Since they first took over the Brightwood General Store more than a decade ago, Debby and David Peake have uncovered many historic items left by generations of families who used to run the Ridgeview Road store. But one item in particular – a pastel-colored family portrait – caught their eye. The painting – on a three and half foot tall by two and half foot wide canvas stretched across a wood frame – features three young girls.

It started as a friendly competition among the staff at Madison Primary School to see who could lose the most weight before spring break. The end result transformed Novum resident Denise Webb’s life.

In April,  Aging Together celebrated the extensive spirit of volunteerism by and for its seniors in Madison County with a campaign called “Together We Can.” Volunteerism is nothing new in Madison County.  Every spring for the last four years Madison County Aging Together has hosted a Community Conversation on Aging.  This year’s theme was “Celebrating Seniors Contributions to the Community.” As in other years,  participants talked about Madison’s sense of community and seniors part in that. 

Renovation work at the George James Community Center in Radiant continues to move forward, while center officials look for ways to get more folks to use it.
“More than anything, we’re looking to get the community involved, we want them to understand it is a community center,” said the Rev. Frank Lewis, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church and a member of the center’s board of directors. “We have a board of directors that operates it, but it is here for the community.”

When Syria resident Jean Link was a child, she was a mess.Every morning her mother would dress her in some type of lacey outfit and by the end of the day it was all ripped and dirty from playing outside, she said. “I really wanted to be a boy. For Christmas I asked for a race car set, a train set and boys underwear,” Link said of her “tom boy” childhood.

A Madison County woman will leave for a missionary trip at the end of this month from which she may not return. Mary Grace of Lost Valley will head to Suleimaniya, Iraq on July 31 as part of a Christian Peacemaker Team, an international organization that sends groups to areas involved in crisis situations, she said. 

Doctors didn’t mince words when Kathy Stein was expecting her first child more than 30 years ago. They told the former Madison County resident that her health problems made a successful delivery impossible. But she stuck with the pregnancy and nine months later, on Nov. 3, 1975, Stein gave birth to a baby girl. Weighing just five pounds, five ounces she felt as though her daughter was a “miracle baby.”

In an effort to preserve the county’s history and assist those interested in tracking their heritage, the Madison County Historical Society is working to account for each and every gravesite in the county.

Frank Anderson is the winner of the Madison County Lions Club’s 18th annual Madison Award. The award is intended to recognize and encourage outstanding voluntary service in Madison County. While the award is presented each year to one outstanding individual, it honors all those who are part of the community of caring in Madison County.

Madison County’s future leaders are set to attend a statewide conference to hone their diplomacy skills. Madison American Legion Post 157 has selected Madison County High School juniors Joseph Adams Jr., Michael Butters Jr., Julie Eaheart and Sara-Margaret Graves, to attend the 2008 Virginia Boys and Girls State conferences this summer.

It is time for this year’s Community Conversation on Aging, a public forum for citizens and organizations in Madison County. This two-way conversation is an opportunity to the community to hear about progress and provide feedback on senior needs and issues. All community members are welcome, including older adults, their families and all concerned with senior quality of life and services. (The event is set for 10 a.m.-noon May 29 at Beth Car Baptist Church in Madison.).

When local officials first started discussing rejuvenating a little noticed piece of property on the corner of Main and Church streets in downtown Madison, they weren’t sure who they would name it after. But as soon as Madison resident Mayo Yowell suggested the recently redone park be named in Lawrence Beasley’s honor – it made perfect sense.

“I love it when I get to work and the kids run to me and say ‘Katrina, you’re here.’” Boys and Girls of Madison County staff member Katrina Lockwood will hear a lot more of this in the coming months. The facility, which officially opened last month, had a grand opening celebration April 6. That’s when Katrina, who is also a Madison County High School senior, made her comment.

* The deadline for submitting Madison Area Community Calendar items is 4:30 p.m. Monday for that week’s paper. Items may be faxed to (540) 948-3045 or e-mailed to . Please include a contact person’s name and phone number. Items are subject to editing and appear on a space-available basis, with the priority going to events that will occur sooner. (The deadline is earlier for the Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving, July Fourth, Memorial Day and Labor Day weeks papers.)

Running four miles home every day after practice – for basketball, football or track, depending on the season – wasn’t glamorous, but it helped make 78-year-old Pratts resident David Pollok into who he is today.

MONTPELIER STATION, Va.—James Madison’s lifelong home is looking more and more like the home in which he lived.

The past few years have seen a plethora of horse expos in Virginia and Maryland. We typically think of horse expos as huge affairs set in giant stadiums or convention centers.

Here are events in the Madison County area.

Medical emergencies are handled by the volunteer Madison County Rescue Squad — Wayne Jones, president; Steve Grayson, vice president; and Dave Mickelberry, captain; and by a paid squad headed by Lewis Jenkins, director, EMS. 

Here is a list of faith groups in the Madison County area.

Here is a list of churches in the Madison County area.

The Madison County 4-H program is a volunteer-led, informal educational program for youth ages 5-19.

The town of Madison is the county seat and commercial center.

Law enforcement is provided by a sheriff, his 11 full-time road deputies, three full-time investigators, a full-time court officer, a full-time school officer and two full-time administrators.

Herre is information about utilities in Madison County.

Here is information about Madison County government.

Here is information about public and private schools in the Madison County area.