BY JOHN S. SLEDGE AND WINSTON GROOM | FEB/MARCH 2011 | CITY PORTRAIT

Why Life Is So Good on Mobile Bay

Though it bears some striking similarities to New Orleans, Mobile dances to its own beat, which is just the way Mobilians like it

Good Mobilians
Residents making the bay area shine 
by John S. Sledge

Casi Callaway
Water Keeper
When BP’s Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank last spring, Mobile Bay, just a hundred miles to the north, needed an advocate. Fortunately, it had a good one in Casi (Kay-see) Callaway, executive director of Mobile Baykeeper, a group dedicated to protecting this precious natural resource. “I feel I was called to do environmental work, and I love the challenges it brings,” she says. “But I never knew there could be a disaster of this proportion in our front yard.” As the oil spill unfolded, Callaway became a regular presence on national news outlets, where she stressed the importance of the bay and its rich delta and wetlands as incubators for shrimp, fish, and crabs. Almost a year on, she draws continued inspiration from her three-year-old son. “For his sake and the sake of all of our children and grandchildren, it is imperative that we all work together to protect our shorelines, demand transparency from our agencies, and ensure that local public involvement is thoroughly engaged before decisions are made that will affect us all for generations.”

Palmer Hamilton
Power Player
Palmer C. Hamilton has been a tireless advocate for his hometown for more than thirty-five years. A respected Mobile attorney in the realms of banking and financial services, Hamilton spends several days a week in Washington, D.C., promoting causes ranging from consumer protection to the restoration of historic buildings in Kabul, Afghanistan. But Mobile is never far from his mind. His Capitol Hill savvy recently helped garner a $300,000 seed grant to establish the Oakleigh Venture Revolving Fund, an organization dedicated to saving endangered historic properties. The OVRF has already rescued or erected more than two dozen buildings, including an entire block on the district’s eastern fringe. “Cultural tradition is a fragile thing.” he says. “It explains to us who we are and gives us a sense of continuity. And physical preservation is an essential way we transmit our broader heritage.”

Karin Wilson 
Local Hero
One might think that running a successful independent bookstore in an era of ruthless big-box and online competition would absorb every ounce of Karin Wilson’s energy. Hardly. After buying Page & Palette from her grandmother in 1997, Wilson has turned the Fairhope store into a cultural hot spot, introducing a coffee shop and a ramped-up series of author events. But she’s always thinking about the community at large. Her Page & Palette Foundation sponsors events like the Dancin’ in the Streets block party, benefiting local charities. She’s also an outspoken voice for area-owned businesses. When a big-box store announced plans to locate in Fairhope a few years back, she organized the Chain against Chains, one thousand people holding hands along a busy street. “It’s not chains but independent businesses that recirculate your money about three and a half times in the community,” she says, “which creates greater health and prosperity.” Oh, yes, and she has two kids to boot. Why take on so much? “Because I’m crazy,” she says, laughing.

Dora Franklin Finley
Trailblazer
African Americans constitute nearly half the population of Mobile, but their many contributions to the city’s saga have largely gone underappreciated. Enter Dora Franklin Finley, a third-generation Mobilian with a passion for historic preservation. Finley coordinated a constellation of public and private agencies to develop, fund, and promote an African American Heritage Trail, highlighting the significant people, places, and accomplishments of Mobile’s minority community. The trail recognizes nationally famous figures such as home-run king Hank Aaron and jazz great James Reese Europe, as well as churches, schools, and, painfully, the site of an antebellum slave market. Finley currently serves as president of the Mobile Historic Development Commission, and you’ll frequently find her conducting tours along the trail herself. “I hope the trail will provide the children of Mobile with an understanding and respect for their diverse past,” she says. “They can’t know where they are going until they know where they have been.” 

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