This morning’s council agenda reminds us that the festival season is already here. Two items on the agenda cover two of Birmingham’s more popular festivals. Item 21 is on consent (and hopefully it stays there) and provides the Function at Tuxedo Junction Jazz Festival $27,000 for its 2008 edition in Erskine Hawkins Park in the city’s Ensley community. Item 26 is also on consent and amends the contract between the city and the organization responsible for City Stages, increasing the amount received by the festival from $200,000 t0 $700,000.

Item 66 should be an opportunity to remind people about this Friday’s Relay for Life of Urban Birmingham being held at Legion Field. BTW, it goes from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and there’s still time to give.

There are also items that call for a feasibility study to determine a location for the proposed Negro League Baseball Association Museum (item 33 - there is already a nationally designated Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO); as well as one (item 27 - also on consent) that could lead to some interesting discussion considering one of the stories in today’s Birmingham News.

Check out the agenda and the online broadcast of the meeting on the city’s website.

1951:

First Lutheran Church dedicated its current building on Highland Avenue.

2006:

The 5th annual Buck Creek Festival was held in historic downtown Helena.

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Well, we finally know what happened to former Fox 6 chief meteorologist David Neal.

The popular weatherman has not been on the air for several weeks, and based on this afternoon’s post by The Birmingham News, we know it’s not by choice.

They also have a link to a PDF of the circuit court filing containing the allegations being made.

The Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College is starting to celebrate its 10th anniversary this month with its first ever online auction. Summer Splash currently has 19 items available for visitors to bid on with all proceeds going to support the organizations educational efforts. We’re pretty sure they’d appreciate you visiting (and bidding) early and often. But no worries, you can visit and bid until May 21 and there’s always EcoFest 10 in October…

You may want to make sure that you’ve got that extra 1¢ on your envelope. Starting today the United States Postal Service will increase rates across the board for postage while offering discounts for those that use their online services.

So you’ve got until whenever you don’t feel like going out by the post office to pick up some Forever Stamps before the rates go up again next May or you can check out this new (and exhaustive) list of rates and services that went into effect this morning. And since they can now raise postage rates every year, you may also want to make that online purchase of that Black Terminal T that you want us to mail to you so we can take advantage of that lower rate (we’re just saying…)

Screenshot of Beaner & Ken website.

Well you can always let them know just how much Birmingham does! For those of you that didn’t know, Beaner & Ken (well, at least Ken) still maintain a website/blog tied to their former #1 morning show. The show was canceled in mid-December 2006 as part of what I still call our local Radio Carousel.

While still on their extended “vacation” they’re staying pretty active: Beaner’s vlogging (video blogging) for blogtv.com and Ken’s still in The Magic City playing in a band called More Cowbell. So show them some love and send them an email; it may end up in their fan mail section…

2001:

The first Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil after the departure of Aaron Beam was held.

2005:

American Idol contestant Taylor Hicks made a promotional visit to Birmingham shortly before the final round.

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