🌱 Mountain Brook Named AL's First Bee City USA + HB209 Makes Progress

Hello, friends! Sean Peek here with your fresh copy of the Mountain Brook Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 83 Low: 59.
• Friday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High: 82 Low: 60.

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Here are the top three stories in Mountain Brook today:

1. Mountain Brook has been named the first Bee City USA in Alabama. Bee City USA is an organization involved in trying to prevent the death of bee populations throughout the United States. Per Bee City, there are more than 3,000 bee species that pollinate about a third of the food and drink products that people consume. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
2. Controversial absentee ballot bill House Bill 209 has passed through an Alabama state Senate committee — with amendments — after a public hearing was held for opponents of the bill to voice their concerns. Sponsored by Republican State Representative Jamie Kiel from Russellville, HB209 is meant to crack down on ballot harvesting and proposes to make it a Class D felony for a person to order, request, complete, obtain, prefill, or deliver an absentee ballot or absentee ballot application, for someone else in addition to themselves. Democratic elected officials in both the state Senate and House are on record as very opposed to the bill, which they claim would criminalize hundreds or even thousands of innocent people who have no intention of committing election fraud. (1819 News)
3. Mountain Brook Alabama's Board of Education has become a point of reference for research into, and writing on, the question of racial diversity and equity in education, after the Board of Education's disassociation from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) nearly two years ago. The Board withdrew from a partnership with the ADL in response to parent concerns that the ADL-supported curriculum was an example of critical race theory designed to indoctrinate and bias their children. Per EdSurge's Daniel Mollenkamp, the question of how and when to introduce the history of race in discussions of equity in school continues to be controversial, alongside other "culture war" topics that have become controversial in general, and especially in the classroom. (EdSurge)

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Today and tomorrow in Mountain Brook:

Thursday, May 25

• Munchkin Music: Mountain Brook At Mason Music (1:00 PM)
• Mountain Brook Wine Night At Publix GreenWise Market At Lane Parke (5:30 PM)

Friday, May 26

• Margarita Night & Happy Hour At Charbar No. 7 (11:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• Over in Birmingham, Alabama Ballet is giving a warm welcome to the newly-appointed Artistic Director, Christopher Stuart. Stuart has a long career as a dancer, choreographer, and educator, and is coming to the region from Charlotte, NC, and hails from Sandy Hook, CT. (Alabama Ballet via Instagram)
• Mountain Brook High School's Class of 2023 graduated on Thursday, May 18, at the Samford University Pete Hanna Center. A total of 325 graduates received diplomas, and 314 plan to go on to higher education. (Mountain Brook Magazine via Instagram)

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Featured events:

• REFLECTIONS FROM MOZART TO GOSPEL - Huntsville Choral Festival Concert (June 3)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all soon for another update!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.