The Deep River Helping Hands 4-H Club will be hosting BINGO at our dinner on Friday, July 8, starting at 7 p.m. at the Deep River Community Center. $1 a card gets you a chance to win these great prizes!!! Thanks to our donors!
    $25 Vivarium gift card
    $30 Sauced gift card 
    $20 Monte Dairy King gift card 
    5-$10 Casey’s gift card from Back Road Builders 2 shirts with Koozies from Back Road Builders 
    2 Cooler’s from Back Road Builders 
    2 - $5 gift cards to Pink Truffle Bake Shop
    $25 gift certificate to Montezuma Floral shop
    Auctioneer book from Debbie Parker
    $20 gift certificate to Yolandas
    3 Deep River Quasquicentennial History books, 3 cook books from Deep River Fun Days
    Iowa State Extension and Outreach cup from Poweshiek Extension
    Pierce Family Cook Book from Pierce Family 

​       Come out and support the Deep River Helping Hands 4-H club and enjoy Chicken Alfredo and Spaghetti Dinner with garlic bread, salad, and dessert. 5:35-8 p.m. on Friday, July 8, at the Deep River Community Center. TO GO BOXES available!! Free will donation.
        BINGO will start at 7pm, $1 a card. We have some great PRIZES!!!
       Kiddie Pedal Pull out front of the Community Center. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. Pull at 7 p.m.. If it rains we will move it inside!

​      The Poweshiek County Historical and Genealogical Society will host J. O. Parker as he shares “My Journey of Postcard Collecting” at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7, in the Carnegie building, lower level. A native of Tulsa, Okla., Parker holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  He currently works for Bayer Crop Science and does freelance newspaper work for several publications.
      He notes, “Postcards are like little time machines, capturing glimpses of days and times gone by.  They were the social media of their day.” His collection of postcards numbers more than 2,000 and will be available to view during the program. His presentation will focus on his collection, how he got started collecting and tips on where to find and purchase postcards.
    The Carnegie building is located on the campus of Poweshiek County Historical and Genealogical Society, 200 South 3rd St., Montezuma, with a handicap access at the south side entrance. Call (641) 623-3322 with questions. Leave a message for a call back as the center is staffed only on Mondays and Thursdays. The public is invited to attend this event.

      Pastor George Salnave and his wife, Terry, of the Montezuma Evangelical Presbyterian Church, have been named the grand marshals of the Montezuma "Let Freedom Ring" Parade and Celebration. The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 2.

​By J.O. Parker
 
     Organizers of the Montezuma “Let Freedom Ring” Celebration will have to find someone else to emcee this year’s parade.
       That’s because the current emcee, Pastor George Salnave and his wife, Terry have been named Grand Marshals of the Montezuma “Let Freedom Ring” Parade and Celebration.
        The couple, along with three of their five grandchildren, Via Sue, Harrison Michael and George Anthony, will headline this year’s parade slated for 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 2.
      When asked what this honor means, Pastor Salnave said he and Terry are truly honored and surprised that they were selected.
        “I can remember our first Freedom Parade as we pulled the wagon with our newborn, Kyla Jane, some 36 years ago,” said Pastor Salnave. “The Freedom Parade is a wonderful tribute to the freedom of our country as we honor those who have served our country and those who are presently serving to provide protection from our enemies and those who would try to take these freedoms from us.”
         The couple has ministered at the Montezuma Evangelical Presbyterian Church and in the Montezuma community for 36 years. 
      Pastor George is a native of Flint, Mich. He attended Flint Junior College and the University of Michigan-Flint. He then attended Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. where he earned the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees.
    “I was blessed during my seminary time to be involved in Youth Leadership Development of America at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, Calif. with Pastor Lloyd Ogilvie,” recalled Pastor Salnave. “My first 11 years in ministry as an Associate Pastor was in Santa Rosa, Calif.”
           Pastor Salnave and Terry met at the First Presbyterian Church in Flint, Mich. in 1965.
“We were in the youth choir,” recalled Pastor Salnave. “Terry was the church secretary during her college years and we were both involved in the youth ministry called, “The Pipe.” We will have been married for 50 years in August.”
        When asked how he landed in Montezuma, Pastor Salnave said the late Delores Lundy was on the pastor search committee at the church at the time. She reached out to her brother’s wife, who managed a Christian Camp in California, where they saw many pastors, if they could suggest a candidate to minister and lead the church.
        “They suggested me and Delores called me on Sept. 17, 1985 to see if I might be interested in interviewing for this position,” noted Pastor Salnave. “The rest is history.”
          The couple came to Montezuma in 1986 to pastor the church.
        Pastor Salnave and Terry have three children, Kyla, Kaitlin and Kirk. Pastor Salnave said he enjoys sharing about his children and their service to their local churches.
        Kyla is married to Adam Burton and the couple has two children, Harrison, 3, and Hollyn, 6-months old. They reside in Altoona. Kyla is a stay-at-home mom and Adam works at Farm Bureau and Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.
        Kaitlin is married to Gavin Burns and the couple has two children, Via Sue, 4, and Banks Gavin, 7-months old. They reside in Monroe. Kaitlin works for Principal in Des Moines and Gavin works for EMC in Des Moines. 
         Kirk is married to Kelsey and they reside in Pleasant Hill. They have one child, George Anthony, 3. Kirk works at TK Concrete in Pella and Kelsey Salnave teaches first grade at Mitchellville Elementary.
       When asked to share some highlights of his career sharing God’s Word and helping people grow in their faith, Pastor Salnave said the main highlight is having the joy of leading people to having faith in Jesus Christ and discipling them and giving them opportunities to serve the Lord.
        “We have spent our lives as a team doing ministry,” Pastor Salnave said of himself and Terry. “We have tried to be vulnerable and transparent in living and teaching our faith in Christ in the church, the community and among the people we have met.”
      Terry directed the church preschool for 18 years and also worked as a para-professional at the Montezuma Community Schools for 20-years. And she has also been a partner in her husband’s ministry.
      “Terry is supplementing knowledge and care to our grandchildren as well as supporting our children in their lives,” Pastor Salnave added of his wife.
             The couple will be retiring from the church on Dec. 31.
         As for the future, Pastor George said he and Terry will probably find themselves spending time with their three children and helping them as they nurture their children in the Lord. They also plan to be involved in their children’s churches.
          “I will continue to be involved in the Presbytery of Rivers and Lakes as their Chaplain to pastors, active in the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and continuing the radio program, “Beginning and Ending Your Day by Faith Alone,” noted Pastor Salnave. “I will also probably continue writing daily devotions.” 
         And when time permits, Pastor Salnave said he enjoys golf and hopes to get a game or two in every so often.
     “I want to thank everyone for allowing Terry and me to serve the Montezuma Community for 36 years,” he said. “Montezuma was a tremendous place to raise our family and a great joy to lead many people to faith in Christ.”

     An anchor event of the annual Independence Day/Let Freedom Ring celebration in Montezuma is the Montezuma Lions Club’s chicken barbecue dinner. The dinner has a longstanding history of providing a tasty feast and a social good time. It is also a key event for funding the Lions’ many community service projects and contributions.
      The dinner will include the club’s famously-flavored barbecued half-chicken along with baked beans and coleslaw, iced tea and lemonade.  The meal will be served inside the air-conditioned Memorial Hall. Serving is scheduled to begin at approximately 11 a.m. following the conclusion of the celebration parade, and continue until about 1 p.m. - or until approximately 880 chicken dinners have been dispensed.
      A meal ticket is $12 at the door on July 2 or in advance from Lions club members.
New Entry and Serving Lines
      In an effort to reduce traffic congestion and speed up the time it takes for customers to receive meals the Lions will be introducing a change from the past in the traffic flow. Instead of the entrance being the Memorial Hall front doors, they will instead be the exit doors. Customers will enter the hall at the northeast side door of the hall. Once inside, Lions will have two serving lines. All meals will be served in carryout containers, but there will be tables and seating available for dining inside.
      Eddie Pierson is this year’s chairman. Preparation of the dinner is a major undertaking for the Lions and all members are counted on to assist. Family members provide help as well. Lions will be doing set up work Friday afternoon beginning at 4 p.m.
      The public is encouraged to bring used hearing aids and used eyeglasses to the dinner (or give to a Lions member at any time of the year). All types of hearing aids are welcomed. Some are retrofitted and others have recycle value that helps fund the program of providing free aids to persons in Iowa who need them but cannot afford them. Used eyeglasses are processed by Lions across the state and are then re-issued by volunteers to persons in the poorest parts of the world. Donors of eyeglasses are asked to bring only the glasses; cases are not desired because of the weight and volume they add to shipping costs.
Lions BBQ Task Assignments
      Lions assigned to cook chickens – beginning at 3 a.m. – include Lead, William Gregory, and: Jake Thompson, Dick Gregory, Roger Iverson, Bill Schultz, Kyle Cook, Paul Sneller, Marvin Ferneau, Gary Thompson, Dean Teeselink, Pat Montag and Jerome Sheets, plus non-Lions volunteers.
      Food Services and Clean Up: Lead, Linda Boeding; Mike Mahaffey, Gordon Alexander, Doug Ver Meer, Ron Hensel, Boyd Sparks, Mike Princer, Bob Hamilton, Rick Talbert, Roger Cox, Kathy Cox, Bud Norman and Ted Morelock.
      Ticket Sales and Collection: Lead, Chuck Boeding; Roger Allen, Larry Weeks and Alicia Thompson.
Recent donations
      Earlier this year the club paid for the repair of a student’s damaged eyeglasses. A donation of $500 was made to the Montezuma Food Pantry. Camp Hertko Hollow, a camp for children with diabetes, was given $200; the Lions-week camp at Camp Courageous for persons with visual and other disabilities was sent $100, and Leader Dogs for the Blind received $200. A donation of $1,400 was recently made to the Iowa Lions Foundation and $1,000 to the Lions Clubs International Foundation. Entities funded by the state foundation include the Iowa Lions Eye Bank, Iowa KidSight vision screening, and the Lions Hearing Aid program. The International foundation provides emergency relief at the time of disasters, including storms and floods in Iowa and relief for families uprooted by the war in Ukraine.
      Club members continue to volunteer in the transport of cornea tissue, covering the relay from Grinnell to the Iowa Lions Eye Bank in Coralville.
New club officers effective July 1
      Heading up the club’s officers for the Lions year that begins July 1 will be Eddie Pierson, president; Boyd Sparks and Doug Ver Meer, 1st and 2nd vice-president; Roger Allen, secretary; Mike Princer, treasurer; Bill Schultz, tail twister; Ted Morelock, song leader; and Alicia Thompson, membership chair; in addition there is a slate of directors. The club currently has 37 members.
      Montezuma Lions Club is always interested in gaining new members; if interested, communicate that to a member while you are enjoying your barbecued chicken dinner on Saturday.
 

​     Pictured are members of the Montezuma FFA Floriculture team. They are, from left: Ellen Cook, Bryson Stockman, Brady Boulton and Jordan Ranfeld. The team finished third at state.

​     Congrats to the 2022 Montezuma FFA Floriculture team for their third place finish at state! This team dedicated lots of time and hard work to learning about horticulture production, plant identification, and problem solving with FFA Advisor Hannah Garland this spring and summer. Additionally, they had the opportunity to make a variety of plant arrangements with the help of Jennifer Schuur, owner of Montezuma Floral.
      “I enjoy helping the kids,” said Schuur, who was in FFA floriculture in high school. “I am thankful for the opportunity to pass my knowledge on. It is fun to see the students development from day one until the competition.”
       Individual rankings: Bryson Stockman, third; Brady Boulton, 13th, Ellen Cook, 14th, and Jordan Ranfeld, 27th.