What you may not know: Week of July 1

The Appleton Common Council is off for the holiday this week. July is a five-Wednesday month, so we've pushed our schedule back a week to allow everyone to spend some time with their families and friends without missing any work. Here's our new July schedule:

Wednesday, July 10: Common Council meets
July 15-18: Committee meetings
Wednesday, July 24: Common Council meets
July 29-August 1: Committee meetings

On behalf of all of us with the city, I'd like to wish you a safe and happy Independence Day. Before I leave for my vacation, though, I do have a few quick things to tell you about.

Fireworks

The Appleton Jaycees will hold their annual fireworks display at Memorial Park on Wednesday, July 3. You can see much more about the event at their webpage, but here's the quick version:

• Bands Overdrive (5-6:30) and Boogie and the Yo-yos (6:30-9) will be playing in the park before the fireworks.
• Fireworks will begin at dusk, which is roughly 9 pm.
• The Jaycees will have food and drink stands at the park, and proceeds support the fireworks display.

Garbage/recycling collection

This week's holiday has shifted the refuse collection schedule a bit. Here's what you need to know:

• If your garbage day is normally Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, your schedule will not change.
• If your garbage day is normally Thursday, your garbage and recycling will be collected on Friday.
• If your garbage day is normally Friday, your garbage will still be collected on Friday but your recycling will be picked up on Saturday.

Downtown trolley

Appleton's downtown trolley will take its maiden voyage for the 2013 season on Friday, July 5, and with the Olde Oneida Street bridge reopened it will be back to its normal route. The trolley is free, operates from 5-11 pm on Thursdays and Fridays and 8 am-11 pm on Saturday, and serves the following locations:

• The Appleton City Center and Library
• The downtown YMCA
• The History Museum at the Castle
• Pullman's
• Eagle Flats
• Between the Locks
• Fratello's and Atlas Mill
• The courthouse and police department
• The Performing Arts Center

Whether you're heading to a specific location or just looking for a tour of Appleton's downtown and riverfront, hop on the Trolley sometime and check it out. 

And, if you're heading to one of those locations but it's not during trolley hours, the same locations are served every 30 minutes for the rest of the week by Valley Transit's Route 9, otherwise known as "The Link." 

Keeping you informed on issues that may impact you around the city is one of my primary goals as an alderman. Making the council's activity as accessible as possible to as many people as are interested is part of my goal to make it easier for more people to get involved with issues that matter to them.