Summer is wrapping up and it feels like Fountain Hills is set to go from 0 to 60 in record time. That’s not to say the community didn’t enjoy regular summer activities these past few months, but a quick glance at what’s on the horizon shows that we’re about to get very, very busy.

Speaking of “the horizon,” we’ve got the Verde Fire blazing nearby, sending a never-ending plume of smoke into the sky as the blaze continues to grow. It was at around 700 acres as of this writing, but hopefully firefighters and a little help from Mother Nature will keep things in check.

If you take a look at recent issues of this paper, you’ll likely notice that the town is coming out of its reverse hibernation. There was a big Planning and Zoning meeting recently that drew hundreds of attendees, school is back in session as of Aug. 6, and various clubs and organizations are starting to get back into their more active weekly activities.

The Town Council is set to meet next Tuesday to discuss a possible sales tax increase and public safety fee, and the town prosecutor looks to have a full plate with an alleged illegal dumping incident involving an outside entity and toxic waste being discarded in Fountain Hills sewers.

Oh, and then there’s a Sanitary District election due for November, just to keep things interesting.

And that, as they say, is just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe not the best metaphor coming out of a scorching summer, but you get the picture.