From The Publisher

Historic Downtown Madison’s holiday decorations are a real treat.

The local businesses and the City of Madison do a wonderful job of making the season feel colorful and bright.

As newcomers to the community, my family and I have really enjoyed these efforts this year. We’ve made it a point to drive through downtown once a week to see the lights and any new sights.

Mayor Troy Trulock and the City of Madison employees host wonderful events downtown to help bring in the holiday cheer. My family and I were able to attend the Lantern Parade and the lighting of the downtown Christmas trees.

Gayle Milam, event and volunteer coordinator for the City of Madison, did a tremendous job in making this year’s lighting ceremony special.

Gayle spent many hours behind the scenes coordinating the Christmas tree decorating effort with each participating businesses. Mayor Trulock and Gayle even found solutions to help stake down the Christmas trees so that the high winds could not topple them over.

I’m sure there are many unsung Madison heroes like Gayle Milam who understand the importance of a job like lighting downtown.

These tasks can make a major impact on families who live here and visit here.  I’ve found it is truly what makes living in Madison so great.

Another wonderful tradition to the holiday cheer in downtown Madison is Christmas Card Lane, presented by the Madison Arts Council and Planet Fitness. These displays of holiday art can be seen in front of beautiful historic homes.

The Madison Record and Madison County Record produces a weekly column called “Why I Love This Town.” It can feature people, places or traditions that make this community a great place to live.

We invite you to submit your stories on why Madison means so much to you.

It will be our pleasure to publish those stories.

Simply email them to news@madisoncountyrecord.com or mail them to P.O. Box 859 Madison, AL 35758.