Rec Center Director Bill Wilder Brings Team-First Vision and Momentum to Alabaster’s “Crown Jewel” By Lee Hurley Photo by Steven Ross When Alabaster opens its 84,000-square-foot recreation center alongside the new library, Director Bill Wilder wants residents to feel like they’re stepping into more than a building—he wants them to feel community. A few weeks … Read More
Binzer wins excellence award From Left: Retired Mountain Brook City Manager Sam Gaston, Brain Binzer and Pelham City Manager and ACCMA President Gretchen DiFante Alabaster City Administrator Brian Binzer received the 2025-2026 Sam Gaston Vocational Excellence Award from the Alabama City County Management Association in late May. The award, named in honor of longtime former … Read More
Thompson Sweethearts Tyger and Kayla Quarles Celebrate Law, Love and a New Chapter By Sarah Owens By the time Tyger and Kayla Quarles finally sat still on the beach in Maui, it was mid-August 2025, and the whirlwind that had defined the previous year had finally stopped. “We were over everything while everything was happening,” … Read More
Front Row, Left to Right: Brandon Matthews, Kelsi Higgins, Samantha Edwards, Lydia Byrd, Allie Ellis, Sailor Higgins, Makenna Njuani, Nylah Lane, Hallie Sheffield, Jaley Brown, Britton Walker, Anna Kate Lawley, Kennedy Jackson, Jimmy Elmore, Holly Norwood, Emily Reid, McKenna Davis, Brody Logan, Karen Fillingim Back Row, Left to Right: Eli Williamson, Luke McGraw, Carson Blackmon, … Read More
Happy 250th Birthday America! By Brandon McKim With America’s 250th birthday days away, it had me wondering about the birth of veterinary medicine and also thinking “poor anxiety pups here come the fireworks again!” From 1776 through the 1850s was the Era of the War Horse. Founding father, General George Washington gave birth to the … Read More
Judi Pritchard to give a talk about brain health, resilience, and hope. Judi Pritchard, Founder of the Care & Thrive Foundation, will be giving a talk at TEDx Alabaster on August 1 about brain health. With 30 years of experience as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, her foundation is about bringing … Read More
AC: Now that we’re halfway through the first year of the new term, what are you excited about seeing completed, and what’s still on the horizon that you are looking forward to? Stacy Rakestraw: We are all looking forward to the completion of the new Recreation Center and Library. The contractors are doing an incredible … Read More
By Loyd McIntosh Will Evans broke out of his cocoon when he left the familiar world of coaching to jump headfirst into entrepreneurship. Appropriately, he named his business Butterfly Training, with the goal of helping other people break out of their cocoons as well. Evans sees the process of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly … Read More
Master Gardner and retired OBGYN Dr. Richard Cybulsky to speak at the Albert L Scott Library in September. By Lee Hurley Photo by Jordan Wald Retired obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Richard Cybulsky has spent a lifetime welcoming new beginnings—first in the delivery room and now in the garden. After a 37-year career as an OBGYN at Brookwood … Read More
The Furlongs decorate for holidays to the delight of their community. Nita Furlong and her husband decorate for Halloween and Christmas every year simply for the enjoyment of the community. Alabaster Connection asked Nita a few questions about how this all came about: Q: Tell us a little about your background. A: I was a … Read More
