June 13th was Shamonee Baker’s first year anniversary at WKRG. Three weeks ago, she was promoted to Weekend News Anchor. Her story shows that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself and don’t let others limit what you can achieve.

Fresh Off The Boat Restaurant at the SanRoc Cay Marina in Orange Beach began in 2014 at The Hangout Festival, sort of… That’s where Jerr McCutchen and David Buster met. Jerr, who is from Mobile, handled all the entertainment aspects of the festival, while David was the food guy.

Regardless of the pursuit, talent, passion, intelligence, and perseverance are a winning combination. Sarah Clark, owner/operator of Bay Gourmet and the Crown Hall Events Space at the corner of Broad Street and Dauphin Street in Mobile, has these qualities in spades.

What about summer makes us yearn for the next great book to read? Beaches and tranquility are the answer. Who better to advise us than our local, independent bookseller? I recently stopped by three independent bookshops, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Page and Palette in Fairhope, and Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe in Pensacola, to discover their take on the summer reading list.

As a third grader, Caroline Carithers experienced an event that changed her life and set her on a career path she envisioned as a young girl. 

Linda and I attended Bryant Whelan’s retirement party on Memorial Day at the Eastern Shore Art Center. Her husband, Patrick, made all the arrangements. As we arrived, we saw this great vintage 1966 Ford Econoline van parked out front. It’s an eye-catcher painted in a beautiful blue and cream motif. It was the Brew Bus. How cool!

I had the good fortune to meet Liz Damrich on Easter Sunday at a friend's house. She, her husband, Michael, and their two young children walked two doors down from Liz’s parent’s house to join the festivities. At first glance, this is a striking, exotic young family—unpretentious yet engaging, everyone dressed in chic and comfortable fashion.

Linda and I attended Arbor Day in Fairhope at Coastal Community College a few weeks ago. We had parked across the street in front of the Sugar House, and it was the first time I had ever noticed it. We poked our heads in and found the owner, Brittney Hill, hard at work. Yet it was the cupcakes in the display case that got my attention… a beautiful array with a sign on the wall that said, “Custom Cakes Orders Booked thru June.” That was interesting.