Community Endeavors

Gulf Coast Eco Center, Travis Langen

As horrible as the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was, many incredible projects have been implemented in the Scenic 98 Coastal area with funds from the RESTORE Act, which followed a $20 billion settlement between BP Oil Company and the US Government, specifically the five Gulf Coast states that were impacted the most. Coastal Alabama leveraged this resource and utilized the funds for ecosystem restoration and economic recovery. One such project in Gulf Shores, the Gulf Coast Eco Center, opened in April of this year, and it is something to behold.

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Tidbits & Best Bets

Brought to you by Eastern Shore Art Center

Monday

August 25, 2025

Fairhope:
Rebecca Berry LIVE at The Book Cellar, 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Artsy Side Of Life

Alabama Murals Trail Offers Viewers Splashes of Color and Beauty

If you’ve been driving or strolling around the towns and hamlets of Alabama, you may be suddenly and delightfully surprised by murals just about everywhere you look.
Community Endeavors

Shepherd's Place, Armand DeKeyser, Fairhope

When Armand DeKeyser responded to our Scenic 98 Coastal Reader Survey and was chosen to receive a Scenic 98 coastal hat, I spoke to him on the phone. I learned, among other things, that he is the Board Chair for a nonprofit program called Shepherd’s Place. I then googled Shepherd’s Place to see what it is all about. It is a program that offers caregivers of cognitive-challenged family members a break from around-the-clock caregiving.
Day Trippin'

Jesse Owens, The "Nation's Greatest Olympian"

The young track and field athlete, son of sharecroppers and the grandson of slaves, stood with his feet at the line, ready for his first competition in the long jump. He was in Nazi-ruled Berlin, Germany. It was 1936. He was an African-American surrounded by a sea of Caucasian faces.
Musings From The Cove

Skip Jones: An Old Salt in Fairhope

If you’ve ever attended a civic function on the Eastern Shore, you’ve probably run into Skip Jones. He may be the most civic-minded man I know. His interests run wide and deep. He is also an ‘Old Salt’, an endearing term for someone who knows their way around the waterfront.‍

Reader Recommended Books, Binge-Watching Shows, Music, and Podcasts for Summer

We are asked this question all the time, “What are you reading, watching, new music, or podcasts you are listening to? So we asked our readers. Here are some of their responses:
Events That Inspire

Top Five Things to Do in July

Perhaps the most anticipated annual July event in the Scenic 98 Coastal area is the Pensacola NAS Blue Angel Air Show. Regardless of how many times you may have seen it, it never disappoints.
Dive Bars & Music

Eight minutes with Ringo remains a lasting memory

I've never met any of the Beatles, but I did talk to Ringo Starr on the phone for a short while, and it was certainly a thrill. I thought I'd tell the story in detail in honor of his 85th birthday, which is coming up Monday, July 7.
Sports & Fitness

Fairhope Area Swim Team: FAST

Walking into the Fairhope Recreation Center Pool on a Tuesday morning during the Fairhope Area Swim Team, aka FAST practice, I am stimulated by the sights and sounds of approximately 350 kids in matching team swimsuits, swimming laps. There are eight lanes with coaches on each side, loudly giving instructions to swimmers aged 7 to 17 years.
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