My kids are ready, but this momma is still marking up the color-coded calendar and trying to figure out the logistics of getting everyone everywhere they need to be.
I’m excited for my girls to participate in swimming, soccer, tennis, and volleyball, plus a babysitting clinic and a few other activities—all good things.
But, what working parent can get their kids to a 10 a.m. event every day for an entire week and then be back two hours later to shuttle them home?
I get it.
It’s summer. Kids don’t have a schedule per se.

Father George Grafsky will celebrate his golden jubilee, marking 50 years in the priesthood, this weekend at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery.
Grafsky retired from active ministry in 2015, but continues to help with Masses at area churches when needed. He also serves as chaplain for many of the fire departments and emergency medical services in the area.
Grafsky will celebrate Most Holy Redeemer’s 5 p.m. Mass on Saturday evening, May 29 and the 8:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday morning, May 30.

A couple of eight-run innings helped the TCU Softball Team create a winning streak last week against Cleveland on May 18 and Waseca on May 20. The two wins put the
Titans’ record at 9-8.
Titan Coach Kelly Jo Closser said the wins are a result of the girls’ hard work.

The annual Memorial Day parade returns to this year’s event on Monday, May 31.
The program that honors deceased veterans begins with Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church. The Parade starts at 8:45 a.m. at Most Holy Redeemer, goes east on Vine, south on First Street, and west on Elm Avenue.
The program at the Montgomery American Legion Post 79 begins at 9:15 a.m. Steve Flicek will be the Master of Ceremonies. It will also include songs by John Grimm, prayers by Pastor Jason Pollington and Father George Grafsky.

The City of Montgomery and the Park and Recreation Advisory Board announced this year’s lineup for the Montgomery Music in the Park series.
Two performances will be held in June and August, and one will be held in July. Music starts at 7 p.m. Food and treats will be available!
Thursday, June 10 Mary Guentzel Quintet This group performs the great standards from the 30s and 40s, along with select favorites from more recent decades.

A special piece of artwork from the Tri-City United High School’s Class of 2021 will soon be added to the school’s legacy collection.
A team of senior class artists including Anna Deutsch, Reagan Gaul, Brooke Blaschko, Jack Erickson, Isabelle Factor, Isabella Hennen, Sharia Steece, and Rachel Way, recently finished their class’s Senior Mural.

Marcella Margaret Thorsen, 99 years young, entered her heavenly home on May 22, 2021. She lived her life on her terms including staying in her home for her entire adult life.

New Prague High School has named Julie Schlup as its new Activities Office Assistant, pending approval by the New Prague School Board. Schlup is taking over for Lynn Swaggert, who is retiring. Schlup is coming from Tri-City United High School where she was the 7-12 grade Activities Administrative Assistant from 2016-2021. She and her husband, Brian, reside in New Prague. She enjoys vacationing with family in California and Tennessee. She also enjoys relaxing at the lake fishing with her husband Brian. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times.

Lukas Janicek was a dinner guest of the New Prague Czech Heritage Club on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Lukas is an exchange student from his hometown of Rokycany, Czech Republic, and is a student at New Prague High School. His host parents are Jessica and Jeremy Dohm.
The dinner took place at the Fishtale Grill in New Prague, where all feasted on pork, dumplings, and kraut with vomacka. Lukas said the food was very good and very similar to the foods he enjoys in his Czech home. He commented that the word “vomacka” doesn’t mean “soup” but rather means “gravy” or “sauce”.

Prior Lake, Faribault, and New Market are each undefeated after the third weekend of the DRS Amateur Baseball Schedule.
Prior Lake picked up a pair of wins, downing Montgomery, 8-3, Friday, May 14 and edging Lonsdale, 3-2, Sunday, May 16.
The Faribault squad is 3-0 after defeating Elko, 13- 2, handing the Express their first loss.
New Prague, Lonsdale, St. Benedict, Union Hill, and Elko each have 2-1 records.
Here is a look at some of the contests from last weekend:

NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has set up a wide variety of free online mental health classes for May and June. They include such classes as Hope for Recovery, Transitions, Ending the Silence, Understanding Early Episode Psychosis for Families, In Our Own Voice, Family to Family, Positive Psychology, Creating Caring Communities, a suicide prevention class called QPR – Question, Persuade and Refer, a special QPR class for Agricultural Communities and many more.

The Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Street Fair and Business Expo on Thursday evening, May 20 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The family friendly event will be located on Ash Street NE near Mackenthun’s Fine Foods.
Lonsdale area businesses will be showcased. There will also be food vendors, a beer garden, inflatables, music, and more.

A free food distribution for those in need of food or newly struggling to make ends meet due to the COVID-19 crisis is being held Tuesday, May 18 from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Le Sueur County Fairgrounds, 320 South Plut Ave, Le Center. The event is being hosted by Le Sueur County and Second Harvest Heartland with food provided from the COVID Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

The Czech Heritage Club announced Friday that it was recently awarded a monetary gift (grant) from the Government of the Czech Republic for 2021.
The grant was 25,000 Czech koruna or Czech crown (Kč/CZK), which converts to $1,114.67 US dollars.  According to Czech Heritage member, Jean Keogh, the funds will be used for the Club’s monthly cultural and historic programming, and printing updated cemetery books listing Czech immigrants and their decedents in the two New Prague cemeteries.

Thirteen teams will be vying for the top spot in the DRS Amateur Baseball league this spring and summer.
Last year the league was as good as ever, with St. Patrick’s advancing all the way to the Class C State Championship.
Coaches/team managers were asked to fill out a short questionnaire about their teams and what they are looking forward to this season. Here are their responses:

She’s a Topiary Designer/Botanical Mosaic Artist, originally from Montgomery. She was the 2001 Kolacky Queen, and next week she will show the world her artistic skills on the new discovery+ show, “Clipped.”
Meghan Petricka, a 2002 Montgomery- Lonsdale High School graduate, joins six other artists in the competition series set in the topiary world. According to a press release, they create, “breathtaking sculptures out of meticulously trimmed shrubbery, plants and flowers - designing colorful, largerthan- life, living works of art.”