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🍨 Bonfires, scammers, and a trolley ride through Wayzata's past

🍨 Bonfires, scammers, and a trolley ride through Wayzata's past

Dustin Hart
May 01, 2026

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Good day, Wayzata. This is Wayzata Scoop, the local newsletter that's blooming in your inbox while you wait for your tulips.

In today’s Scoop:

Wayzata Spring Pickup Rules: Free, Paid, and Not-Taken-At-All Categories 🚮
Scam Warning: Criminals Impersonate Plymouth Planners, Demand Fraudulent Fees ‼️
May 21: Beaches and Bonfires Kicks Off Plymouth's Summer Beach Series 🔥
Wayzata History by Trolley: May 17 Tours Include Arlington Hotel Site 🚋

Let’s get to it.

— Dustin Hart

📢 TALK OF THE TOWN

Wayzata's Spring Curbside Pickup: What Gets Taken, What Doesn't, What Costs Extra

Saturday, May 2 at 7 a.m., Republic Services runs through Wayzata picking up household items that don't fit regular trash collection – but only for residential customers who pay for garbage and recycling on their monthly utility bill.

The rules: Each item, bag, or box must weigh under 40 pounds. Debris must be bundled for easy pickup and under one cubic yard in quantity. Rain or shine, pickup starts promptly at 7 a.m., so have everything curbside before then.

Free pickup includes: Small carpet pieces (rolled and tied with twine, max 4 feet long and 12 inches diameter), chairs, grills (gas tanks removed), exercise equipment, doors, windows, gutters, lawn mowers (gas and oil drained).

Paid pickup requires advance scheduling by 3 p.m. Thursday, April 30: Furniture/mattress/boxsprings cost $70.64 each – call Republic Services at 763-972-3335 to arrange payment for Monday, May 4 pickup. Appliances and electronics cost $91.05 each – same process, same deadline. No gas A/Cs, gas refrigerators, or SO2 refrigerators accepted.

Not taken at all: Dirt, sand, rock, batteries, tires, concrete, fluorescent lights, waste oil, shingles, smoke detectors, construction debris, CO detectors, yard waste and brush, propane gas tanks, paint cans. Call Hennepin County Environmental Services at 612-348-3777 or visit hennepin.us/green-disposal-guide for proper disposal of rejected items.

Saturday, May 2, 7 a.m. Residential utility customers only. Paid items: call 763-972-3335 by April 30.

Plymouth Permitting Scam Alert: Fake City Officials Request Fees via PayPal

Criminals are impersonating Plymouth planning officials and targeting residents with active land-use and zoning applications, requesting fraudulent fees to "complete the permitting process" through unauthorized payment methods.

The sophisticated scam works like this: victims receive unsolicited emails citing their specific permit information, zoning application numbers, and property addresses – details historically available in Planning Commission agenda packets. Plymouth now redacts identifying information to protect residents, but scammers already harvested data from previous public documents.

Red flags identifying the scam:

Email usernames ending in @usa.com
Fake invoices or payments due associated with land-use/zoning applications
Instructions demanding immediate payment to avoid delays or cancellations
Formatting and imagery closely matching city branding
Specific city employee names included in emails
Timing coinciding with legitimate application milestones like hearings or committee approvals

How Plymouth actually handles payments: The city never requests payment via PayPal, wire transfer, gift cards, or other electronic methods. Real Plymouth payment requests come as checks delivered to Planning Office at City Hall or online through BS&A (secure, integrated payment solution for local governments).

If you receive suspicious requests: Don't respond. Don't download attachments. Don't click links. Call Plymouth Planning Division at 763-509-5450 to verify and report the scam.

Area-wide problem, increasing locally. Plymouth residents with active applications should stay vigilant.

Report suspicious contacts: 763-509-5450. Real payments: check or BS&A online only. Never PayPal/wire transfer.

Plymouth's Beach Bonfire Night: Latin Band, Four Food Trucks, and Actual Fire

East Medicine Lake Park transforms into evening entertainment venue Thursday, May 21 from 6-8 p.m. with bonfires, live music, and food trucks launching Plymouth's two-part Summer Beach Series.

Beaches and Bonfires features Twin Cities Latin Band performing salsa, bachata, merengue, and other high-energy Latin dance music while attendees gather near bonfires on the beach. Four food trucks handle dinner: El Jefe, Hope Filled Cafe, Savanah, and Ukrainian Flavors. Free admission, purchase food directly from vendors.

Parking at East Medicine Lake Park (1740 East Medicine Lake Blvd) is limited. Shuttle service will transport attendees to and from the event – check back for shuttle details as they're finalized. Two hours on the beach, live Latin music, bonfire ambiance, multiple food options.

The Summer Beach Series concludes with Beaches, Bands and Brews on Friday, Aug. 7 from 5:30-8:30 p.m., also at East Medicine Lake Park. Both events free and open to public.

Weather cancellations: call hotline at 763-509-5205. General questions: Plymouth Parks and Recreation at 763-509-5200. May 21 kicks off summer beach programming with fire, music, and international food options.

First of two beach events, free entry, food for purchase, shuttle details coming soon.

Thursday, May 21, 6-8 p.m. at East Medicine Lake Park (1740 East Medicine Lake Blvd). Free. Weather hotline: 763-509-5205.

Wayzata's Trolley History Tour: Three Trips Through Time with Actual Historians

Lake Minnetonka Historical Society runs guided trolley tours through Wayzata's historic sites on Sunday, May 17, with historians Joanie Holst and Sue Sorrentino explaining what used to exist where current buildings stand.

Three tour times available: 11:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:45 p.m., all departing from Historic Wayzata Depot. The trolley visits Wayzata's most historic sites including the Depot, former Arlington Hotel property, "Piety Hill"/"Schoolhouse Hill," and the "Wise House." Tours include leaving the trolley for a brief walk around the grounds of the long-gone lakeside Arlington Hotel (1880-1890) plus touring the charming, restored, and relocated "Wise House" (built 1904).

Sponsored by Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board, this isn't generic sightseeing – it's historians explaining the layers of Wayzata's past that aren't visible in current structures. The Arlington Hotel operated for only ten years but defined an era. The Wise House got relocated but preserved. These details matter for understanding how Wayzata evolved from lakeside resort town to current community.

All proceeds benefit Lake Minnetonka Historical Society. Tickets at eventbrite link. Three time slots accommodate different Sunday morning/afternoon schedules. One trolley, multiple historic sites, historians who actually know the stories beyond basic facts.

Sunday, May 17: 11:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 1:45 p.m. from Historic Wayzata Depot. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

📖 QOTW (QUOTE OF THE WEEK)

"We rise by lifting others." - Robert Ingersoll

🌪️ WEATHER WATCH

Sunday hits 73° then Monday drops to 65° – it's not a huge fall, but it's enough to feel like betrayal.

Fri 01 54°/32° Partly Cloudy 🌤️ | 💧15%

Sat 02 67°/46° Mostly Cloudy 🌥️ | 💧13%

Sun 03 73°/51° Partly Cloudy 🌤️ | 💧5%

Mon 04 65°/36° Partly Cloudy 🌤️ | 💧15%

Tue 05 53°/33° Partly Cloudy 🌤️ | 💧2%

Wed 06 52°/32° Partly Cloudy 🌤️ | 💧15%

Thu 07 59°/42° Partly Cloudy 🌤️ | 💧3%

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