Alderperson Maiyoua Thao’s Invocation At 12/21/2022 Common Council Meeting – “I would like to dedicate this new year to my late mother”

Mayor Jake Woodford: Good evening I now call to order the Wednesday December 21 meeting of the Appleton Common Council. Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Thao. Alderperson Maiyoua Thao (District 7): Nyob Zoo Xyoo Tshiab. Happy New Year. In our Hmong culture the […]

Alderperson Vaya Jones’ Invocation At 12/07/2022 Common Council Meeting – “As you go about the month, I urge you: return your cart. Literally metaphorically, symbolically. Take that extra step to show others grace and kindness.”

[I don’t often comment on alderperson invocations, but I must say I never in a million years expected to hear an Appleton alderperson give an invocation that could have come straight from Matt Walsh. Some issues truly are completely non-partisan.] Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will […]

Alderperson Vered Meltzer’s Invocation At 11/02/2022 Common Council Meeting – “Now is the time for remembering the dead and also for remembering our ancestors. Now is the time for telling their stories.”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Meltzer. Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2): I’m going to start tonight with a land acknowledgement. Appleton occupies ancestral lands of the Menominee tribe. For 10,000 years the Menominee ancestral lands spanned Wisconsin and included parts of […]

Alderperson Nate Wolff’s Invocation At 10/19/2022 Common Council Meeting – “Today, I will be reading, in its entirety, ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe.”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Wolff. Alderperson Nate Wolff (District 12) Thank you. All right. Today, I will be reading, in its entirety, “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Awesome. However, due to time constraints and the likelihood that I would […]

Alderperson Sheri Hartzheim’s Invocation At 10/05/2022 Common Council Meeting – “Lord, help us here in this chamber and in our own neighborhoods to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and to trust that we each have the same end goals of helping this city and everyone in it to grow and thrive.”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alderperson Hartzheim. Alderperson Sheri Hartzheim (District 13): My dad was often famous, or maybe I mean infamous, for the phrase “I once thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken.” He also really liked the song “It’s […]

Alderperson Vered Meltzer’s Invocation At 09/21/2022 Common Council Meeting – “As the season begins to grow colder and the nights grow longer, we all need more warmth from each other.”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Meltzer. Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2): The Chinese mid-autumn festival was on September 10th. And I want to share one of my favorite mid-autumn poems with you. The first time I encountered this poem, I was […]

Alderperson Israel Del Toro’s Invocation At 09/07/2022 Common Council Meeting – “Let’s embrace the Latinx men and women that contribute to our community.”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Del Toro. Alderperson Del Toro (District 4): Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Embracing diversity. What makes Appleton a special place to live? Reflect on this thought for just a few moments. Is it our parks? Our safe […]

Alderperson Denise Fenton’s Invocation At 08/17/2022 Common Council Meeting – “[E]verything demanded to be heard…So it seems like a good idea to leave it to Ellen Kort”

Mayor Woodford: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Fenton. Alderperson Denise Fenton (District 6): Good evening. My original plan when I requested tonight’s invocation was to commemorate the anniversary of the 19th Amendment on Friday and Women’s Equality Day on the 26th of this […]

Alderperson Kristin Alfheim’s Invocation At 08/03/2022 Common Council Meeting – “Finding balance takes work. I challenge this council and our community to always put in the work to find balance as we move forward together.”

Council President Van Zeeland: Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alderperson Alfheim. Alderperson Kristin Alfheim (District 11): Balance. Man Off Screen: Thirteen Alderperson Alfheim: She got me. Balance. What makes finding balance so difficult? Perhaps it’s that we have so many more things to consider […]

Alderperson Brad Firkus’ Invocation At 07/20/2022 Common Council Meeting – “Having humility and showing others grace in this world takes a lot of strength, more than these other so-called alpha traits, but it’s the change in attitude we need.”

Mayor Woodford: Oh, you’re already quiet. Do I even have to do the gavel? Good evening. I now call to order the Wednesday July 20th, 2022 meeting of the Appleton Common Council. Tonight’s invocation will be delivered by Alder Firkus. Alderperson Brad Firkus (District 3): […]