When Jeremiah Litwack first dreamed up the concept of Jeremiah's Italian Ice in 1988, he was a high school student hustling Italian ice in front of the Philadelphia Mint. By 1993, after honing his cool craft, he set out to create a market for Italian Ice in the Southeast. 

I love to meet people who grew up on the Eastern Shore. It’s fun to compare experiences and talk about the old days. This is not to say progress hasn’t been a good thing, it’s just different. 

Throughout June, the Mobile Arts Council’s Gallery @ Room 1927 will feature works by four Mobile-based artists. The exhibitions, titled “Figures of Imagination” and “Ethereal,” have contrasting themes, but are compatible in their focus on figures, extreme detail, and surreal imagery.

Many people along the Eastern Shore know him as a top-notch drummer, but there’s a lot more to Craig Riches than meets the ear. For almost a quarter-century, his love of making music has usually taken a back seat to his main gig, creating eye-catching art that is recognized around the country.

Throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, graduating high school seniors celebrate the end of their primary education and make plans for the future. It is an exciting time for all involved, but a bit of trepidation and separation anxiety is thrown in, too. Our next-door neighbor, Jake Prati, a recent St. Paul’s Episcopal School graduate, is off to Auburn in the Fall. 

When we entered Rise Breakfast and Tacos on Highway 31 in Spanish Fort, we were greeted by Krystal, the owner’s sister, who brought out her magic bag of wonders and told us to pick out a treat. I couldn't imagine what it would be … it was a sticker, and then she instructed us to put it on the wall. The whole place is covered in stickers and I got a cat that was apropos because I'm a cat lover. Krystal says it's magic because everyone picks something meaningful to them. Zeb got a sexy devil superhero girl. Hmmmm.

I know a woman who rides a Softail Harley, races a 22’ Lindenberg, is the Alabama Master of Shorinji Kempo with a 4th-degree black belt and is also a fairy, a plant fairy. She is a plant fairy because she can magically grow anything: ageratum, begonia, coreopsis, and that's only the first of the plant alphabet. Terri Loftin is her name, and is one of the hardest-working, toughest girls I know. I have the privilege of seeing her in action at her nursery in Fairhope, where I sometimes work for her. 

Our dear friend, writer, editor, and former dance studio owner, Gina Lanaux, epitomizes the creative energy that resonates throughout Fairhope’s history. Like many others who chose to make Fairhope their home, she embraces the arts, the unusual personalities, and the free-flowing lifestyle that brings a community together.