edge of the ramekin. Brush the<br />
top of the dough with olive oil and<br />
sprinkle with parmesan cheese.<br />
Cut a small slit in the top of the<br />
dough with a paring knife. Bake until<br />
crust is golden, about 25 minutes.<br />
Remove from oven and let cool<br />
slightly before serving.<br />
Pork Chops<br />
with Wine & Garlic<br />
• 2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
• 3 tablespoons butter<br />
• Kosher salt and freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
• 4 bone-in T-bone pork chops,<br />
1 inch thick<br />
• 16 cloves garlic, peeled<br />
• 1-1/2 cups red wine<br />
• 1 bay leaf<br />
• 1/2 cup beef broth, plus more<br />
if needed<br />
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar<br />
Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of<br />
the butter in a heavy skillet over high<br />
heat. Salt and pepper both sides of<br />
the pork chops and sear until golden,<br />
about 2 minutes per side. (No need<br />
to completely cook the chops at this<br />
point.) Remove from skillet and set<br />
aside.<br />
Reduce heat to medium high,<br />
throw in the whole cloves of garlic.<br />
Stir and cook until golden brown,<br />
Add red wine, then bay leaf. Stir and<br />
cook, raising the heat inecessary,<br />
until the sauce is reduced and thick,<br />
several minutes.<br />
Stir in beef broth (add more if it<br />
needs the liquid) and add the chops<br />
back to the skillet, arranging them<br />
so they’re swimming in the sauce.<br />
Cook chops in the sauce for a few<br />
minutes, then add the balsamic.<br />
Shake the skillet to distribute, then<br />
cook for a couple more minutes, or<br />
until the chops are done.<br />
Remove chops from the skillet,<br />
let the sauce reduce a little more if<br />
needed, until it’s very thick and rich<br />
and the garlic is soft. Swirl in the<br />
remaining tablespoon of butter and<br />
sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.<br />
Arrange the pork chops on a<br />
platter, then pour the whole skillet<br />
of sauce (including the garlic) over<br />
the top.<br />
24 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Spicy Turkey &<br />
Green Bean Stir-Fry<br />
Slow-Cooker<br />
Pulled Pork Sandwiches<br />
Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole<br />
with Ham & Peas<br />
• 1-1/2 cups basmati rice<br />
• 1-1/2 pounds green beans,<br />
trimmed<br />
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar<br />
• 3/4 pound 99 percent lean<br />
ground turkey<br />
• 1 clove garlic, minced<br />
• 1 small half-sour pickle,<br />
finely chopped<br />
• 2 teaspoons Asian chili paste,<br />
such as sambal oelek<br />
• 1 cup fat-free low-sodium<br />
chicken broth<br />
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium<br />
soy sauce<br />
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice<br />
vinegar (not seasoned)<br />
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.<br />
Stir in the rice, cover and boil until<br />
tender, about 18 minutes; drain well<br />
and keep warm.<br />
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.<br />
Toss the green beans, 1-1/2<br />
tablespoons vegetable oil and sugar<br />
on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil,<br />
stirring once, until the beans are<br />
tender and charred, about 8 minutes.<br />
Heat the remaining 1-1/2<br />
tablespoons vegetable oil in a large<br />
skillet over high heat. Add the turkey<br />
and cook, breaking it up with a<br />
wooden spoon, until browned,<br />
3 minutes. Add the garlic, pickle and<br />
chili paste and cook until the garlic is<br />
slightly golden, about 3 minutes.<br />
Whisk the chicken broth, soy sauce,<br />
sherry and cornstarch in a bowl. Add<br />
the green beans to the skillet with the<br />
turkey mixture and cook, stirring,<br />
1 minute. Add the soy sauce mixture<br />
and cook, stirring occasionally, until<br />
the sauce thickens slightly, about<br />
3 minutes. Serve with the rice.<br />
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar<br />
• 2 teaspoons hot paprika<br />
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
• Kosher salt and freshly ground<br />
pepper<br />
• 1 3-to-4-pound boneless pork<br />
shoulder, trimmed of excess fat<br />
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil<br />
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar,<br />
plus more to taste<br />
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste<br />
• 6 potato buns<br />
• Barbecue sauce and prepared<br />
coleslaw, for serving<br />
Combine 1 tablespoon brown<br />
sugar, paprika, mustard powder,<br />
cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2<br />
teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub<br />
the spice mixture over the pork.<br />
Heat oil in a large skillet; add pork<br />
and cook, turning, until browned on<br />
all sides, 5 minutes. Remove the pork<br />
and transfer to a plate; whisk 3/4 cup<br />
water into the drippings in the skillet.<br />
Transfer the liquid to a 5-to-6-quart<br />
slow cooker.<br />
Add vinegar, tomato paste,<br />
remaining 2 tablespoons brown<br />
sugar and 2 cups water and whisk<br />
to combine. Add pork, cover and<br />
cook on low, 8 hours.<br />
Remove the pork and transfer to<br />
a cutting board. Strain the liquid into<br />
a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook<br />
until reduced by half, about 10<br />
minutes. Season with salt. Roughly<br />
chop the pork and mix in a bowl with<br />
1 cup of the reduced cooking liquid,<br />
and salt and vinegar to taste. Serve<br />
on buns with barbecue sauce and<br />
coleslaw.<br />
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter<br />
• 1 onion, chopped<br />
• One 8-ounce piece deli ham, diced<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme<br />
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth<br />
• One 17.5-ounce package potato<br />
gnocchi<br />
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed<br />
• 1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
• Kosher salt and freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
• 1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere<br />
cheese<br />
Preheat the broiler to high heat.<br />
Melt the butter in a large ovenproof<br />
skillet over medium heat. Add onions<br />
and cook until softened, about 3<br />
minutes. Add ham and thyme and<br />
continue to cook until ham is lightly<br />
browned.<br />
Add chicken broth and 3/4 cup<br />
water and bring to a simmer. Add<br />
gnocchi, stir well, cover and cook<br />
until gnocchi is slightly tender, about<br />
5 minutes. Remove from heat.<br />
Uncover and stir in peas, cream, 1/4<br />
teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon<br />
pepper. Sprinkle cheese over the top<br />
and broil until golden and bubbly,<br />
about 3 minutes.<br />
Barbecue Mac & Cheese<br />
• Kosher salt<br />
• 1 pound large shell pasta noodles<br />
• 4 cups stemmed and chopped<br />
collard greens (about 1 large<br />
bunch)<br />
• 5 ounces beer<br />
• 5 ounces half-and-half<br />
• 2/3 cup your favorite spicy<br />
barbecue sauce<br />
• 6 ounces American cheese,<br />
chopped or shredded<br />
• 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar,<br />
shredded (about 1 cup)<br />
• 4 ounces Havarti, shredded<br />
(about 1 cup)<br />
• Freshly ground black pepper<br />
Bring a large pot of salted water to a<br />
boil. Cook the pasta and collards until<br />
the pasta is al dente, according to<br />
package directions. Drain and reserve.<br />
Combine the beer, half-and-half<br />
and barbecue sauce in a large<br />
saucepan over medium-low heat and<br />
cook, whisking, until it simmers.<br />
Stir in the cheddar and Havarti and<br />
cook over low heat, stirring, until all<br />
the cheese is melted. Add the pasta<br />
and collards and toss to combine.<br />
Season with salt and pepper. Serve<br />
immediately!<br />
Hometown madison • 25
26 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong><br />
Mary Ann Kirby
alentine’s Day. My earliest<br />
thoughts of the beloved celebration<br />
date back to the third grade and are<br />
of tiny die-cut cards stating such simple<br />
messages like, “Some-bunny loves you”<br />
and, “Will you be mine?” I can remember<br />
the importance of finding just the right<br />
cards to give out, too. No way did I want<br />
anything too mushy or anything. Picking<br />
out the card was serious business.<br />
They would eventually be placed in<br />
individually decorated brown paper<br />
sacks that were taped to the back of<br />
everyone’s little-person sized desk.<br />
Love was so easy.<br />
Years later, flowers and gigantic<br />
helium balloons were the must-have<br />
order of the day, often delivered to the<br />
workplace. I was never the recipient of<br />
such over-the-top deliveries and was<br />
even admittedly a bit jealous of those<br />
who were. I mean, had they somehow<br />
figured out a secret code to love that I<br />
hadn’t? And how were you supposed to<br />
get those big ol’ things home anyway?<br />
I eventually married in my early<br />
thirties. Prior to that time, while I managed<br />
a couple of fairly decent relationships,<br />
I was mostly single–a lot. I mean, there<br />
were easier things in life than trying to<br />
find a nice guy, you know. Like nailing<br />
jelly to a tree. But it was worth the wait.<br />
I would eventually find my perfect<br />
match and we will celebrate 19 years<br />
of marriage this year. Yay!<br />
So as I look through the thousands<br />
of cards at the store and contemplate<br />
the message I want to convey, I’m<br />
struck by a simple yet powerful thought.<br />
I love us.<br />
In reality, the card I’m looking for<br />
should say, “Happy Valentine’s Day.<br />
Who, in a million years, would have<br />
ever thought that I’d be standing here<br />
for the umteenth time looking through<br />
this sea of red and pink hearts? But,<br />
despite the fact that I get grumpy and<br />
have unpredictable mood swings, you<br />
keep coming home–and I thank you<br />
for that. And even though you’ve yet<br />
to develop the ability to read my mind,<br />
I continue to love you anyway. We’ve<br />
made a pretty darn fabulous kid that,<br />
with any luck, will think marriage is a<br />
good thing after watching us. So, there’s<br />
that. Happy Valentine’s Day! I love us.”<br />
There need to be cards with those<br />
types of “real” messages. Someone<br />
could make a fortune.<br />
Relationships are hard. All relationships.<br />
And they take work. Anything worth<br />
having, does. And while my husband<br />
and I have certainly made a good run so<br />
far, we’ve definitely had our moments–<br />
but we always manage to work through<br />
them. Eventually, we even laugh it off.<br />
Laughter is about connection, and<br />
laughter and love go hand-in-hand.<br />
So while I might not be one of those<br />
that gets $100 worth of helium delivered<br />
to the front door, I will get a funny card<br />
from my fella. It will likely still be in the<br />
store bag from which it was bought<br />
along with one of my favorite Hollywood<br />
gossip-type magazines and a box of<br />
little white powdered donuts. He knows<br />
they’re my favorite and that means the<br />
world to me.<br />
The truth is that love isn’t always<br />
perfect. It isn’t a fairytale or a storybook<br />
and it doesn’t always come easy. Love is<br />
overcoming obstacles, facing challenges,<br />
fighting to be together, holding on, and<br />
never letting go.<br />
It’s a short word that’s easy to spell,<br />
difficult to define, and impossible to live<br />
without. Love is work, but most of all, love<br />
is realizing that every hour, and every<br />
minute, and every second of it was<br />
worth it–because you did it together.<br />
Maybe more marriages would<br />
survive if people knew that sometimes<br />
the “better” comes after the “worse.”<br />
And that’s ok. A successful marriage<br />
requires falling in love many times,<br />
over and over, with the same person.<br />
I’m thankful for my person. I really do<br />
love us. ♥<br />
Hometown madison • 27
Hometown <strong>Madison</strong><br />
Reader<br />
SPOTLIGHT<br />
Alison<br />
Martin<br />
Why did you decide to make <strong>Madison</strong> County<br />
your home?<br />
My mom’s family grew up in Canton, so I grew<br />
up coming for holidays and spending time in the<br />
summer with my cousin. My husband is from<br />
Canton, so we eventually moved back “home,”<br />
and I am so happy here.<br />
Tell us about your family.<br />
My husband Shan and I have been married for 19<br />
years (20 in May!) and we have three boys: Lane<br />
(16), Carter (13), and Sam (10). Both sets of their<br />
grandparents live in <strong>Madison</strong> County, so we get to<br />
spend lots of time together.<br />
What is your favorite memory of living in<br />
<strong>Madison</strong>?<br />
Since my boys were born, we spend every day of<br />
the summer at the pool at the Country Club of<br />
Canton. The boys can now all ride their bikes<br />
there, have become good golfers, and Lane wants<br />
to be a lifeguard this summer.<br />
Where are your three favorite places to eat<br />
in <strong>Madison</strong>?<br />
Chick-fil-A (of course), Santa Fe Grill is new to<br />
Canton and is delicious, and Culinary Cowboy<br />
Amish bread.<br />
What are some fun things to do in <strong>Madison</strong><br />
on the weekends?<br />
At this stage in our lives, we go to Canton<br />
Academy ballgames of all sorts all the time!!<br />
Share some things you enjoy doing in your<br />
spare time.<br />
I used to scrapbook with some friends once a month,<br />
and we decided when our kids all get bigger, we are<br />
going to try to start back. We all miss it!<br />
What are three things on your bucket list?<br />
Oooh. That’s a tough one. I’d love to visit somewhere<br />
tropical, see the Grand Canyon, and visit the set of<br />
the TV show The Goldbergs – my family loves that<br />
show.<br />
What is your favorite childhood memory?<br />
When I was in elementary school, for summer<br />
vacation a couple of years, my mom would let my<br />
sister Ashley and me pick any place we’d like to visit<br />
in the Rankin/<strong>Madison</strong>/Hinds area, and that’s what<br />
we would do for her vacation week. We’d always<br />
pick places we’d been on field trips like Vicksburg,<br />
the Zoo, the Natural Science Museum or the<br />
Petrified Forest. Ashley and I thought we were big<br />
stuff when we went to see two movies IN A ROW!<br />
Who is someone you admire and why?<br />
Pam Moore teaches science at Canton Academy<br />
and was our teacher of the year last year. She is<br />
amazing – always prepared, covers so much<br />
material, has tests graded the same day, and loves<br />
her students. She does all this AND works at<br />
UMC, too. She is definitely someone I admire.<br />
Where do you see yourself in ten years?<br />
I have thought at times that when my youngest son<br />
graduated from high school that I’d like to go back<br />
to school to become a nurse. We will see...<br />
If you could give us one encouraging quote,<br />
what would it be?<br />
“If you don’t want someone to find out, don’t do<br />
it.” I have a poster of that in my classroom because<br />
I think that advice could save some teenagers<br />
(and adults, too) lots of heartache.<br />
What is your favorite thing about<br />
Hometown Magazines?<br />
I love seeing the good things people are doing where<br />
I live. The news is filled with so much negative that<br />
it’s great to see people who love their hometown<br />
and are willing to invest time and money into making<br />
it somewhere other people can enjoy, too.<br />
Amy Edwards<br />
601-707-9434<br />
1716 Highway 51, Ste. I<br />
<strong>Madison</strong><br />
+ = BIG SAVINGS<br />
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28 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
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Hometown madison • 29
30 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Special Agent-<br />
Special Man<br />
Dani Edmonson<br />
“In order to adequately serve our communities,<br />
we need to know our community members,”<br />
says Jeffery Artis, FBI Special Agent from <strong>Madison</strong>.<br />
He adds that you have to respect someone before you know them—<br />
words that resonate heavily in these times of national cultural confusion.<br />
Artis, who specializes in investigating civil<br />
rights violations within the law enforcement<br />
and public official agencies, believes healing<br />
communities can be as simple as following the<br />
Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would<br />
have them do unto you.”<br />
“As law enforcement, we don’t disrespect<br />
individuals intentionally,” Artis said. “It is complicated<br />
because we are trained to take control and eliminate<br />
the threat. But to what extent an incident is perceived a threat is<br />
subject to human interpretation.” And with all manner of incidents<br />
being posted on social media almost immediately without the benefit<br />
of any context, often the public receives a version of the event that,<br />
at the very least, needs to be vetted for clarity.<br />
One moment of an officer’s interaction with a citizen is seen now<br />
thousands of times before any law enforcement leaders have a chance<br />
to sort things out. Sadly, often the officer is publicly condemned before<br />
all the facts are disseminated. Artis added that for every officer that<br />
actually does something wrong, at least ten of them do something<br />
noble that rarely gets publicized. “But they don’t do<br />
it for the recognition,” he added.<br />
Born and raised in York, Alabama, his goals in<br />
life were, “…not to live in York, Alabama, and not<br />
be poor.” Although the statement was made in<br />
jest, his work ethic along the way has enabled<br />
him to achieve those two goals and much more.<br />
He joined the Bureau in <strong>January</strong> of 1988 in<br />
Birmingham, Alabama, working the lowliest of positions<br />
available at the time. The initial pay was not enough to support<br />
himself, so taking on a second job was necessary.<br />
“While I was getting ready to attend grad school, my former<br />
department chair at Miles College asked me if I could help him run<br />
his pizza store,” he said. A “soft” job for the soon-to-be federal agent.<br />
But the department chair appealed to Artis’ natural public-service<br />
nature when he went on to say, “Right now I need to hire someone<br />
who won’t steal from me!” Artis needed the additional income, and<br />
the owner needed a trustworthy employee, so he juggled two jobs<br />
learning extensively from both for one year.<br />
Hometown madison • 31
“Over the next six and a half years, I was able to learn exactly what<br />
the FBI was about, and it gave me the opportunity to be sure that was<br />
the career I wanted,” he said. “Although this is an honorable profession<br />
in which to serve, it is not for everyone when you consider the fact that<br />
we investigate over 300 federal violations to include cyber-attacks,<br />
homicides, child crimes, public corruption and terrorism, oftentimes<br />
having to confront well-known individuals.”<br />
The FBI places agents within specialties that best suit each<br />
individual’s background. “If a science major is hired, but that person is<br />
tired of the whole ‘chemistry thing,’ he/she can be assigned to other<br />
violations, such as national security threats,” Artis said. He entered<br />
undergraduate school with the idea that he would become a politician<br />
who would help bridge ethnic divides. “Jim Crow laws were still being<br />
observed in some places in the South,” he said. “I wanted to be at the<br />
table that brought about change in our community.”<br />
Fate smiled upon his youthful aspirations, not through public office,<br />
but through public service.<br />
Artis is a special agent assigned to investigate civil rights violations.<br />
“This includes hate crimes, human trafficking, and individuals using<br />
their powers to take advantage of others,” he explained. “We may be<br />
assigned to a case involving a 30-year veteran of the police force who<br />
has a sterling reputation,” he began. “Then one day, the officer just has a<br />
bad day maybe due to professional and/or personal issues. That cop<br />
responds to a call, the suspect reacts negatively, and next thing you<br />
know, we have an alleged violation.” If there are repeated complaints on<br />
an individual or office, Artis checks that out as well.<br />
But he is just one man.<br />
In an effort to smooth the ethnic wrinkles that still raise their ugly<br />
heads, Artis and his department provide satellite training to any law<br />
enforcement personnel and public officials willing to undergo a<br />
rigorous course in cultural diversity management. The training has<br />
proven invaluable, and it is provided at no cost to the participants.<br />
“We teach law enforcement to minimize their mistakes,” he said.<br />
“For example, one can have good intentions when making a routine<br />
stop, and a justified search. However, how will that officer respond<br />
once they notice the individual stopped is wearing a turban or kippah?<br />
We have to understand that each person has certain beliefs regarding<br />
how his property and his person should be handled and treated,<br />
especially in front of other people.” Artis said that even the tensest<br />
situations can be diffused using basic human dignity.<br />
“You must establish rapport. Be honest, clear, empathetic,” he<br />
explained. “It cannot be made personal. We have to understand that<br />
experiences are different, but emotions are universal.”<br />
This extension of basic respect does not just apply to black and<br />
white as is assumed in Mississippi. “Take a look around at the various<br />
types of restaurants you will find in virtually every community,” Artis<br />
said. “You will normally find Asian, Mexican, Greek and others.” These<br />
businesses are representative of our communities at large, and bridging<br />
cultural differences is key to healing diversity wounds. Being in touch<br />
with all manner of citizens includes being able to manage sensitive and<br />
even dangerous situations.<br />
Crisis negotiation is the other area Artis specializes in. Although he<br />
is based in Mississippi, he travels internationally responding to those<br />
types of situations. “Using techniques largely developed by former crisis<br />
negotiators, we help individuals manage their crisis,” he said. “We don’t<br />
fix things, but we help that individual handle whatever it is resolving<br />
things positively,” – a skill that would lend itself to a myriad other<br />
professions.<br />
“The five-day interactive training is not a seminar,” he said. “We<br />
task them with one crisis experience after another to challenge them<br />
emotionally. We need to be confident they can handle it.” This<br />
intensive training is also provided at no cost, but is invaluable to those<br />
who attend – although they do not know it at first. “Participants<br />
oftentimes come in looking bored at having to attend more training,”<br />
32 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
“<br />
Although this<br />
is an honorable<br />
profession in<br />
which to serve,<br />
it is not for<br />
everyone...<br />
”<br />
Hometown madison • 33
34 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
he explained. By the end of the training session, their minds are<br />
blown and the typical response is, “This was the best training I’ve<br />
ever received!”<br />
Corporal Alan Chavers of the Tupelo Police Department<br />
attended (and later assisted) a crisis negotiations training session<br />
in 2010 where he first met Artis. “Jeff was able to keep the classes’<br />
attention with knowledge and humor mixed in,” he said. Although<br />
the comic relief element was emotionally necessary to handle this<br />
type of intense training, Chavers said the primary content was life<br />
changing. “I believe this training is the most important thing I have<br />
ever been involved in,” he said. “When different cultures, races,<br />
and religions begin to communicate, listen, and respect each other,<br />
that’s when we see resentment, misunderstanding, and hatred<br />
soften and subside.”<br />
From talking a jumper down off the top of a building to<br />
teaching others how to respect and handle diverse cultures and<br />
lethal situations, we assume that spending quality time with the<br />
family must be impossible. “No. I love the chaos and confusion,”<br />
“...I am married<br />
to a woman<br />
who not only<br />
understands my<br />
working situation,<br />
but is also strong<br />
enough to tell me<br />
to calm down<br />
when I need it!<br />
”<br />
Artis responded. “We see it as opportunity or challenge, and I am<br />
married to a woman who not only understands my working<br />
situation, but is also strong enough to tell me to calm down when<br />
I need it!” He admits he was in love the first day he met her.<br />
“We met in Birmingham because we happened to be keeping<br />
the scorebooks for our college basketball teams. I started pursuing<br />
her that day.” Her name is Monica, and she admits Artis was<br />
memorable but, “I can’t say that it was love at first sight.” Her sense<br />
of humor is evident as she continued. “As a matter of fact, he made<br />
me a little nervous at first because he wouldn’t stop talking and<br />
was doing a pretty good job of distracting me from my assignment.<br />
I would inch a little away from him, and he would in turn inch a<br />
little closer to me,” she recalled. She was drawn to his sense of<br />
humor and careless approach to life, “and it didn’t hurt that he<br />
was pretty cute.”<br />
How does the FBI agent and his professional forensics wife<br />
manage a “normal” life outside of work? “As far as being normal,<br />
I’m not quite sure that we are,” she quipped. She does understand,<br />
though, that Artis often cannot afford to be distracted by personal<br />
problems, “so, I try to make sure that when he is called upon to help<br />
resolve hostile or touchy situations, he can do so without worrying<br />
about me and the things that need to be taken care of at home.”<br />
She said that she is thankful that he’s a great listener – most of<br />
time. “Sometimes I stop him when his is agreeing with every word<br />
and regurgitating my sentences and say, ‘Don’t forget that I have<br />
seen your negotiations training material. Stop handling me.’”<br />
Monica said she and the kids try to keep things light at home.<br />
“Laughter is a big part of our gatherings, whenever they come<br />
home from school.” And she stated she and Jeff spend plenty of<br />
quality time together where she has his undivided attention,<br />
“unless there is an Alabama game being televised!”<br />
This sophisticatedly trained federal agent clearly infuses<br />
humor in every aspect of his life. He said he is handy around his<br />
home making nearly all home repairs himself, and has extended<br />
his God-given handiness to family and friends. Upon explaining<br />
that he has installed toilets for friends, he looked up seriously and<br />
said, “There is nothing like messing with other people’s crap.”<br />
A jest that could ironically apply to his difficult profession. n<br />
Hometown madison • 35
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36 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce<br />
Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast<br />
December 19, 2017<br />
Colonial Heights Baptist Church<br />
Dr. Roger Parrott, President of Belhaven University,<br />
keynoted the breakfast with an inspirational and moving message,<br />
“Peace I Leave With You; My Peace I Give You” – John 14:2-7.<br />
The breakfast included area pastors and clergy giving scripture readings<br />
as well as vocalist Michelle Johnston of Broadmoor Baptist Church.<br />
Diamond Sponsor<br />
C Spire<br />
Gold Sponsors<br />
BankPlus, MS Baptist Medical Center, Butler Snow, LLP,<br />
CenterPoint Energy, Community Bank, Entergy Mississippi,<br />
John Dorsa - State Farm Insurance, John Hancock-Southeastern Financial,<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> County Journal, Neel-Schaffer, Inc., Origin Bank, PriorityOne Bank,<br />
Regions Bank, Renasant Bank, Stewart Sneed Hewes/BancorpSouth Insurance,<br />
Trustmark National Bank, Waggoner Engineering, Inc., Wells, Marble & Hurst, PLLC,<br />
Young Wells Williams , P.A. and The Township at Colony Park<br />
- a Kerioth Corporation Development<br />
Hometown madison • 37
38 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
A Picture<br />
ofHappıness<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
If you want to know the real me, a stroll around my<br />
home is a good way to find out. On my shelves you will<br />
find books about Europe, architectural history, humor,<br />
stories about good winning over evil, trinkets from my<br />
travels, and mementos from friends scattered amongst<br />
them. There are baskets and chests full of cozy blankets,<br />
and two fuzzy cats that sit on the couch waiting to be<br />
scratched under their chins. But the things you will<br />
find the most of are a plethora of old cameras and<br />
photographs that cover the living room walls and fill<br />
countless boxes and albums in almost every closet and<br />
bookcase. These are my treasures. Photography has been<br />
a major component of my entire life. From the chunky<br />
blue Fisher Price camera I wore around my neck as a<br />
tiny child to the DSLR that travels with me and captures<br />
life’s important and beautiful moments; photography<br />
has and always will be my most fulfilling hobby.<br />
It’s important for people to have a hobby to call<br />
their own: something that takes their mind off of<br />
their daily stresses and brings them joy in some way or<br />
another. <strong>January</strong> just so happens to be National Hobby<br />
Month, so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to<br />
people about what they love to do to enrich their lives<br />
on a personal level.<br />
Like my love for photography, some people’s<br />
passions start very young. The students at Drama Kids<br />
International have invested a lot of time and devotion<br />
into their interests in the theatrical arts. Participants<br />
Camille Toles (9), Sarah Carney (11), and Ellie Smith<br />
(12), have all enjoyed taking part in dramatic<br />
productions since the age of five. Camille especially<br />
loves exploring what it’s like to step into a character’s<br />
shoes and imagining being that person. Sarah shares<br />
those sentiments saying, “When you act out a character,<br />
it feels almost real, like you’re becoming something<br />
different than yourself.” Ellie has realized that she has<br />
not only received personal and social satisfaction from<br />
acting, but confidence as well! “It’s nice to know I’m<br />
better at conversations because of skills I’ve developed<br />
[while at Drama Kids],” she said.<br />
Social hobbies are a great way for people to meet<br />
like-minded friends that they might not have otherwise<br />
Hometown madison • 39
known. Jackson Area Gamers, a club formed through Meetup<br />
(an online interest-based group organizer), has brought together<br />
dozens of people to do what they enjoy most: play games! Adam<br />
Chance, a married father of four, has been enjoying playing video<br />
and board games for the majority of his life. He started out playing<br />
video games in the heyday of the 1980s, but soon discovered that<br />
he enjoyed board games even more because of the social aspect.<br />
Adam’s main interest is in historical games, and he takes<br />
advantage of the availability of game nights with Jackson<br />
Area Gamers whenever he can—which is about once<br />
every other week.<br />
Fellow JAG member Jay Ouzts is also a fan of board<br />
games—Pax Brittanica and Terraforming Mars being his<br />
favorite. “I enjoy the games and the strategy,” he said.<br />
“The social aspect is secondary for me, though<br />
it is important.” Jackson Area Gamers has<br />
many events throughout the week<br />
covering different gaming interests and<br />
encourages people to come out and have<br />
a great time together.<br />
While some enjoy the comforts of indoor activities,<br />
others love to get out into the fresh air and onto the water<br />
like Robert Muller, the incoming rear commodore for the<br />
Jackson Yacht Club. Robert has been an avid sailor since<br />
the age of 12 when his father purchased a Catalina 22-foot<br />
sailboat. Upon moving to the Jackson area in 1975, his<br />
parents joined the Jackson Yacht Club and he has been an<br />
active member ever since. “I am at the club 3-6 days a<br />
week,” he said. There is almost always something going on<br />
like youth swim team meets, Picking and Grinning on<br />
Tuesday nights for some great food and local music, blue plate<br />
dinners on Wednesdays, bingo games once a month, Commodore<br />
Steak Night on Fridays, beer can racing on Saturday afternoons,<br />
after-church brunches and racing on Sundays, and year-round<br />
pool access with a view of the reservoir.<br />
Some hobbyists focus less on social activities and more on<br />
creating something tangible. Artists like BJ Weeks have become so<br />
passionate about their creative endeavor that they’ve built their<br />
professions around it. She has worked as a painter and multi-media<br />
artist for nearly 10 years, and her pieces are available in over 50<br />
retail and gallery spaces across the southeast including Texas,<br />
Oklahoma, and Kansas. “I am blessed, truly blessed,” she said, “to<br />
use my gift to create and ‘color’ someone else’s space.” Thankful<br />
for all of God’s blessings in her life, BJ has dedicated herself to the<br />
pursuit of creating beautiful art full-time.<br />
Other crafty people have taken to the internet to sell their<br />
wares on websites like Etsy, which celebrate hand-crafted work.<br />
Jennifer Wigginton, owner of Deep South Handmade, has<br />
found a great way to put her hobby of embroidering to<br />
good use as a source of extra income for her household.<br />
“I’ve always enjoyed seeing ‘plain’ things transformed into<br />
beautiful things,” she said. After helping her mom run an<br />
Etsy shop selling clothing for American Girl dolls, Jennifer<br />
decided that it would be a great way to share her work and<br />
hobby with others. In addition to her shop,<br />
she has partnered with the <strong>Madison</strong><br />
Marketplace gift shop and “loves to<br />
work with the wonderful ladies there!”<br />
Like Jennifer, Maggie Owen has also<br />
opened a successful Etsy shop called The Gold<br />
Magnolia, which has turned into her full-time career.<br />
Maggie has honed her life-long hobby of sewing into a<br />
home-grown clothing design empire. “I love to plan,<br />
pick out fabrics, select designs, and then create!” she<br />
exclaimed. Her repertoire includes modest and stylish<br />
clothes for girls. Shops like these are great not only for<br />
the crafters themselves, but also for consumers who<br />
want to support artists and find the perfect gift for their<br />
hard-to-buy-for loved ones.<br />
The celebrated ‘French Chef’ Julia Child encouraged<br />
us to “find something you’re passionate about and keep<br />
tremendously interested in it.” Her words have stayed with me and<br />
fueled my desire to be in the constant pursuit of happiness by<br />
indulging in interests and curiosities whenever possible. Our<br />
hobbies help us connect to people and find ways to express our<br />
identity to the world.<br />
So what will you be passionate about? Cooking? Reading? Bird<br />
watching? As for me, my camera will never be far away. n<br />
40 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Hometown madison • 41
42 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
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Hometown madison • 43
Families<br />
First<br />
for<br />
Canton<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
Families First for Mississippi has become a staple in<br />
communities across the state because of their resources<br />
for youth development, parenting and life skills, employment<br />
aide, and a myriad of other positive life assistance topics.<br />
Their newest location in Canton is sure to be a treasured<br />
gift to those in the community who could use a helping<br />
hand. They opened their doors on November 7th, 2017,<br />
and have hit the ground running. This month they are<br />
hosting a health expo to help locals make sure they start<br />
out the new year happy and healthy!<br />
44 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Hometown madison • 45
Families First is always looking for<br />
donations and volunteers willing to help.<br />
Their clothing closet offers people in<br />
need a place to come and find suitable<br />
clothing for interviews and work attire<br />
once they have procured employment.<br />
Gently used, work-appropriate clothing,<br />
shoes and accessories in a variety of<br />
sizes are always well received.<br />
Children’s clothing and books for all<br />
ages are also always accepted.<br />
Every service offered by Families<br />
First is available to everyone free of<br />
charge. “Our goal is to connect the<br />
dots and strengthen entire families<br />
through a generational approach<br />
called Gen+,” said Community Liaison<br />
Betsy Nicholson. Classes like Workforce<br />
Development, Life Skills, Parenting,<br />
Child Care Classes, and Anger<br />
Management are offered as well as a<br />
program called Read and Reap. “Our<br />
Read and Reap class takes place on<br />
Friday mornings from 9:30-11am. This is<br />
an opportunity for parents with young<br />
children to come in and spend quality<br />
time with their children reading and<br />
doing fun activities that promote school<br />
readiness and literacy,” said Betsy.<br />
46 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
“Many of our participants come in needing help<br />
with employability skills,” explained Betsy. Families<br />
First offers people assistance in creating resumes<br />
and provides resources to aid in finding suitable<br />
jobs. They even have a place for job-seekers to<br />
come and practice interview skills and learn tips to<br />
handle stress and conflict in the workplace. “We also<br />
have a lot of parents interested in our parenting<br />
classes,” she continued. “These classes are designed<br />
to enhance and support parents in their<br />
mission to raise healthy and<br />
school-ready children.”<br />
Executive Director of Mississippi Community<br />
Education Center, Dr. Nancy New and Executive<br />
Director of Family Resource Center, Christi Webb<br />
explain, “Our main goal for Families First for<br />
Mississippi is to impact the entire family by<br />
connecting the dots between all of the Mississippi<br />
family services. We are serving people in all areas<br />
of life. We believe that everyone deserves an<br />
opportunity to become a success.”<br />
__________________________________________<br />
If you are in need of assistance or would like to<br />
make a donation of time, money, or clothing,<br />
the new Canton location of Families First<br />
will be happy to see you.<br />
Hometown madison • 47
48 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong><br />
A Hot Night Out for a Cool Cause<br />
September 19, 2017 • Renaissance at Colony Park
Hometown madison • 49
The Price<br />
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The Story of<br />
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“Million Dollar Man”<br />
Dibiase<br />
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malco grandview<br />
theater<br />
50 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Hometown madison • 51
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54 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong><br />
That One Thing
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
In light of the recent flooding in Houston and wildfires in California,<br />
where people were literally forced from their homes with only what<br />
they could carry, and no time to spare, I considered the daunting task<br />
of having to decide, what does one take in that situation knowing<br />
that a complete loss was imminent? What is that one thing you<br />
couldn’t leave behind?<br />
Asked that question in two different decades and my answer might<br />
be drastically different.<br />
In my 20s, I would have been most concerned with my shoes and<br />
clothes. My purse collection, makeup, and favorite leather bomber<br />
jacket with fur trim would have all made the list, too. To this twentysomething<br />
year old, “stuff” was important.<br />
At fifty, my priorities have dramatically shifted. But when faced<br />
with the question about choosing what to take, I still can’t come up<br />
with a definitive answer.<br />
It’s a given that people and animals come first, so we’re going to<br />
assume that my family and dog are safely evacuated in our little pretend<br />
scenario. We’re also going to assume that we all have our phones,<br />
laptops, purses and wallets, driver’s licenses, and important documents<br />
and papers.<br />
But now comes the tough part. What non-essentials do you take?<br />
What is that one thing that you absolutely would not want to part with?<br />
I recently posed this question on social media and the responses<br />
were varied . . . and fascinating. Many of them were, understandably,<br />
about precious family photos – boxes of pictures and photo albums<br />
that have been curated, inherited, or passed along from one generation<br />
to the next, which could never be recreated. Ironically, it has been<br />
during my lifetime that many people have actually stopped printing<br />
pictures. I pause for a moment and wonder how future generations<br />
will remember us without printed evidence of our existence.<br />
Bibles ranked as a top item along with jewelry, treasured artwork,<br />
children’s blankets and hand-made family quilts. Guns and ammunition<br />
were surprisingly important to many, as well. I’d never considered the<br />
need for weapons in an evacuation-type situation, but anyone that’s<br />
ever misplaced a child’s cherished binky knows that it is worthy of<br />
being heavily guarded.<br />
So as I continued to contemplate the question at hand, my inability<br />
to easily identify what “things” I would take was becoming a source of<br />
frustration for me. I began to realize that I’m not particularly attached<br />
to anything! And don’t get me wrong, I have a safe-box and fully<br />
understand the importance of protecting certain legal documents, but<br />
it was very revealing to me that not one material possession in particular<br />
stood out as being of paramount significance.<br />
Things don’t wear matching pajamas on Christmas Eve and watch<br />
Christmas movies seen so many times that every line can practically<br />
be quoted by heart. Things didn’t cheer on our favorite kicker on the<br />
football field or feel the excitement of watching him make his first-ever<br />
field goal.<br />
Things can’t get all dressed up and take you to dinner on your<br />
birthday or celebrate when you achieve an important milestone.<br />
Things can’t reassure you when someone’s hurt your feelings.<br />
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my most<br />
prized possessions are my memories–of the life experiences and<br />
adventures shared with the people I adore most–and no box or album is<br />
big enough to contain them. They’re the people and places and feelings<br />
and moments. They’re the hugs and the smiles. And the laughter.<br />
It’s not about what we’ve bought, but what we’ve built–and no<br />
fire or flood can destroy it. And it is in that moment, the moment<br />
I was forced to articulate what it was that I actually treasured most,<br />
that I had a breakthrough and it was an amazing feeling.<br />
While it is not likely that my son can tell me a single thing he<br />
received last year for Christmas without having to really stop and think<br />
about it–he can sing every word to the family vacation song we made<br />
up while driving through the mountains six years ago. We hiked to a<br />
waterfall hidden deep in the elevations and got caught in a rainstorm<br />
on our way out. It was freezing and we were soaked to the bone . . . yet<br />
it will go down as one of the single greatest family experiences that we<br />
ever had. We were with each other, where we’re truly the most happy,<br />
and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.<br />
Experiences make for the greatest treasures. And memories.<br />
So while this exercise has come full circle and prompted some<br />
much-needed soul-searching on my part, I come away with a single,<br />
glorious realization. When the waters rise, and the flames grow near,<br />
I’m already packed. And while I’d never want to be faced with having<br />
to part with the material things that have played such an important<br />
role in creating our comforts of home and have helped to define our past,<br />
I know that as long as we have each other, everything will be alright. n<br />
Hometown madison • 55
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Hometown madison • 57
The CHALKBOARD<br />
madison county Schools<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> Central<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> Central High School broke its own record for the<br />
2016-2017 school year with a total of 80 AP Scholars. AP Scholars<br />
were awarded for scoring a three or higher on three AP exams.<br />
AP Scholars with Honor were awarded for scoring at least a 3.25<br />
on all AP exams taken and scores of three or higher on four or<br />
more exams. AP Scholars with Distinction were awarded for<br />
having an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and<br />
scores of three or higher on five or more exams.<br />
Emily Zhang, a 2017 graduate, was awarded State AP Scholar,<br />
which goes to one male and one female in each state with scores<br />
of three or higher on the greatest number of AP exams and the<br />
highest average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken. Zhang<br />
took a total of 14 exams. National AP Scholars were awarded for<br />
having an average of at least four on all AP exams taken and scores<br />
of four or higher on eight or more exams. The following 2017<br />
graduates were the National AP Scholars for <strong>Madison</strong> Central:<br />
Reyna Dixit, Kurk Harris, Jesse Li, Harrison McKinnis and<br />
Emily Zhang.<br />
Front row L-R: Current students AP Scholars Anna Bonvillain,<br />
Zoe Bush, Hannah Weaver and Kaylee Ricchetti. Second row left<br />
to right are AP Scholars with Distinction Parth Malaviya and David<br />
McDonald, AP Scholar with Honor Daniel Ramsey, AP Scholar<br />
Michael Zhang and AP Scholar with Distinction Rimika Banerjee.<br />
Third row L-R: AP Scholars Eli Howland, Chanu Cherukuri and<br />
Abigail Barton, AP Scholar with Honor John Michels and AP<br />
Scholar with Distinction James Michels. Fourth row left to right<br />
are AP Scholar with Distinction Jake Dellinger, AP Scholars<br />
with Honor Trey McMullan and Will Humphreys, AP Scholar<br />
Stroud Tolleson, AP Scholar with Honor Maddie Gall and AP<br />
Scholar with Distinction Alex Nguyen. Back row L-R: AP<br />
Scholars with Honor Luke Little, John Bethea, Logan Scott and<br />
John Walker Webb, AP Scholar with Distinction Noah Grovich.<br />
AP Scholars not pictured are Martha Brinson, Anna Brock, Alida<br />
Leroux, Bailey Magee, John Martin Paczak, Erin Patton, Advait<br />
Praveen and Aditya Surakanti. AP Scholars with Honor not<br />
pictured are Alexa Aubrey and Case Draughn. AP Scholars with<br />
Distinction not pictured are Mary Ranie Miller, Maeve Rigney<br />
and Claire Smith.<br />
Senior Nelson Washington represented his class at the Beyond<br />
Horizons–A Recognition of Scholarship and Achievement on<br />
December 8. This event was hosted by the University of Mississippi<br />
Medical Center. Students were chosen based on academics<br />
and plans to major in a STEM discipline in college. Pictured with<br />
Washington are parents Tiffiney and Curtis Washington.<br />
Seniors John Martin Paczak and Mary Ranie Miller are the<br />
Wendy’s Heisman winners for the <strong>Madison</strong> Central Class of<br />
<strong>2018</strong>. This award is based on academics and athletics.<br />
58 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Homecoming court, Front row L-R: Nora Bennett, Stone Finley,<br />
Harper Yowell. Second row L-R: sophomores Diamond Bracey,<br />
Chloe Livingston; juniors Hannah Brady, Vertreace Sanders;<br />
seniors Laquintiana Kidd, Catherine Whitten, Brooke Thomas,<br />
Julia Bhansali, Brookleigh Johnson, Isabella Wade; juniors Bonnie<br />
Hill, Sydney Storm; sophomores Anna Cate Strong, Allison Hill;<br />
freshmen Lana Evans, Lexie Sanders, Anna Kay Bumgarner.<br />
Back row L-R: sophomores Reggie Black, Graham Quarles;<br />
juniors Myles Hopson, Peyton Wilbanks; seniors Bailey Magee,<br />
Will Stanard, Adam McDonal, Cedric Beal, Kobe Cole, Brooks<br />
Parker; juniors Xeric Watson, Michael Zhang; sophomores<br />
Brooks Stewart, Logan Landis; freshmen Creek Robertson,<br />
Daniel Zhang, Duke Arnold.<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> Central High School senior Brooke Thomas was<br />
crowned homecoming queen. Pictured with Thomas is her<br />
father, Dave Thomas.<br />
Journalism students attended the Mississippi Scholastic Press<br />
Association fall conference at the University of Southern Mississippi<br />
on October 30. <strong>Madison</strong> Central’s yearbook staff brought home<br />
awards for: best yearbook copy, illustration/graphic package, sports<br />
writing/reporting, state finalist for best yearbook of the year, overall<br />
design, senior advertising design, photography, feature spread, two<br />
awards for sports spreads, two awards for academic photos, sports<br />
writing/reporting, and two awards in feature writing/reporting.<br />
Pictured are members of the broadcast crew, yearbook and<br />
newspaper staffs. Front row: broadcast adviser Josh Stanford and<br />
yearbook/newspaper adviser Vicky Williams. Second row L-R:<br />
Emma Stone, Emma Gibbs, Alex Ricketts, Reagan Leeper, Caroline<br />
Riley. Third row L-R: Porter Herrington, Jillian Russell, Kaylee<br />
Ricchetti. Fourth row L-R: Carter Slater, Cameron Rogillio, Adele<br />
Russell, Phoebe Waters, Maeve Rigney, Ashton Giesecke. Fifth row<br />
L-R: Cameron Broadway, Gene Crunk, Sara Cavicchi, Mary Grace<br />
Nelson, Jordan Carter, Katie King, Kaitlyn Sills, Hayden Ray,<br />
Bradlea James and Bezal Jupiter. Sixth row L-R: Ryan Ricchetti,<br />
Ella Ward, Katherine Pudish, Elizabeth Barton, Vanessa Anguiano,<br />
Jordan Williams.<br />
Submissions provided by local officials from each individual district and not to be considered editorial opinion.<br />
Hometown madison • 59
The CHALKBOARD<br />
madison county Schools<br />
Canton Academy<br />
The newly formed Outreach Club at Canton Academy organized<br />
the upper school students who collected 595 boxes for Operation<br />
Christmas Child through Samaritan’s Purse. Pictured are CA<br />
Outreach Club officers Shelby Johnson, Prestley Smith, Sloan<br />
Powell, Emerald Ravenstein, Annaleigh Sandridge, and Betsy Pace<br />
during their packing party.<br />
The student council organizes Santa visiting elementary<br />
students. He listens to the wishes of Ava & Will Hughes.<br />
After reading “Same Kind of Different as Me” and having heard<br />
about the movie’s creation from Executive Producer Stephen<br />
Johnston (Jackson, MS), Canton Academy’s upper school took<br />
a trip to Malco to see the movie.<br />
The Canton Academy student council spent the morning at<br />
MADCAAP packing food boxes and helping organizing<br />
supplies. Pictured are Front: Sydney Thomason, Jenson<br />
Williams, Allie Parkinson, Taylor Rosamond, Macy Gordy;<br />
Middle: Ava Dickerson, Betsy Pace, Leah Brooke Irby, Virginia<br />
Grace Lavender, Lyric Stewart, Edi Craft; Back: Andrew<br />
Hankins, Brayden Brumfield, Hayden Vaughn, Chris Clanton,<br />
Tony Handy, Lane Martin, Jacob Lott, Mrs. Lucy Johnson,<br />
Colson Lambert, Case Lambert<br />
60 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong><br />
Submissions provided by local officials from each individual district and not to be considered editorial opinion.
MRA<br />
Academy Talent Show Contestants<br />
The following students at <strong>Madison</strong>-Ridgeland Academy auditioned<br />
for and were selected as 2017 Talent Show contestants.<br />
Congratulations on this honor! These MRA Patriots did a<br />
wonderful job during last week’s talent show:<br />
L-R: James Hutcheson, Kat Nurse, Davis Moody, Parker Anderson,<br />
Sara Carson Hailey, Noelle Gee, Audrey Harper, Lilly Cobb, Sarah<br />
Powell, Caroline Redman, Skylar Jacobs, Drew Douglas, Sydney<br />
Holladay, Abby Sheffield, Lucy Allen, and Kate Hendry<br />
Fall signing day was held on Tuesday, November 28, . MRA had the following seniors commit/sign to play collegiately:<br />
Davis Ferguson<br />
Baseball<br />
Meridian<br />
Community College<br />
Bryson Jones<br />
Golf<br />
Copiah Lincoln<br />
Community College<br />
McAuley Ross<br />
Equestrian<br />
University of<br />
Tennessee at Martin<br />
Grace Self<br />
Softball<br />
University of<br />
West Alabama<br />
Breckon Young<br />
Track & Field<br />
Mississippi State<br />
University<br />
Congratulations to Aubree Dillon for being named<br />
<strong>Madison</strong>-Ridgeland Academy’s 2017 Homecoming Queen!<br />
Back Row: Blake Baldwin, Aubree Dillon, Caroline Cobb/2016<br />
Homecoming Queen, and MRA Board President Alan Hart<br />
Front Row: Hattie Hedglin and Harrison Rich<br />
Hometown madison • 61
The CHALKBOARD<br />
madison county Schools<br />
<strong>Madison</strong> Avenue<br />
Over the summer, French drains were placed in front of MAUE.<br />
While the construction workers were digging they made some<br />
amazing discoveries. The crew found a tooth from a Megaladon,<br />
an arrowhead, a map with riddles, keys, a piece of train track and<br />
plow parts. Mayor Mary expressed her excitement when keys<br />
were found because she had a treasure chest at City Hall and<br />
didn’t know where the keys were. Most of these exciting finds<br />
were sent to museums for further analysis.<br />
The teachers began studying the history of <strong>Madison</strong> with<br />
their classes. Students learned about the Native Americans<br />
who lived in the area and the railroad that passed through town.<br />
Students also learned about the fire of 1900.<br />
On Thursday, October 26th, students and parents were<br />
invited to Adventure Night at MAUE. Students and their<br />
parents learned about the different time periods of <strong>Madison</strong><br />
and read a clue by the <strong>Madison</strong> Fire Department, the <strong>Madison</strong><br />
Police Department, and Mayor Mary. The students had to work<br />
their way through STEM activities to earn a portion of the key.<br />
After completing all three challenges, students were able to earn<br />
a key. One student from each grade pulled a key to open the<br />
treasure chest Mayor Mary had at City Hall. The third key<br />
worked! When Mayor Mary opened the treasure chest, she<br />
found a golden caboose!<br />
62 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
Ann Smith<br />
Principal Melissa Wise Philley traveled to Washington, D.C.<br />
to be recognized by NAESP as a National Distinguished<br />
Principal.<br />
During the month of December, we celebrated our students<br />
and taught them about generosity. We had three different<br />
stations for the children to attend during the event. At one<br />
station, the students were celebrated for their positive behavior<br />
and the counselor discussed the importance of generosity.<br />
At another station, students made cards to be donated to local<br />
nursing homes and organizations. At the third station, students<br />
packed blessings bags for individuals in need at local organizations.<br />
We celebrated students and taught them a lesson to encourage<br />
their personal character growth.<br />
Rosa Scott<br />
Three students won first place in the <strong>Madison</strong> County District<br />
Reading Fair. High School Fiction Storyboard- Emily O’Reilly<br />
High School Fiction Digital- Marshuna Pippin<br />
High School Non-fiction Digital- Christian Gines<br />
Submissions provided by local officials from each individual district and not to be considered editorial opinion.<br />
Hometown madison • 63
The CHALKBOARD<br />
madison county Schools<br />
Germantown<br />
Connor Carter, a senior at Germantown High, signed his letter<br />
of intent to play baseball at Hinds Community College. Pictured<br />
with Connor (front row) are parents, Christian & Lesley Carter.<br />
Back Row: Drew Crowell (Assistant GHS Baseball Coach),<br />
Wesley Bolden (Assistant GHS Baseball Coach), Brian Hardy<br />
(Head GHS Baseball Coach), TJ Grissom (Assistant GHS<br />
Baseball Coach), Presley Hill (Assistant GHS Baseball Coach).<br />
Harrison Haley, a senior at Germantown High, signed his letter<br />
of intent to play baseball at Hinds Community College. Pictured<br />
with Harrison (front row) are parents, Chris & Leianne Haley.<br />
Back Row: Drew Crowell (Assistant GHS Baseball Coach),<br />
Wesley Bolden (Assistant GHS Baseball Coach), Brian Hardy<br />
(Head GHS Baseball Coach), TJ Grissom (Assistant GHS<br />
Baseball Coach), Presley Hill (Assistant GHS Baseball Coach).<br />
McKenzie Nichols, a senior at Germantown High School, signed<br />
her letter of intent to play softball at Mississippi Gulf Coast<br />
Community College. Pictured with Kenzie (front row) are<br />
parents Jason & Courtney Nichols. Back Row: Assistant GHS<br />
Softball Coaches, Karen McCullouch and Kenny Perry, and Head<br />
GHS Softball Coach, Lindsey McMullen.<br />
Laura Peyton Trammell, a senior at Germantown High School,<br />
signed her letter of intent to play softball at Jones Community<br />
College. Pictured with Laura Peyton (front row) are parents<br />
Shane & Paige Trammell. Back Row: Stella Melton (grandmother),<br />
Assistant GHS Softball Coaches, Karen McCullouch<br />
and Kenny Perry, and Head GHS Softball Coach, Lindsey<br />
McMullen.<br />
64 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong><br />
Submissions provided by local officials from each individual district and not to be considered editorial opinion.
Hometown madison • 65
The<br />
Time<br />
Coin<br />
Camille Anding<br />
Ole Man Winter is in the<br />
process of wrapping us in<br />
his gray cloak.<br />
Just when I need to have visions of<br />
spring-green and flowers, the arctic winds<br />
pop the tree limbs and chase the little birds<br />
into hiding. New Year seems to come at a<br />
poor meteorological time.<br />
<strong>January</strong> days usually mean times of<br />
looking through the flower and seed<br />
catalogs to select plants for the new flower<br />
bed that I’m always preparing for spring.<br />
With temps in the up and down, cold and<br />
warm, I can’t concentrate on blooming<br />
plants! In fact, I’m concerned that the bulbs<br />
I planted in the fall have enough antifreeze.<br />
The only things that seem to flourish<br />
in these wintry conditions are flu and virus<br />
bugs. The winds speed their arrival and<br />
energize them as they travel. Grocery lists go<br />
from the party ingredients of December<br />
celebrations to fever and cough reliefs and<br />
remedies for chapped lips and skin.<br />
And the nights come quickly! They<br />
pounce on 5:00, and their darkness<br />
magnifies the chilling howls of the winds.<br />
Even the sun seems to have run for cover.<br />
It’s a brand new year – <strong>2018</strong> – a mere<br />
infant in the first days of <strong>January</strong>, but the<br />
bleak landscape and the constant hum of<br />
the heating unit are attempting to give a<br />
dismal outlook for the coming year.<br />
Suddenly I have a mental picture of<br />
our children when they were toddlers.<br />
They had no fears as little ones close to<br />
their parents. They would climb onto the<br />
kitchen chair, scramble to the kitchen<br />
island and squeal for their daddy to catch<br />
them. And he would, and they had every<br />
assurance that in their mid-air flight,<br />
Daddy’s strong arms would secure them.<br />
The night is still dark, the winds are<br />
whistling, but there’s a special warmth<br />
about me, and I know it’s not related to<br />
the thermostat. That mental picture has<br />
reminded me that my Heavenly Father<br />
stands within arms’ reach, and He says,<br />
“Launch out into the New Year. I’m here –<br />
always – and I know the way.”<br />
It’s a small Voice, but it muffles the<br />
winds and my fears. n<br />
66 • Jan/Feb <strong>2018</strong>
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Hometown madison • 67
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