The Notes: Week of June 29 - July 3, 2026

Hello, Neighbors!  This week approaching a landmark birthday of our incredible country is, in City of Appleton government, an anomaly: a "Non-Full Council Meeting Week."  While it's supposed to be a Full Council Meeting Week, the council voted in April to cancel this first meeting in July due to the Independence Day holiday.  Long story, short: there is no council meeting agenda on which to blog today!  There is one other meeting on the calendar, though.  So see those details below.  

Wednesday, 07/01/2026

Appleton Public Arts Committee - 8am  This committee has one real action item on the agenda and several housekeeping items such as election of a chairman, affirming their meeting dates/times, and designating an official contact person.  The real action item is a request to approve a Peace Pole in Ellen Kort Peace Park.  The pole says "May Peace Prevail on Earth" (in several languages) and is made to the standard of many others that have been installed worldwide after a Japanese gentleman was inspired to create it post-World War II after the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.  (See here for more information.)  This committee will be deciding on whether the planned installation is appropriate artwork for the city, not whether the installation can and will occur.  Theirs is the first hurdle for this project to pass.  But it is good to note that the cost of the purchase and installation of the proposed Peace Pole would be fully borne by the Rotary Club of Appleton should it be approved here, next by the Parks and Recreation Committee, and lastly, by the full common council.

And that will take us all the way to the biggest 4th of July ever: the 250th Birthday of this United States of America.  It's been an experiment of epic proportions and, while we have not always gotten everything right, we are a continued work in progress and the standard to which most of the rest of the world aspires.  We must continue to work towards making this a better country for ourselves.  But I do believe that we here already have the best that the world has to offer!     

I wish you the best, safest, most enjoyable celebration of this country's birth!!

I ask you to please, as always, be sure to send me any feedback on any of the items mentioned in alderman blog posts or regarding anything city-government-related.  

Have a wonderful week!