Happy Independence Day - our country’s 248th birthday!

As quickly as this summer is moving along, I hope everyone enjoys this celebration in a fun, festive and safe manner - thankful for all of the liberties and freedoms we cherish. I know I will!

The last of the Northampton Hometown Heroes banners are now in place - all 470 of them. From my understanding, that represents the most banners flying in any borough in the state of Pennsylvania. This is quite the outpouring of love and admiration for our heroes.

What an incredible experience it’s been for me, from the first exploratory call to the manufacturer, to hanging the very last banner at the public works garage in recognition of their tireless manpower contributions to this endeavor.

I thank borough Manager LeRoy Brobst for his solid direction, providing personnel and equipment to maximize time and resources, our borough council’s support and all of the sponsors, without whom this project would never succeed.

Of course, this is not the end of the overall project. We still have the ever-growing Northampton Hometown Heroes Instagram and Facebook pages, produced by our high school team. Take a minute to follow these sites, enjoying the weekly updates and learning about the lives and backgrounds of our many featured heroes. You’ll be glad you did.

As your summer marches on with many on outings or vacations away from town, remember that, in the name of transparency, the borough has provided many avenues in which to stay in touch with your local government’s activities. With the proven success of our livestreamed borough council meetings to our new My Northampton phone app, you can readily stay up to date with borough happenings wherever you may be.

Tune into the bimonthly borough council meeting in real time by accessing YouTube and simply searching Northampton Borough Council Meeting. Our meetings come to order 7 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of each month. Of course, you can always attend in person, but if you’re on the go or out of town, tune in - as more than 100 people do for every meeting.

Packed with information, our borough of Northampton website is accessible at northamptonboro.com. Constantly updated, it’s a one-stop resource for you, expediting any search for pertinent borough information.

For your smartphones, the My Northampton app readily brings you the latest notifications and updates, handy borough phone numbers and contacts, along with a plethora of boroughwide information at your fingertips. Just go to your Play or App stores, search My Northampton and download the app.

My Mayor Tony - Northampton, PA, the Northampton Police Department and the Northampton Borough Fire Department Facebook pages are also excellent assets. Relating to each individual’s area of focus, along with more personalized topics, stories and photos, these sites are always informational, as well as entertaining. Check them out!

As full as this list looks to be, I know we will always look to review and expand all available avenues of communication to you, our constituents and our neighbors, ensuring transparency in your local government.

So, as the temperatures continue to stay hot and get hotter, as always, I encourage you to get outside, availing yourselves of the greenways and parks we’re blessed with, as well as the wonderful municipal swimming pool we are fortunate to have. Remember to hydrate and never overextend yourself physically, enjoying every minute you can outdoors in our great town.

Lastly, with the proliferation of fireworks this time of year, please be considerate of your neighbors, especially those veterans with PTSD symptoms and pet owners with easily-frightened dogs and cats. Have fun, be safe, be considerate and cherish our great freedoms and liberties.

Happy Fourth of July!