Madison, AL

The City of Madison Alabama unveils the new "Access Madison" Initiative. Mayor Paul Finley and members of the Madison City Council are gearing up for Access Madison. The new initiative is designed to improve communication, increase accessibility and encourage proactive interaction between Madison residents and our city leadership. We all heard promises during the election last year about "bringing our city government closer to the people it serves". Well, the promise has been kept!

Mayor Finley believes that by involving members of our fine community in our city government, the stronger and more effective our city will be. That makes perfect sense to me.

Several component will be a part of Access Madison and these are a few of the components to kick it off:

Madison City Website, www.madisonal.gov -The city website will be redesigned and upgraded, allowing residents and visitors one-click access to city information. They will feature email updates for community news and events, road closures and much more.

Monthly Community Forums- Starting February 6th, Mayor Paul Finley will host monthly open community forums. Each month will feature info on the services of a different city department. The department head will be in attendance for question and answer sessions. The times will be rotated monthly to accommodate everyone. Breakfast meetings one month, lunch the next, etc.

Individual Meetings with the Mayor-Beginning January 20th, any city resident can set up a personal 30 minute meeting with the Mayor, to discuss any issues, concerns or ideas to improve the quality of life and city services improvements. The Mayor will designate 2 hours, twice a month. These spots are on a first come first serve basis, so call early to reserve your appointment. The Mayors office number is 256-772-5603.

Mayor Finley has stated that these steps of Access Madison are just the beginning. He feels it is important for our citizens to be informed AND involved.

This is our opportunity to become a true part of our community. I personally am so excited about the new leadership here in Madison Alabama and look forward to becoming more involved with my community!

For more information on Access Madison, contact the Mayor's office or email at mayors.office@madisonal.gov

The 2009 Community Meeting Schedule is as follows:

Breakfast meetings will be held from 7:00 am to 7:45 am and will be held at Ivey's Restaurant. The dates are: March 6, May 1, July 10, September 11 and November 13. Ivey's is located at 101 Ivory Pl
Ivey's is located at 101 Ivory Pl Madison, AL 35758 (256) 461-8450‎

Luncheon meetings will be held from 11:30 to 12:15 and will be held at Oh Bryan's Family Steak House. The dates are: February 6, April 10, June 5, August 7, October 16 and December 11th. Oh Bryans is located on Brownsferry Road: 100 Plaza Blvd, Madison, AL‎ - (256) 325-8646‎

Huntsville Alabama Homes

Madison Alabama gals, let's learn to kick some butt! The Madison Alabama Police Department is now offering Rape Aggression Defense Systems Physical Defense Courses. They will be offering 2 classes in the spring and 2 in the fall. The spring class dates are March 9-13 and April 13-17th.

The classes are FREE! They are limited to only 20 participants so be sure to sign up quickly if you are interested. This would be a great class to bring your teen daughter. Minimum age is 12. Classes are held 5 nights, Monday-Friday and will last approximately one hour each night. This year they will be offering an additional night of advanced training.

Of course, appropriate attire is required. Tennis shoes and athletic attire are probably your best bet and all class material will be provided by the instructor.

For registration or further information, please contact Investigator Christie Gover at 256-772-5618. She is a certified RAD Instructor!

So come on ladies, let's learn how to kick some butt, if needed of course :) Thanks to the Madison Alabama Police Department for caring enough to give us the tools to keep us safe.

Huntsville Alabama Homes

B&B Crossroads Restaurant is off the beaten path in Madison Alabama, but definitely worth finding! What began as a store, is now a gathering place for the locals of Madison and Limestone County. B&B has been in business since 1945.

B&B Crossroads was originally opened to service the Burgreen Gin, which is now known as the Burgreen and Black Gin. This has been a long standing tradition for local cotton farmers.

The founders were Lloyd and Dewanda Black. Their vision was to provide good food at a good price for people in the area. They retired in 1996.

B&B Crossroads reopened in 2008 under the original name. The new owners, Jack and Cindy Truett, see to it that the needs of the community are still being met. They have done a wonderful job so far!

Meet Cindy, the owner

Last week I had out of town clients and they wanted to experience "off the beaten track" dining. I instantly thought of B&B Crossroads. Their family of 4 loved it and it goes without saying that I did too!

B&B Crossroads offers daily lunch specials. Our specials that day were Chicken and Rice or a Spaghetti dinner. I chose the Chicken and Rice. It also came with 3 sides. I had mashed potatoes, pinto beans, a small tossed salad and cornbread. We all thought it was a good meal. The mashed potatoes were instant, I think, but otherwise, we were happy. From a BBQ Pork sandwich, to a large breakfast with eggs over easy, ham, hash browns and biscuits, we all left happy and very very full!

You can tell by the parking lot that this is the locals favorite place to gather. From farm equipment, to sedans, you will find a mixed crowd here, which makes it all the better!

While dining, you will notice all of the beautiful murals hand painted by none other than the cook at B&B Crossroads. It's obvious his talents are not just limited to cooking.

B&B Crossroads Restaraunt is located at 29484 HSV Brownsferry Road, at the intersection of Burgreen Road and Brownsferry. You can't miss it! It's off the beaten path in Madison Alabama. Their hours are 6 am to 2 pm, 7 days a week. The Phone number is 256-232-2955. Stop in and say hi to Jack and Cindy. Where smiles and coffee are plentiful!

UPDATE: PLEASE read all of the customer comments below and then decide for yourself. It seems as if they have had a change of management, or staff. I may go back one more time to see how my experience is.

Search for homes here: Huntsville Alabama Homes

It's time once again for the annual Christmas Parade in Madison Alabama. The parade will be Saturday, December 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The theme for this years parade is "All I want for Christmas".

Bundle up and come celebrate our wondrous Holiday season here in Madison.

This annual Christmas Parade in Madison will take place in Madison's historic district. Following the parade, join families and friends while they gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the downtown Village Green. There, you will find carolers and enjoy instrumental music around the Roundhouse! Join in the singing! Say hello to Santa Clause! Don't forget the hot chocolate at the Gazebo!

Here is a map of the Christmas Parade in Madison Alabama:

In our great country, sadly, many of those that risk their lives by fighting for us, can't afford to give their children a Christmas this year. Many soldiers can barely keep food on the table. Thankfully, our fine city of Madison Alabama realizes that and extends a helping hand from the community to these wonderful soldiers. They deserve our help. They fight for our freedom and risk their lives for US, so we can sleep safely in our warm beds each night. They fight so we CAN enjoy our holidays. They fight for our freedom. I believe the Holiday season is all about paying it forward.

We live in the highest income per capita city in Alabama. I think many of us are able to give something. If it is in your budget this year, please help make a difference.

This year, the City of Madison, along with the Army Reserve and local National Guard is again joining hands to host the "Holiday Cheer Brigade". Last year, they raised enough money to help 11 military families, by collecting over $10,000.

Lets all take time out this year and show our Military how much we do support them and respect them. It's time to pay back, don't you think? If we all ban together as the fine community we are, just imagine the smiles on the faces of these Military members , when they can stand proudly by their children on Christmas morning. Let's allow these children the right to believe the REALLY IS a Santa Claus. I still believe, don't you?

Happy Holidays and God Bless America!

Here is all the information you need to make a difference:

The City of Madison in conjunction with the local National Guard and Army Reserve is asking for your support to make this holiday season a happy one for soldiers and their families. Last year alone the Holiday Cheer Brigade made an impact by collecting over $10,000 in money and gifts for 11 military families in the Tennessee Valley. Gifts and other expressions of gratitude will be collected at Madison City Hall on 100 Hughes Road from now until December 17^th. Our team will then wrap and deliver all of the gifts to the families on Friday, December 19^th. Appropriate gifts, gift cards, and cash are all appreciated. Contributions can be made to a particular family or families, or can be undesignated. Any check donations should be made payable to the City of Madison. The City aggregates the money for each family and issues a City check to them. We designate the families Alpha, Bravo, etc to preserve their anonymity. Let's show these military families our community spirit and make sure they will always remember the 2008 holiday season as one filled with joy and hope for the New Year. For more information, please call the Mayor's Office at 772-5603.

Here is a list of some of our families in need:

Family Alpha. Soldier came back from deployment and was told his job no longer exist. He has three young kids: a daughter - Ariel (10), a son - Jacob (5), and daughter - Ariana (?). His wife takes care of their elderly sick parents. He is working odd jobs to stay in their home and feed the family.

Family Bravo. Just had a baby son (Xander - 3 months). He does not have a job. She works for Volunteers of America. They barely are making enough to get food for the family. Fellow Soldiers have made collections to help them. They are in need of tires for their car.

Family Charlie. A dad of 5 children. He works at Domino's delivering pizzas. He is a hard worker who would never ask for help. His children are: Elizabeth (15 yrs) girl; Elijah (6 yrs)(has autism)boy; Jacob (3) boy; Gideon (2) boy; Magdalene (4 mos.)girl.

Family Delta. A single mom with 2 young boys. Daycare expenses takes up a lot of her paycheck. She is struggling to make ends meet. She won't ask for help. Children are: Cameron (4) and Kyle (9).

Family Echo. A single mother and is expecting a second child. Her son JaTavion is 2. Additionally, she has just taken custody of her youngest brother, Timothy (17). Her daycare expenses for JaTavion and additional expenditures for Timothy are placing a strain on her budget. She often sacrifices so the boys will have basic needs. With money being tight, she wishes to provide a nice Christmas for her son and her brother.

Family Foxtrot. A single mother of two. Daughter Miracle (7) and son Ray (2). She recently moved into their new home to accommodate her and her children. She is working but her income is just enough to cover the bills. She is struggling to making ends meet and needs assistance to help make Christmas for her children.

Family Hotel. A father of three. He is the sole provider for his family. He is working two jobs and struggles to make ends meet. His wife is a stay-at-home mom and takes care of their son Nathan (2), and their daughters Alexis (5) and Jade (4mos). He stresses over how he will be able to provide for his family at Christmas.

Family Indigo. A single parent and mother to her son Marlin (16). Her son is doing well at school and excels at being an athlete. Due to a tight budget, she is often faced with not being able to provide adequate support for her son's needs. She wishes to give her son his first real Christmas in many years.

Family Juliet. A single mother with 2 yrs old child. She is struggling to make ends meet for her and her child.

Family Kilo. His Wife is battling illness. Expenses are mounting because of her illness. Money is tight.

Family Lima. She is married with two daughters 8 and 10. Money is tight for gifts for Christmas. He would appreciate any assistance.

Family Momma. A single parent with child 16 months old. Day care expenses make it difficult to save money for Christmas.