Area residents looking for fun on the Fourth of July will have several choices.

The Montgomery Area Community Club announced this year's 87th Annual Kolacky Days Grand Marshals. They are Gerry and Dianna Smith, who are pictured with 2020 Kolacky Days Royalty, and the 2021 Kolacky Queen Candidates at the annual Meet and Greet in Memorial Park. For more about the Smiths, pick up the Kolacky Days Souvenir Section, on newsstands July 22. (Wade Young photo)

Participants in the 20th annual Henderson Tractor Ride prepare to leave Union Hill the morning of Saturday, June 26. There were 60 tractors in this year’s ride that began at the Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Showgrounds and were scheduled to enter Henderson and parade down the city’s historic business district around 1:30 p.m. For more see upcoming print issues of The New Prague Times and Montgomery Messenger. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Andrew J. Regenscheid, the third son of Joseph F. and Esther L. (Harty) Regenscheid, was born on a hot, August 3, 1938, at the Regenscheid home in Cleveland, Minnesota. He joined older brothers Joseph H. and Bernard A.
Growing up in town meant Andy almost always had someone to keep busy with as a youth. He was enrolled in the Cleveland Public Schools as a first grader and attended the school until his graduation, 12 years later, on May 24, 1956.

My husband gave me a pump for my 40th birthday.
Seriously.
I am now the proud owner of a green, shallow-well pump. (No, I don’t know the horsepower, etc.)
At first, I thought he had just used a pump box, so I tore into the package expecting something else, but... It really was a pump.
Confused, I smiled and told him “thank you.”
“What is it?!” demanded our 9-year-old Ellen.
John informed her.
Then, our 11-year-old Anna, “Why’d you get her a pump?”
I was thinking the same darn thing.

The St. Patrick Irish have won their past five games, including three last week to increase their lead in the DRS Amateur Baseball League.
The Irish improved to 12-3 this season, two full games in front of Union Hill. They defeated Prior Lake, 11-1, in seven innings Thursday, June 17. They edged Webster, 4-3, Saturday, June 19. The following day St. Patrick edged New Prague, 2-0.
In the win over Prior Lake, Ryan Fridges hit a home run in his sixth straight game. Kyle Rhodes added three hits.

The Tri-Legion Baseball Team (Montgomery, Le Center, Lonsdale) battled backand- forth against Cleveland on Monday night toward a 14-13 victory.
Tri-Legion got off to a running start in the bottom of the first inning when athletes scored three runs to Cleveland’s zero. With Carter O’Malley on the mound for the team, the teams had a scoreless second inning and each with single runs in the third.

While there weren’t any champions crowned at the State Track Meet last weekend, several Tri-City United athletes had the honor of competing among the best in the state.
TCU sent Marco Reyes, Jordan Meyer, and the girls 4x800 relay team (Anabelle Davies, Josie Plut, Makayla Erickson, Yasmin Ruiz, and alternate Gaby Daulke) to the Class A event.
Boys’ coach Craig Nordling said after the season started with so many unkowns, it ended on a high note for these athletes.

A Le Center native, who loves the small-town life and atmosphere, is now helping taxpayers as the Le Sueur County Chief Deputy Auditor-Treasurer.
Brad Collins started his new position on May 25, 2021. The Auditor-Treasurer position wasn’t always a combined role. In December 2009, when then-auditor, Ron Germscheid retired, the county combined the two departments. In January 2010, Joe Boettcher took over and became the first Auditor-Treasurer, leading both departments until it split this year. The current Le Sueur County Auditor-Treasurer is Dani Blaschko.

Traditions are valuable and being upheld in Montgomery and New Prague, according to a dignitary from the Czech Republic.
“The traditions and the history here are wonderful,” said Jan Kubišta, the Czech Republic’s Deputy Consul based in Chicago.
Kubišta saw firsthand how the Czech Area maintains its ties to the...
To see more on this story pick up the June 24, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Effective Wednesday, June 23, 2021, until further notice, the City of Montgomery has issued a water emergency and watering ban.
Due to “extremely low water levels” from the drought-like weather and increased use of community members using irrigation systems, the watering ban is in effect from 12 to 6 p.m. every day of the week.
The Emergency Outdoor Watering Ban restricts outdoor watering (lawn irrigation and vehicle washing) to an odd/even schedule between 6 p.m. to 11 a.m.:

The Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce and the Lonsdale Community Days Committee announced on Wednesday, June 23 that Daryl Rieck has been chosen as the 2021 Lonsdale Grand Marshal.
According to a press release, Rieck has been an integral part of the community for more than 35 years. It listed Rieck’s commitment to Londale being the American Legion Commander, instructor for AARP Defensive Course Classes, member of the Veteran's Memorial Task Force, Memorial Day Service Organizer, and volunteer who always helps with BINGO on Saturday evenings at the Legion.

After a fierce six-week landscape design showdown set in the whimsical world of topiary, Minnesota-based botanical mosaic artist Meghan Petricka was crowned the "Clipped" champion of the freshest competition series on discovery+.
Judges crowned Petricka as the last topiarist standing, winner of $50,000 cash and bragging rights as the first-ever "Clipped" champion.
Petricka is a 2002 Montgomery-Lonsdale High School graduate, the daughter of Donald and JoAnn Petricka, and the 2001 Kolacky Queen. For more, pick up the print edition.

Spider-Man, left, was a surprise guest for Christian Stage at Home Town Bats’ Home Run Derby the evening of Friday, June 18, at Union Hill Ballpark, west of New Prague. Christian, the son of Nick and Joan Stage of Lonsdale, is a big fan of superheroes. His family are the beneficiaries of the annual fundraiser that features fun, food, games and members of the Dakota-Rice-Scott League slamming for the fences to get as many home runs as possible. For more see upcoming print issues of The New Prague Times and Montgomery Messenger. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Home Town Bats will be holding its fifth annual Home Run Derby at 6 p.m. this Friday, June 18, at Union Hill Ballpark, west of New Prague. The beneficiary of this year’s family friendly fundraiser is Christian Stage, the five year old son of Nick and Joan Stage of Lonsdale. He has three siblings, Preston, Anna and Brielle. Ted Nytes of Home Town Bats organizes Home Run Derby, which features batters from the Dakota- Rice-Scott League hitting for the fences to see who can slam the most home runs.

I don’t know when it was, but somewhere between a day old and 33 years old, I learned to appreciate my dad for who he is; not for who I thought he should be. He was a great man, I always knew that. He was a hard-worker, volunteer, and faithful, and devoted husband to my mother.
But the truth is, God knew long before we showed up on this earth that we’d be a family. He knew my dad’s strengths and struggles would one day coalesce to create the man he became until he left the earth at 58-years-old in 1997. It was too short a journey, but one I reflect on every day.