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
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
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
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
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
Alabaster’s Drew Thomas makes it as a model. By Sarah Owens The pace of New York City couldn’t be more different from the quiet pockets of Alabaster, where evenings slow down and the world seems to breathe a little easier. For Drew Thomas, that stillness is the one thing he misses most about home. “Sometimes … Read More
David M. Frings: from mayor of Alabaster to wildlife photographer and world traveler By Katharine Armbrester Photos by David Frings In August 2025, the exhibition “Feathered Focused: Wild Birds Through the Lens of David M. Frings” opened at the Gadsden Museum of Art. With his camera, Frings captured striking images of stately plumed egrets, tropicbirds … Read More
