In 1965, Kelley Wolff’s grandmother, Betty Joe Wolff, opened Page & Palette, the renowned fourth-generation bookstore in Fairhope. She opened a second store location in Perdido Key’s Coquina Village shopping center in 1985, and Kelley worked at this store. Her identical twin, Karin, took a break from the family business and worked in the Orange Beach location of Coastal Video.
With the Ryder Cup Golf Competition this weekend, it seemed like a good time to check in on one of the PGA Tour’s preeminent golf legends, Jerry Pate. As he is always on the go, we managed to meet at his office at Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation in Pensacola. We reminisced about life, his company, his golf playing days, the people he has encountered, and his role in helping build Pensacola into the city it’s become.
Cam Marston is a man of many talents. His latest creation, Alabama Writers Showcase, is on Alabama Public Radio and features writers like John Nielson, telling his fictional story set in John’s hometown of Evergreen, Alabama.
My esteemed co-conspirator, Tony Atchison, is celebrating a big birthday (they are all big these days…). He’s left an indelible mark on Downtown Mobile’s historic buildings and landscape. Many years ago, he renovated an old four-story warehouse off Dauphin Street into a stunning antique gallery and home.
Did you know Andalusia, Alabama, is home to the World Championship Domino Tournament? I didn’t either until I met Riley and Reid Taylor at Provision in Fairhope a few weeks ago. Since 1976, the Andalusia Rotary Club has sponsored and produced the event. If you want to match your wits and Domino skills against the best players in the world, you can register here to compete on July 11 and 12 at the Kiwanis Fair Complex in Andalusia.
When Jennifer Blackwood was working as a Pharmaceutical Rep in the Panhandle of Florida, she had a favorite old gas station in Seaside, which she frequently visited. “ It had a lot of personality, and when I saw Battles Wharf Market, it reminded me of that special place.” And here she is, the new owner of the iconic market on Scenic 98, just north of the Grand Hotel.
In 2006, after hurricanes Ivan and Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Mark White, having recently moved from Vail, Colorado, to Alabama, found a BBQ joint in Orange Beach that didn’t survive the storms.