Holly Hanke

Piedmont’s 59th annual Independence Day celebration will take place on Saturday, July 4. The day starts with the annual Piedmont Service Crew Pancake Breakfast at 8 a.m. and the parade — “Independence Day the Piedmont Way” — starts at 11 a.m., rolling down Hillside Avenue from Park Way to Piedmont Park. This year’s Grand Marshal is longtime Piedmont Recreation Department employee Cora Wood, who is retiring this year.

The Piedmont Police Department continues its casual meet-and-greets this summer.

Before starting a home improvement project that involves oil-based paint, stain, varnish, polyurethane, linseed oil, teak oil, or similar products, make a plan for safely storing and disposing oily rags. As oil-based products dry, they release heat. When rags are bunched together, that heat can build up and cause the rags to ignite without a spark or flame. This “spontaneous combustion” has caused multiple fires in Piedmont over the past three years.