Dear Friends, As we celebrate the birth of our nation with family, fireworks, and barbecue, remember the military service members who guard our freedom around the world. We are grateful to the Alabaster Veteran’s Center that serves our local veterans and provides invaluable resources to these brave men and women. Also, check out the story … Read More
Command Sergeant Major Mary Kyser (ret) Photos by Brit Huckabay and courtesy the Kyser family Retired Command Sergeant Major Mary Kyser grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, graduated from Greenville High School, and promptly joined the Army. Why? “I knew that most military persons were better educated, better paid, and better off than in the civilian sector … Read More
Alabaster Connection: You have been appointed to fill the Ward 6 City Council seat. What made you want to serve on the City Council, and what was the appointment process? Zach Zahariadis: The opportunity to serve on Alabaster’s City Council fell into my lap, as Seth Gandy is an incredible friend of mine. He shared … Read More
Photo by Neal Wagner It doesn’t take long to realize that Stacy Payton would rather talk about the Senior Center than herself. She clearly loves what she does and who she does it with. Stacy grew up in Scottsboro, Alabama, graduating from high school and furthering her education at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga where … Read More
Pastor, pilot, media consultant, missionary, husband, father, woodworker, photographer, bus driver. Photography by Brit Huckabay, Butch Oglesby and courtesy the Oglesbys Alabaster resident Butch Oglesby grew up in Mobile until the ripe age of 15 when his family uprooted and moved to Atlanta. Butch graduated from Forest Park Sr. High a few years later and … Read More
Jamie Cole Ward 5 1) Alabaster Connection: What inspired you to run for Council, and how long have you served? Jamie Cole: I was elected in October 2020. My wife Charissa (principal at Alabaster’s Creek View Elementary School) inspired me to run. She’s a tremendous city leader and has made such an impact in the … Read More
Dear friends, As we look forward to the warm days of summer, we are excited about the return of Alabaster CityFest on June 4! After two years of cancellations due to COVID-19, the premier event in Alabaster returns to the grounds of Thompson High School for its 20thanniversary. CityFest is the largest free event of … Read More
By Brandon Mathews It was the first storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season but one of the most catastrophic. Tropical Storm Agatha began forming on May 29th and became the deadliest tropical cyclone in the eastern Pacific since Hurricane Pauline in 1997. Across Central America, hundreds of people were killed and hundreds of people … Read More
Citizen Spotlight: Pat Hall, watercolor Instructor, Senior Center Alabaster Pat Hall’s family is from Chilton County, but her dad was a medic in the Air Force so she lived all over the country and even the world growing up. Pat spent six years in Germany, France, and England as a teenager. “In London we had … Read More
Employee Spotlight: Fred Hawkins, Director of Engineering, Building, and Environmental Services By Barry Wise Smith When Fred Hawkins came to Alabaster in 2019, he brought years of municipal experience—both employee and leadership—with him. A civil engineer and Auburn graduate, Hawkins spent the first 20 years of his professional career working on the design and construction … Read More
