Third annual Celebrate Madison recognizes local military family, shows plans for city growth

MADISON – The City of Madison, the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and the Rocket City Trash Pandas brought the community together with city leaders and local businesses and organizations again at the third annual Celebrate Madison.

The new Costco location on Highway 72, North Alabama foster care non-profit Kids to Love, local Belgian waffle company Waffle-Bitte, and Madison Visionary Partners were among the area businesses and organizations represented at the event.

In the program portion of the event, President of the Madison Chamber of Commerce Michelle Epling presented Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols with a check for $11,000. The funds were raised from the Chamber’s Back to School Breakfast in August and will go to the school district’s Student Fund.

“Supporting our Student Fund helps students who are in the poverty region. 1 out of every 4 students in Madison, Alabama fall below the poverty level, and so, we help the students have opportunities to perform in an extracurricular, to have yearbooks, to have robes at graduation, go on field trips, and the money that we have been given by you today as well as other donations help us to help those students,” said Nichols.

Alice and Steve Lessman of Signalink also presented the Berger family as this year’s Military Family of the Year. Colonel Steven Berger has served the country in various capacities from Headquarters Battalion Commander First Corps in Kabul, Afghanistan to Commander Area Support Group Kuwait. Colonel Berger, his wife, and three daughters are active volunteers at Heritage Elementary, where Colonel Berger founded the All Pro Dad Chapter to support the school’s fathers in leading their families.

“We consider it a very great privilege to show our appreciation for those who protect our freedoms. It is also very essential for us to recognize the families of these servicemembers who make significant sacrifices in their support to the people who maintain our freedom,” said Steve Lessman. “Today, we are happy to honor the Berger family, and we are grateful for the opportunity to recognize them.”

Mayor Paul Finley closed out the program with the annual State of the City Address. Finley declared the city to be “strong” in finances, schools, public safety, and sense of community and “continues to get stronger.” Traffic, education, and public safety are areas he said the city is focusing on “stretching taxpayer revenues” to strengthen the city.

He reported that the I-565 interchange at Town Madison is within just months of completion, and is expected to be ready for use in January or February of 2025. He shared that the city of Huntsville, Madison County, and the city of Madison are currently working together to update Slaughter Road and complete the ongoing widening of I-565 to six lanes between Wall Triana Highway and County Line Road.

As for education, Finley said the city is making preparations for the new elementary school in Limestone County by improving roads and traffic flows in the area. As for public safety, the city is transforming former Hexagon building 23A into a Public Safety Annex to expand police and fire operations.

Finley acknowledged that the city has many other projects waiting to be worked on and encouraged Madison citizens to share their concerns with him.

“I hope you come see me,” said Finley. “If you want to come get information, if you want to come do something positive for our city, please come see us. We welcome the chance to talk to you. We never turn someone down.”