Henry Stuart’s Diaries & Photos: New Info about the Hermit of MontroseCatherine King will present new information recently received about Henry Stuart, who hand-built the now 100-year-old Round House at Tolstoy Park in Montrose. Stuart’s diaries, photographs, and other documents reveal fascinating information from the man known as “The Hermit of Montrose” and “Ye Olde...

Living with Reverence and Compassion for All Beings In this talk on Father's Day, Tracey will share about how her Dad gave her the greatest gift possible... He taught her to love the animals and the natural world. It's a love that has guided her path, and is the key to creating a compassionate, just...

Do We Live in a Democracy? We frequently hear that “our democracy” is being threatened, but rarely does anyone question that we have a democracy. The talk will address the question of whether, and to what extent, the United States is a democracy. David is a semi-retired civil rights lawyer and long-time social justice and...

Harry Haft: Auschwitz Survivor who Fought Rocky Marciano Alan's father, Harry Haft, survived 5 years in 6 different slave labor and extermination camps during WWII, weighting 105lb when liberated. Just one year later, he was in the ring fighting the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Alan will tell Harry's story. Alan Scott Haft wrote...

Wisdom of a "Prosumer" For over two years beginning in 1982, Phil and his wife, Gwen, helped build the passive solar house in Fairhope that Gwen’s father, Bayne, had designed with his wife, Annabelle. At the time of construction, inclusion of a photovoltaic component was often mentioned but was never incorporated.       Phil and Gwen...

The Writers Around Me For the past year, Alan has been researching and writing about Fairhope’s rich literary culture, including writers, editors, publishers, librarians, and bookstores. He will tell true stories of Fairhope’s literary beginnings with Marie Howland and Upton Sinclair through today’s local writers, including Sonny Brewer, Fannie Flagg and so many more. Alan...

Impacting Special Needs in Our Community The American Autism & Rehabilitation Center in Daphne provides a full spectrum of therapies for people with special needs--speech, occupational, physical, and applied behavior analysis--all under one roof. The foundation offers additional resources, community connections, practical assistance, and so providing holistic support. Kevin Mohler is an entrepreneur and President...

Today's Vaping and Narcan Issues Michael Cook and Robin Snider will discuss current issues facing our youth and young adults including vaping, Narcan, and good & bad choices. Mike Cook is director of Baldwin Services at the Drug Education Council (DEC) in Robertsdale, AL. Robin Snider is a retired Daphne Police Officer (30 years) and...

Environmental Stewardship: A Foundation of Faith Luke will offer an overview of his personal motivations for environmental stewardship and a review of the current work of Mobile Baykeeper. Luke is Current Affairs Director for Mobile Baykeeper, working in policy and regulations. An Attorney by training, Luke arrived at Baykeeper in 2024 following a decade of...

Contemporary Recycled Artwork Bruce Larsen is a sculptor and special-effects artist known internationally. He repurposes discarded and found objects into sculptures that typically depict animals in action poses and humans playing sports. He uses his artwork to bring new meaning to the objects while still allowing them to show their history. Larsen has won several...

Everyday Law Do you really need a Last Will and Testament? This program will answer several legal questions like that one--questions that people ask frequently. It will be a potpourri of business-related legal concerns people encounter in everyday life. Bill Meck is a business lawyer. He graduated from The Citadel with a degree in English...

Mobile and Havana: Two Sisters Across the Gulf John Sledge is one of the authors of the recent book, "Mobile and Havana: Sisters Across the Gulf." He will provided an overview of the long linkage between two most exotic cities. They share stories of European conquest, trade, high-society connections, knowledge, and culture. It should be...