Following is a list of area Memorial Day services
 
Montezuma
       Montezuma Memorial Day services will be held at the Masonic IOOF Cemetery near the maintenance building on Monday, May 27 at 10 a.m. The Montezuma Blakely Stevens Post 169 of the American Legion and its Auxiliary are hosting the services.
         Invocation will be under the director of American Legion Post 169 Pastor Ted Morlock.
     American Legion Hawkeye Girls’ State Representatives Elizabeth DeJong and Karlee Knust will read “Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.” Boys’ State Representative Max Anderson will follow with the reading of “General Logan’s Orders.”
       Placing of the Wreath on the “Grave of the Unknown Solider” will be under the direction of Blakely-Stevens Unit Auxiliary President Bea Hensel.
           The guest speaker will be Mike Mahaffey.
         The Post 169 firing squad will deliver the three-volley salute. The Montezuma High School Band, under the direction of Carri Burnett, will perform several patriotic numbers, including Taps.
           The Benediction will follow by Pastor Morlock.
         Following services in Montezuma, American Legion members will travel to cemeteries at West Liberty, Sheley and Ewart for the playing of Taps.
           On Friday, May 24, at 4 p.m., veterans and volunteers will be placing flags on the Montezuma Square, at the cemeteries and on veterans’ graves.
 
Brooklyn and Malcom
       A flag raising ceremony will be held at the Brooklyn Community Estates Nursing Home at 9 a.m., on Monday, May 27 with assembly time at 8:30 a.m. The group will then proceed to the Brooklyn Cemetery for Memorial Day services at approximately 9:15 a.m. followed by a service at Kent Cemetery at 9:30 a.m. A service at the Ivy Hill Cemetery in Malcom will follow at 10:30 a.m.
      Speaker for the services will be pastor Boyd Sparks of the Malcom United Methodist Church. Others participating will be the BGM High School Band, Poweshiek Pioneers 4-H Club, Madison Moovers 4-H Club and the Girl Scouts. The Legion Auxiliary will place the wreath (in honor of all the service men and women who have answered the last call) with the American Legion Posts 294 and 733 firing squads giving the three-volley salute.
       The BGM High School Band and Legion firing squads will proceed to the Malcom Cemetery, where they will participate in the services at 10:30 a.m.
          In case of rain, the services will be held at the high school in Brooklyn and at the Legion Hall in Malcom.
 
Slack-Light, Dresden, Guernsey and Deep River
         The Deep River Morrison Schrader Post 296 of the American Legion is hosting Memorial Day services at four area cemeteries on Monday, May 27.
       The day will begin at 9 a.m. at Slack-Light Cemetery (meet at the Deep River Legion Hall at 8 a.m.) followed by stops at Dresden Cemetery at 9:30 a.m., and Guernsey Cemetery at 10 a.m.
       The Deep River service will be held at Golden Rod Cemetery (Community Center if bad weather) beginning at 11 a.m.
          Commander Carl Purvis will conduct ceremony orders followed by the “National Anthem” performed by the Montezuma High School Band under the direction of Carri Burnett. 
         The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, led by Girls’ State representative Addison Probasco, will follow with Post Chaplain Pastor Larry Naylor of the Church of Christ in Deep River leading the invocation.
        Girls’ State representative Taylor Wilcox will read “Freedom is not Free.” Unit 296 Auxiliary Tammi Quinlan will read “Flanders Field” and Girls’ State representative Madison Cheney will read “Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.”
         Guest speaker will be Jacki Bolen, the Auxiliary Unit 296 President and Department of Iowa Americanism chair. She is also the past district president.
        The Montezuma High School Band will perform patriotic numbers while Auxiliary Unit 296 Secretary Tami Wilhelm and 5th District Jr. Auxiliary President Jaidyn Rugg, along with Legion Past Commander David Maxwell and Adjutant Ed Evans deposit wreaths at markers.
         Prayer for the Nation will be under the direction of Pastor Michelle Williamson with the United Church of Deep River.
       Sergeant at Arms will give the "Salute our Departed Comrades.” The three-volley salute will follow with Legion Post 296 Bugler Zach Van Waardhuizen presenting Taps with echo.
        Set out Poppies and the Avenue of Flags will take place on Friday, May 24 at 5 p.m. Flag pick up will be Monday, May 27 at 5 p.m.
 
Grinnell
      The Grinnell American Legion Post 53 and the VFW Post 3932 invite area residents to Memorial Day services on Monday, May 27 at 11 a.m. at Grinnell Central Park stage. If it rains, the event will be held at the Elks Lodge.
       In addition, there will be a Wreath Laying presentation along with a playing of Taps at 3 p.m. at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. This ceremony is part of the National Taps Across America Ceremony.
 
Victor
         The Victor American Legion Post 54 is hosting a Memorial Day service on Monday, May 27 at 10 a.m. The event will be held at the American Legion Post at 601 3rd St. The HLV High School band will play and the Victor Community Choir will sing Patriotic songs.
        After the service, there will be a short ceremony across the street from the Victor Memorial Cemetery with the laying of the wreath to the Unknown Soldier along with the three-volley salute and Taps.

​         The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting at the new Bear Creek Daycare Center on Monday, May 6. The new daycare is licensed for 86 children from 6-weeks-old to 12-years-old. There are many services available such as a before and after school program, a kids summer camp and more. Pictured are, from left: Alyssa Beaderstadt, Mike Garman, First State Bank; Leah Bauman, daycare director; Cathy Essick, marketing director; Shane and Susan Sissel, co-owners of the daycare center; and Tyler Geiger, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Submitted photo.

By J.O. Parker
 
        After nearly two years of planning, preparing and construction, the new Bear Creek Kids Campus opened its doors on May 6 and is off to a great start.
       Located at 1092 Jackson St. just north of the high school and south of the Ruritan’s building on the east side of the circle drive entering the BGM baseball and softball complex, the new daycare center fills a much needed void in the Brooklyn area.
       According to Cathy Essick, marketing director with the Brooklyn Community Estates, Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo and Bear Creek Kids Campus, at the time plans for the new daycare center were announced, only about 50 percent of community daycare needs were being met in Brooklyn.
      “As we got into it and researched, we realized that there was a great need for childcare in the Brooklyn Community,” said Essick in an earlier interview.
     The new daycare came about thanks to Shane Sissel and his wife, Susan, co-owners of the Brooklyn Community Estates and Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo, seeing a need and working to provide a service for their employees and the community.
      The center is being operated through the Brooklyn Community Estates and Lisa Bauman is the daycare director. The daycare has 18 employees, including summer help.
        When asked, Bauman said everything is going great.
       “It is so wonderful to see the classrooms filled with children and their teachers,” she said. “We have had a "Get to Know Me" and "Garden" week theme so far, with "Bug Week" coming up next week. They were busy looking at seeds, planting flowers, measuring how tall they are and turning it into a flower. I've seen dancing, singing, playing outside. All sorts of fun activities. It is just amazing to see Bear Creek Kids Campus open. I look forward to coming every day, and we are so blessed with our staff, children, and parents.”
Daycare features
        The new 60-foot by 120-foot daycare center features five classrooms, offices, a service kitchen, employee breakroom and a large fenced in playground. The daycare center is designed to serve youth from six-weeks-old to 12-years-old and is licensed for 86 children.
       Since opening its doors, the daycare center is full in the 2-year-old classroom and ages 3 to 5 classroom. The summer camp for school age children is also full.
       A before and after school program remains in place. The after school portion has been in operation the entire school year at BGM Elementary. The before option is now available as well, with both being held at the daycare center.
       The new daycare was possible thanks to a State of Iowa Future Ready Childcare Grant in the amount of $426,225.
         The 50-50 matching grant was awarded on Sept. 13, 2022.
       The State of Iowa Future Ready Childcare Grant is directed toward employees of Iowa businesses for childcare needs to expand the number of slots in the state.
          A business applying for the grant is required to have 70 full-time employees or staff.
        With Brooklyn Community Estates being home to around 38 full-time employees, Essick said in an earlier interview that a non-monetary consortium was formed with BGM Community Schools, Manatts and the New Brooklyn Development organization to apply for the grant.
       The remaining funds to construct the childcare center were privately funded through revolving loans from the Brooklyn Mutual Telephone and CIPCO (Central Iowa Power Corporative).
        The Sissels broke ground on the new daycare center on Aug. 23, 2023. The land where the building is constructed was purchased from BGM Community Schools.
          The new daycare center is open to all families in Brooklyn and the surrounding areas.
          “We accept state childcare assistance,” noted Essick.
           Daycare hours of operation are 5:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
         A Bear Creek Kids Campus Facebook page has been created at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085489400055.
           For more information contact Bauman at [email protected] or at 641-715-7286.

​        The new 60-foot by 120-foot Bear Creek Kids Campus daycare center features five classrooms, offices, a service kitchen, employee breakroom and a large fenced in playground. The daycare center is designed to serve youth from six-weeks-old to 12-years-old and is licensed for 86 children. It opened on Monday, May 6 after nearly two years of planning and construction. Submitted photo.

​        Two youngsters enjoy play and rest time in the nursery at the newly opened Bear Creek Kids Campus in Brooklyn. The new daycare was made possible thanks to a State of Iowa Future Ready Childcare Grant that owners directed toward employees of Iowa businesses for childcare needs to expand the number of slots in the state. Scott and Susan Sissel, co-owners of the Brooklyn Community Estates and Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo, applied for the grant and along with additional loans, constructed the new daycare, which opened its doors on Monday, April 6. Photo by J.O. Parker.

          One of the five classrooms at the Bear Creek Kids Campus is ready to serve local youth. The new daycare center is open to all families in Brooklyn and the surrounding areas and state childcare assistance is accepted. Submitted photo.

          The Brooklyn Opera House is very excited to announce our summer production.
        "The Big Five-Oh," written and directed by Brian Mitchell. Auditions will be held on Thursday, May 30 at the Opera House, with a mixer (complete with snacks and soda) starting at 6 p.m., and traditional auditions starting at 7 p.m.
         "If you are new to theatre, or have been curious about getting involved (on or off stage), this is the perfect event to attend," noted opera house staff. "This is a wonderful, no-pressure opportunity for you to meet and talk to the director and other members of the theatre, learn about the roles and crew positions, and to see if this is the right thing for you."
         "We can't wait, and we hope you'll join us," added opera house staff. "Script books are available for short-term check out at the Brooklyn Public Library, please feel free to grab a copy to read the script, learn about the characters, and read the story!
SYNOPSIS:
         Whoever said life is better after fifty had better be right! George Thomas is turning fifty on Saturday, and it has been a terrible week. His dog is sick, his son is a slacker, and his daughter wants to marry a Republican. With a neurotic wife and a widowed neighbor providing more challenges than even George can overcome, this may be the worst week of his life. Through these trying days, George will discover the wonders of family, the responsibilities of parenthood, and the results of his latest physical.
        "The Big Five-Oh" is a hilarious, sometimes touching account of a grown man coming to terms with his age, his relationship with his son, and his future," added opera house staff. "It is the story of a middle-aged man finally growing up."
CAST:
         Marie (195 lines, F, 50 years old): caring, but neurotic mother
         George (299 lines, M, 50 years old): impatient father
         Eric (293 lines, M, 22 years old): the "lovable slacker", a bit dim-witted but very likable
         Kathy (58 lines, F, 50-70 years old): the affable but out-of-touch-with-reality neighbor
         Julie (152 lines, F, 26 years old): energetic daughter, family peacekeeper
        Douglas (52 lines, M, 44 years old): Julie's fiancé, staunch Republican, unsure how he will be accepted by Julie's family
        Sara (65 lines, F, 21 years old): one of George's students, smart/helpful

         All is ready for the 70th anniversary of Rotary Club’s chicken barbecue fundraiser. 
         Mark your calendars:
     The date is Thursday, June 6. The traditional meal of one-half charcoal-grilled chicken, potato chips, pudding, and bottled water can be picked up for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and for dinner from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in front of the United Methodist Church on Park Street across from the Drake Public Library.
       Cost has remained at $12. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time from any Rotarian, Medicap, Brown’s Shoe Fit, Total Choice, and Grinnell State Bank. Tickets will be available on the day itself.
        Frank Shults, coordinator of this year’s chicken barbecue and incoming president of Grinnell Rotary, feels particularly honored to be coordinating this long-time Rotary tradition on its 70th anniversary. Referring to the chicken barbecue as the “kick-off” to summer in Grinnell because it is held on the first Thursday in June after K-12 school gets out, Shults, who joined Rotary in 1989, said that the way Rotarians have conducted this event has changed through the years.
INNOVATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS
      Allen Latcham, member since 1970, has been central to these changes. He said that in the beginning, Rotarians built the barbecue pit every year with 500 to 600 cement blocks. They’d lay them out on the grass in Central Park, spreading vermiculite at the bottom of the pit to keep the heat in. “It was a chore,” Latcham said. “At the end of the day, we had to wait for the cement blocks to cool off before we could haul them away. In addition, the heat would invariably ruin the grass, which then had to be replanted.”
       The Rotarians then moved the barbecue pit to 4th Ave. between the former community center (now Hotel Grinnell) and the Central Park, setting the pit right on the street. “Well, that ruined the street, and it was expensive to repair,” commented Latcham.
      About 20 years ago Latcham had the brilliant idea to build the firepit with stainless steel: seven sections made of 4-by-8-feet panels hooked together for easy dismantling. When put together, the firepit measured 56 feet. The bottom, which was anchored off the ground, was made of three layers of stainless steel, one inch apart. Latcham said, “Dead air between the steel panels in the bottom provided insulation, keeping the heat in.”
       Another innovation was building stainless steel covers to put on top of the chicken that also kept the heat in. “It’s like covering the skillet when you are cooking at home,” said Latcham. That was an important development, he noted.  He said the chickens are placed on wire racks to cook. To ensure that they are cooked uniformly and that the chickens don’t burn, Latcham said that the racks are turned over five or six times. “The racks are quite heavy. We discovered that when the chickens are covered, we only have to turn the racks two or three times, which was a big help to the Rotarians,” he said.
        Another innovation was to line the firepit with aluminum foil. “Foil reflects heat, so that was a cost-saving for us; we were able to use less charcoal,” said Latcham.
     Latcham noted that the stainless steel firepit has worked so well that a non-profit in Brooklyn has borrowed the pit for their own chicken barbecue fundraiser.
      Finally, Latcham noted that many years ago the Rotarians used to serve the chicken meal in sit-down dinners at the community center. “That became too labor-intensive; we shifted to carry-out.” Until recently, the meal included potato salad, coleslaw, and lemonade. “These were replaced with a bag of potato chips and bottled water to keep the cost of tickets down,” he said.
SECRET SAUCE
        The flavor of the chicken is one of the reasons Rotary’s barbecue has been successful through the years. That is because of a secret sauce that Bruce Blankenfeld, member since 2004, makes every year.  
       Blankenfeld’s restaurant experience has led to some recent changes as well. In the past the chicken was put in plastic bags and then in paper bags. Today, they are now served in plastic containers like those used for rotisserie chicken sold in grocery stores.
     At Blankenfeld’s behest, Rotary also purchased three insulated heated holding cabinets to store the chicken once they were cooked and to keep them hot prior to distribution. 
      When he was Rotary president in 2013, Blankenfeld introduced the idea of selling sponsorships to local businesses. Recognition of sponsors is through banners displayed at the chicken barbecue and at Kites Over Grinnell to be held on Sat., Sept. 28 this year; listing in a flyer inserted in each chicken meal bag; complimentary tickets, and recognition in a thank-you ad after the event.
PROCEEDS SUPPORT ROTARY PROJECTS
    Sponsorships have augmented proceeds from the fundraiser, enabling Rotary to support numerous projects throughout the years.  Foremost among these projects are annual scholarships for college-bound Grinnell high school students, sponsorship of international exchange students, and sponsorship of two GHS students to Rotary’s Youth Leadership Award, a one-week leadership training program held at Grinnell College every summer.
      Proceeds have also provided matching funds for the Club to apply for community service grants from Rotary District 6000.  In recent years, these grants have funded a high-flow oxygen machine for UnityPoint Health-Grinnell; equipment and materials for the Grinnell Community Early Learning Center;basketball hoops for Ahrens Park; non-fiction books for K-4 at the Grinnell School District; and outdoor musical instruments for the planned Outdoor Learning Center at the Ahrens Park.
      Funds have also enabled Rotary to partner with Shults and Co., a community singing ensemble led by Shults and his wife, Sherry. With funds raised by these musicals, Shults and Co., and Rotary were able to support jointly important community projects such as the Drake Public Library; the modernization of Central Park; a bay at the chemo unit, medical lab and office equipment for the hospital; a laser projector for the Public Safety Building; two ellipticals for the Ahrens Fitness Center; carpet and office furniture for the Station Clubhouse, and band stands for the Grinnell Middle School Music Department.
       Funds this year will also be used to match a possible community service grant for the Grinnell Historical Museum at its new site.
       Rotary also supports occasional requests for donations from other community groups.
VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE
     In addition to members, Rotary’s chicken barbecue is made possible with the help of a variety of volunteers from Bayer Crop Science, Grinnell State Bank, First State Bank, Grinnell High School, Tiger Paws, and Fastenal who is donating the bottled water. 
     For more information about the chicken barbecue, contact Frank Shults at 641-990-3658 or Bruce Blankenfeld at 641-990-1152.

         The Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a second New Resident Welcome and invites those who have relocated to Grinnell in the past 12-18 months to attend. On Thursday, May 23 from 4 - 6 p.m. new residents and their families are invited to join at Central Park near the pavilion.
          The New Resident Welcome is an opportunity for those new to the area to learn more about Grinnell, find ways to get involved and to enjoy one of our beautiful community parks. Vendors representing a variety of businesses and organizations from the Grinnell community will be present to share information and answer questions new residents may have. Attendees will also enjoy a free meal, courtesy of HyVee-Grinnell.
​  The event is free to attend; however, RSVP’s are requested by visiting www.grinnellchamber.org/en/events/new_resident_welcome or by calling the chamber office at 641-236-6555.
          “Grinnellians who attended the first event in the fall of 2023 specifically noted how much they enjoyed meeting different organizations and appreciated the ability to ask questions and learn about activities in Grinnell,” noted Marissa Ylagan with the Grinnell Chamber. “We’re excited to be providing another opportunity for even more new residents to have a similar experience, welcoming them to our community.”
         If your business or organization is interested in participating in this event, reach out to the Chamber office to learn more.

​        BGM Superintendent Brad Hohensee and Principal JR Glenn smile as they look on while graduate Carli Kriegel receives a hug from her mom, Kelly Kriegel, who is the BGM School Board President, during commencement exercise on Sunday, May 12.

       The Brooklyn Flag Festival is an annual celebration that brings together the community of Brooklyn for a weekend of fun, entertainment, and camaraderie. Hosted in the heart of the city, the festival offers a diverse range of activities and attractions suitable for all ages and interests. From thrilling races and competitive tournaments to live music performances and delicious food offerings, there's something for everyone to enjoy. The festival serves as a platform to honor community pride, celebrate patriotism, and foster connections among residents and visitors alike. Whether you're a local looking for a weekend of excitement or a visitor eager to experience the vibrant spirit of Brooklyn, the Flag Festival promises an unforgettable experience filled with laughter, joy, and cherished memories. For more information, visit https://brooklyn-chamber-of-commerce.square.site/about-1.