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
Citizen Spotlights
Meet Alabaster Senior Center Manager Stacy Payton
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
Meet Butch Oglesby
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
Councilor Corner: Jamie Cole
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
A Letter From Mayor Brakefield
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
Alabaster For Tomorrow: A Productive Life
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
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,
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
Councilor Corner: Greg Farrell
Ward 4, President Pro Tem How long have you served Ward 4, and what inspired you to run? I’m currently in my second term with 5/1/2 years as Council Representative for Ward 4. After retiring from the Alabaster Fire Department as Deputy Fire Chief in 2011, I felt that I could bring a fresh perspective … Read More
Albert L. Scott Library Spring Updates
Meet Albert L. Scott Library Director Kim Roberts Library Director Kim Roberts has a long history in Alabaster. Originally from Montgomery, Roberts moved to Shelby County in middle school and has lived in Alabaster since high school. Roberts graduated from Pelham High School, received her history degree from the University of Montevallo, and got her … Read More