Phillip Lewis’ unplanned path to creative success By Sarah Owens By the time Phillip Lewis landed in New York City, the move felt less like a carefully mapped decision and more like a continuation of a pattern that had defined much of his early adulthood—trusting instinct, taking risks and figuring things out along the way. … Read More
Grant Hopkins graduates from U.S. Naval Academy By Sarah Owens For Grant Hopkins, the journey from Alabaster City Schools to the United States Naval Academy began with basketball, but it ended with something much bigger. The 2021 Thompson High School graduate recently completed four years at the prestigious service academy in Annapolis, Maryland, earning a … Read More
The annual Alabaster Police Appreciation Dinner is far more than food. By Barry Wise Smith Dena Bedsole’s idea for starting the Alabaster Police Appreciation Dinner was born from a tragedy in Texas, when in 2016, four police officers were ambushed and killed at a community parade. Bedsole, a nurse anesthetist by trade whohas been married … Read More
Paul Curcio uses barbecue to spread a message of compassion. By Nausicaa Chu Paul Curcio thought he would be retired by now. After a 20-year career in the barbecue industry, Curcio closed his Pelham and Helena restaurants in 2022 due to the Covid pandemic. He figured he was done. But as he sat in his … Read More
Sarah Turner’s mobile bookshop is heading your way. By Carmen Shea Brown Photos by Steven Ross Step into Sarah Turner’s Booked and Bound mobile bookshop, and you will be immediately transported to a European library, replete with old green-grass accents, dark wood, and green-colored glass library lamps. And the first thing you will notice, as … Read More
Two sisters remember the family store. By June Mathews The country store filled with a hodgepodge of merchandise is long gone, the building recently demolished to make way for progress. But Butler Mercantile lives on in the memories that sisters Mary Butler Lee and Martha Butler Waugh have of working in the family business. Their … Read More
Residential Winner – September The September Beautification Award residential winners are Jerome and Brenda Vason, 260 Kensington Lane. Residential Winner – October The October Beautification Award residential winners are Rachel and Patrick Roubion, 125 Sunset Trail. Commercial Winner – September – December The September through December Beautification Award commercial winner is Kent Farms Animal Hospital, … Read More
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
