​By J.O. Parker
 
     The City of Malcom turns 150 and the town is throwing a three-day party, June 24 – 26. The theme is “Small Town, Big Celebration” and the public is invited to take part in a myriad of activities.
    Take a ride on an old-fashioned locomotive, throw an ax or try your hand at an escape room, enjoy live music, take part in the town parade, participate in a beard and logo contest, try your luck at cow chip bingo, or take part in the dunk tank. Participate in the veterans ceremony, take a hot air balloon ride, get hypnotized, enjoy a variety of tasty food and attend church in the park. The above listed and more are part of the three-day Malcom 150th Celebration.
Calendar of events
Friday, June 24
              4:30 p.m. – Inflatables and 16-foot water slide
              4:30 – 6:30 p.m. – BASF Kid Science
              6:30 p.m. – Hot air balloon rides
            7 p.m. – Veterans ceremony hosted by Mayor Dawn Hamilton; Special presentation; Introduction of M.C. & Grand Marshal; Crowning of Malcom’s royalty; Beard and logo contest winners announced.
            8 p.m. – Movie at the Malcom Auditorium, “Encanto.”
            8 – 11 p.m. – Live music in the park by Paul Michael Davis Band
Saturday, June 25
            8 a.m. -   5K race
            8:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 2 p.m. – Locomotive rides
            9 a.m. – Vendor fair
            10 a.m. – Parade; Tractor and car show following parade
            11 a.m. – Home run derby, no entry fee for 12 and under
            11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Superheroes by Iowa League of Heroes
            11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Princesses by Little Princess Parties
            12 – 6 p.m. – Illusionist Keith West
            12 – 6 p.m. – Ax throwing and escape room, $5 per person
            1 p.m. – Dummy board tournament, $20 per team
            1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. – BASF tours
            1:30 – 4:30 p.m. – Family Fued; Fashion and talent show on main stage
            3 p.m. – Cow chip bingo
            Other events planned - Heartland Co-op tours; Dunk tank; Inflatables and 16-foot water slide; BASF kid science; Variety of food vendors; Heishman Ice Cream; Big Yellow Bike; Malcom Memorabilia; Silent auction at the fire station
            8 p.m. – Street dance featuring Blake Jack and Christian Williams followed by Tyler Richton and the High Bank Boys at 9 p.m.
             9 p.m. – Movie at the Malcom Auditorium, “Spiderman – No Way Home”
Sunday, June 26
            8 a.m. – Breakfast at Masonic Lodge by free will donation
         10 a.m. – Church in the park with Honeybee Ministries; Pot luck lunch following church service; Inflatables and 16-foot water slide

     The BGM Class of 1972 held their 50th class reunion on Saturday, June 11, 2022. First they enjoyed riding on a float in the Brooklyn Flag Festival Parade, then a tour of their school to see changes and finally a great meal.
     Pictured are front row, from left: Linda (Hendrickson) Lowry, Searsboro; Donna (Doty) Muntz and Linda (Luecht) Hamilton, Grinnell; Rochelle Brannian, Iowa City; Jane (Henry) Cline, Brooklyn; Cheryl (Fraker) Froelich, Brooklyn, Wis.; Pam (Hall) Cronbaugh, Hartwick; Doris (Van Ersvelde) Benson, Unionville, Mo.; Second row: Joy (Morton) Douglas, Brooklyn; Nancee (Nesselroad) Cook, Ames; Joan (Montgomery) Bonnett, Brooklyn; Sandra (Lamb) Greer, Nashville, Tenn.; Cindy (Story) Evans, Victor; Ruth (Lemke) Laverman, Indianola; Jane (Seye) Bazyn, Victor; Brad Braley, Cedar Falls; David Klein, Des Moines; Back row: Dale Douglas, Rick Morrison, Larry Ford and Jim Davidson, all of Brooklyn; Larry Dyer, Ozark, Mo.; Bob Kalinay, Chelsea; George Hiner and Dean Roth, Brooklyn; Eliatan Machado, class foreign exchange student of Brazil; and Curt Manatt, Johnston. Photo provided by Jane Cline. Submitted photo.
 

A contingent of Marines march along Jackson Street during the Brooklyn Flag Festival Parade on Saturday, June 11. The dedication of the life-size bronze statue to Harold "Pie" Keller followed that parade at the Avenue of Flags

By J.O. Parker
 
      Brooklyn features the Avenue of Flags and sports the boyhood home and monument to Hollywood movie star John Wayne. There is the restored Brooklyn Opera House and also the William Manatt House, which today houses the town historical museum. Manatt is one of the founding fathers of Brooklyn.
      And now, Brooklyn is home to the Harold “Pie” Keller Memorial located at the Avenue of Flags on Jackson Street.
      “Pie,” as he was called, was a life-long Brooklyn resident and 1939 graduate of Brooklyn High School. He was one of six Marines who made the trek up Mount Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima and planted the American Flag at the peak. The iconic photo taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, which was actually of the second flag raising, became one of the most famous images of the war.
      An estimated 800 – 1,000 people from all across the Midwest and as far away as New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania and South Carolina came to Brooklyn to pay tribute to “Pie,” and to take part in the unveiling and dedication of the life-size bronze statue in his honor.
      “Our family feels so overwhelmed and honored at what the Brooklyn Community did to honor our father,” said Kay Maurer, the daughter of “Pie,” who resides in Clarence, Iowa. ”I was overwhelmed by how many people showed up for the unveiling and the parade. The whole day, I was just in amazement. The statue is just amazing and is just perfect.”
     “The town of Brooklyn and all the people who organized and participated in the unveiling and the parade did an outstanding job,” added “Pie” Keller’s son, Wayne, who resides in Crystal Lake, Ill.
     The monument came about thanks in part to Brent Westemeyer, an amateur historian from Johnson, Iowa who spent more than a half dozen years researching photos, reading historical books and accounts of Iwo Jima and pouring over a Bill Genaust’s film from the battle of Iwo Jima to correctly identify “Pie.”
      The discovery came 74 years after the iconic photo was taken when in October 2019 the Marines announced that the number two man was actually Harold “Pie” Keller.
      The Marine in the number two position was originally identified as Pfc. Rene A. Gagnon. According to Westemeyer, Pfc. Gagnon contributed to the flag raising, but wasn’t actually pictured.
     Cpl. Harold “Pie” Keller served in the Marine Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division.
   In less than three short years, the Brooklyn Community came together, formed a committee, raised funds, had the monument built and created in “Pie’s” honor.
     It was a day that most will never forget - the parade, the dedication and unveiling, the music and pageantry and the local and national military presence on hand.
     “A lot of people put in a lot of volunteer hours to make this happen,” said Rusty Clayton, a former business owner and member of the “Pie” Keller Memorial Committee. “I really thought it was super that we had three world War II veterans there - Dale Watts, Montezuma; Stan Walford, Brooklyn; and Dwight George, Grinnell.”
     Also remembered were three other Brooklyn Veterans who served at Iwo Jima. They are Don Ent, a Navy Corpsman; Robert “Bob” Dappen, Lt. US Navy; and Byard Braley, Cpl. USMC. Members of the Braley and Ent families were present and took part in the unveiling and dedication. Lt. Dappen was also recognized, but no family members were present.
     “I’m thankful for everyone who had a hand in Saturday’s events in Brooklyn for the flag festival,” said Jessie Lacaeyse of Brooklyn. “The parade with lots of entries. The Harold “Pie” Keller memorial….Wow! is all I can say. What a great historical event to witness. We enjoyed the food trucks and activities after the dedication, too.”
     Franci Kuntz McClenathan, a great niece of “Pie,” said her family will always remember this Flag Festival as one of the best.
      “To have my great uncle, Pie Keller, honored with a statue for his part in the flag raising at Iwo Jima is simply amazing,” McClenathan said. “Little did a humble man from the small town of Brooklyn, serving his country as a Marine, know how big of an impact he would someday make on our community. A huge thank you to everyone who made this day possible.”
     “I thought it was great,” said Tom Ryan, a member of the Brooklyn American Legion. “Glad it all came together. Glad there were so many people here.”
       “A very nice memorial to “Pie,” said Uwe Meyer, a veteran from Montezuma. “It’s nice to have a local boy do good.”
      “That (the Keller dedication) was one of two things that I was honored to be a part of as a veteran,” said Ron Hensel, commander of the Montezuma American Legion Post 196. “The first one was the burial of Seaman First Class Wesley Jordan, the man from Barnes City who went down with the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He was buried on May 24, 2019. And the second one was the dedication of the Harold “Pie” Keller Memorial.”
     Former Iowa Senator Tim Kapucian of Keystone, who was present at the memorial dedication and luncheon, said years ago the City of Brooklyn built the Avenue of Flags display featuring 63 flags and a large American flag on an 80-foot pole.
       “How iconic it is that today they found out that they are closely tied to one of the most iconic flag raisings in American history.”
       “Brooklyn, Iowa appreciates its veterans,” said former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who rode in the parade and gave a brief speech at the luncheon.
      Following the war, “Pie” worked in the town creamery and later sold Surge milking equipment after the creamery closed. He spent 25 years volunteering with the Brooklyn Fire Department, including a stint as chief. He also served as the president of the athletic boosters and coached youth baseball for years.
     Also present at the dedication was son, Wayne, his wife, Therese, and their three daughters and husbands along with their eight grandsons. 
     “My grandsons got to ride in the parade and got to raise the Marine flag at the unveiling,” noted Keller. “It is something that they will never forget.”
       Joining Kay was her husband, Steve, and a son and his wife and three grandchildren, who all took part in the parade.
       Also present was Judy Keller, wife of the late Ken Keller, “Pie’s” first born son who died in 2015.
      “I am so appreciative of what the town has done,” added Keller. “When Brooklyn puts their mind to something, they get it done. If my mom and dad were living, they would have been so appreciative but they would have been embarrassed by all the attention.”
      “The way the town of Brooklyn supported this project just warms my heart,” said Kay.

      A Davis Elementary students tries her hand at the grain bin simulator during Ag Farm Safety day at Key Co-op in Grinnell. Grinnell students at Davis in third and fourth grades spent a half day each on Thursday, May 19 learning about safety in and around farm equipment. This young student is learning about how much strength and force it would take to pull someone stuck in a grain bin. The annual event is hosted by the Poweshiek County Extension Office and rotates between Grinnell, Montezuma and BGM schools.

By ​J.O. Parker
 
     Ag farm safety was the theme of the day as approximately 210 third and fourth graders and 20 teachers from Davis Elementary in Grinnell spent Thursday, May 19 at Key Cooperative learning everything from fire safety to auger/PTO safety, chemical look-a-likes, biosecurity and electricity safety.
    The annual event, which rotates between Grinnell, Montezuma and Brooklyn schools, is sponsored by    Poweshiek County Extension with the Poweshiek County Farm Bureau furnishing the sack lunches.
       Following is a list of Grinnell Ag Safety Day Presenters : 
      • Fire Safety - Jed Petersen, Grinnell Fire Department
      • Wilderness First Aid – Emily Klein, Grinnell College SERA Manager
      • Life Jacket/Water Safety - Signey Hilby, Poweshiek County Extension
      • Animal Behavior and Safety - Haley Princehouse, Poweshiek County Extension
      • Sun Safety - Shauna Callaway, Poweshiek County Public Health
      • Biosecurity - Gavin Tindle, Poweshiek County Extension
      • Combine/Tractor Safety – Brian Van Roekel, VanWall Equipment 
      • Electricity/Energy Safety – Brooklyn TIP
      • Road Signs and Road Safety - Great Plains Agricultural Public Health 
      • Auger/PTO Safety – Bayer Crop Science
      • Grain Bin Safety – Bayer Crop Science
      • Chemical Safety and Chemical Look-A- Likes – Bayer Crop Science
     “Ag Safety Day was a wonderful opportunity for both the youth and myself,” noted Signey Hilby, Clover Kids Coordinator and Program Assistant at the Poweshiek County Extension. “The youth were very excited and learned a lot from the presenters. I was able to build some professional partnerships with other local businesses/organizations.”

     The Grinnell High School art exhibit is now on display at Stewart Gallery through Monday, July 4. A closing reception will be held on Sunday, July 3 from 2 - 4 p.m.

       The Grinnell High School Alumni Art Exhibit is now on display in Stewart Gallery through July 4. The show celebrates the work of Grinnell High School alumni who graduated during the years ranging from 1955 to 2021. The diverse show is curated by Sara Peak Convery, GHS Class of 1985.
      A closing reception will be held on Sunday, July 3 from 2 - 4 p.m., in conjunction with the Grinnell High School All-Class Reunion. People’s Choice awards will be presented at the closing reception. Voting will take place over the month - stop by to vote early and often.
       Regular gallery hours are 12 – 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Special Reunion weekend hours are 12 – 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, July 2, 3, and 4.

​     Senior Paige Cottrell receives her diploma during the Class of 2022 commencement exercises at BGM High School on Sunday, May 15. Submitted photo.

    Amanda Roudabush and Kiah Tish are all smiles after receiving their diplomas at BGM High School on Sunday, May 15. Submitted photo.

    BGM Class of 22 graduates Sophie Puls and Hailey Heishman show off their decorated caps following commencement exercises at the school on Sunday, May 15. Submitted photo.

   BGM graduate Kiah Tish receives her diploma during BGM High School commencement exercises on Sunday, May 15. Submitted photo.

​     LJ Henkle and classmate Lily Kriegel are all smiles following commencement exercises at BGM High School on Sunday, May 15. Submitted photo.

Above photos submitted photos by Lana Kinzebach.

     The Iowa Interstate Railroad and Malcom Fire Department will have two - GP 38-2 EMD Locomotives built in 1972 with 2,000 horsepower on site boasting five - 1928-Pennsylvania RR-P70 passenger cars! 
    Step back in time and enjoy an Old-Fashioned Locomotive ride through the Poweshiek county countryside. (These cars are not climate controlled.) Please arrive 15-20 minutes prior to your boarding time. 
    Ticket Pricing and Information: 
    Adults: $15 +fees
    Children (10 and under): $5 +fees 
    Tickets available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../malcom-fire-department...
    Limited quantity available at Malcom City Office. 
    For more information contact Cassie Lakose at 319-444-0981 or cassandralakose@gmail.com 
    Four Runs 
    • 1st run - 8:45 - 9:30 a.m. 
    • 2nd run - 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. 
    • 3rd run - 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 
    • 4th run - 2 - 2:45 p.m. 

​      Todd Hanold, left, and Rod Rosburg, right, carry several racks of freshly cooked chicken BBQ at the annual Grinnell Rotary Chicken BBQ on Thursday, June 9. Members of the Rotary Club cook around 1,300 chickens in large open charcoal pits. Volunteers then package the meals and serve them to drive up customers along Park Street by the Grinnell United Methodist Church. Joining them are Todd Rolfes and Brent Nickel.