What do Governor Haley Barbour, author Willie Morris, All-Pro NFL Cornerback Willie Brown, three-time All-SEC sack leader at Ole’ Miss “Gentle” Ben Williams, comedian Jerry Clower, and award-winning small batch bacon king, William E. Stitt have in common? Here’s a hint, they all hail from a small town in Mississippi with a rich history. They all loved Ole’ Miss, too.

As a young boy growing up on the coast, Fairhope resident Don Bates’ favorite spot was the family fish camp in Manchac, Louisiana, built by his grandfather in the 1940s, where he ran his Uncle Charlie’s fishing lines usually tied to an old cypress tree that, more often than not, was also home to an osprey nest. Back when he was young, Bates says, “sighting an osprey was about as common as sighting a unicorn,” due to the threat of extinction posed by DDT usage.

There is a really cool new general store in downtown Mobile called Do Goods Mercantile Company at 202 St. Michael Street! The brainchild of Annie and Christopher Persinger, they will celebrate the store’s first anniversary this month.

People from Ohio that I’ve met in the Scenic 98 Coastal area, are especially knowledgeable when it comes to sports. What I’ve discovered is that there is a mid-western tenacity to get involved and make a difference in their communities. We are lucky that those who have migrated to the Gulf Coast have so many ties to all things Sports!

Growing up, Zeke’s Marina on Cotton Bayou was where you went to charter a fishing boat, or get bait, frozen menhaden or squid, before heading out into the Gulf to try your luck. There really wasn’t much to it. Several of these marinas dotted the Orange Beach area where gas, ice, and fish cleaning stations were essential for the sportfishing crowd.

I have mixed feelings about reunions and this year has been my season for reunions. They seem, well, to be a lot of trouble and you are never quite sure what you are going to get for your effort. I hear this same refrain from others. Lots of vacillation takes place, with all the pros and cons. It’s a commitment we are not sure we want to make.

There is new design-inspired energy taking place in Pensacola, and it’s unfolding before us with great anticipation. Local power couple Lauren and Rafael Simpson are behind the upscale renovations and developments in both furniture and interior design and boutique restaurant offerings. Their story is one of fast-paced vision and a sense of place, where giving back to the community is at the top of their mind.

Shoulder Season is described as the time between peak vacation seasons. Along the Scenic 98 Coast, many off-season events take place that capture the great weather and attract crowds for the hospitality industry. Foo Foo Fest in Pensacola, starting soon, was designed to do just that; attract visitors for a good time spread over several days.