Summer Nights Begins Tonight

Montezuma's Summer Nights series begins tonight on the downtown square.  The event which is sponsored by the Ministerial Association will feature food, games, inflatables, antique cars and live music featuring Breaking Adam, a local Christian band.  All Summer Nights activities are free and family-friendly.  July through September events will be held the second Tuesday of the month. 

July 4th Parade "Stars & Stripes Forever" Entries Sought

The MCD office is coordinating this year's July 4th parade which is scheduled for Saturday, June 30 at 10:00 a.m.  Businesses, organizations and individuals may pre-register their plans to participate by picking up a registration form at Ron's, The Lady Bug, Vannoys, The Record, Simone's, or the City Office.  Parade line-up begins at 9:00 a.m. in the south school parking lot.  This year's parade will be led by Dale and Pat Watts and announced by local radio station 89.7 FM KRNF. 

Director's Quill

Montezuma's Community Beautification Project has now entered the third and final phase for the summer months.  Earlier this spring, over 120 volunteer hours supported Clean-Up! efforts throughout the community and the downtown area. And last week several volunteers worked together to Plant Up! the square.  I want to take a moment to recognize and thank the many volunteers and project partners that have made this effort to beautify the downtown corridor:

Project Partners

Wilcox All-Pro Tools
DeJong Manufacturing
Montezuma FFA
James Greenhouse
K & F Hahn Concrete
Keep Iowa Beautiful
Paint Iowa Beautiful
Montezuma Light & Power
South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency
Main Street Hardware
Poweshiek County ISU Extension
Montezuma Lions Club
Earth Day Clean-Up Volunteers
Vannoy Chevrolet

Financial Sponsors

Ellis Home Interiors

Three Sisters Fabrics
Simone’s Cuppa
Peoples Savings Bank
Montezuma State Bank
Coleman Agency Inc.
A1 Fiberglass
Brownells
Monte Manufacturing
Poweshiek County Supervisors
City of Montezuma
Montezuma Light & Power
Manestreet Hair Designers
Roorda Transport

Plant Up! Volunteers

Karon Johnson
Carol Bohoenek
Terri Johnson
Sheryl Freeborn
Jo Ahrens
Ron Hensel
Bea Hensel
Janet McKee
Janet Peiffer
Casey Peiffer
Mitch Gill
Barb Albin
Doris Rindles
Teri Remmp
Deb Vermeer
Kathy Barger
Julie Widmer
Betty Snook
Cathe Wilson
Georgia VanRoekel
Rosie Serber

Phase III Flower Power Volunteers

Terence Blain
Deb Vermeer
Carolyn Woods
Bob & Barb Albin
Vince & Karon Johnson
Janet McKee
Phyliss Freeborn
Patty Collins

Phase III Volunteers take care of watering the streetscape planters, baskets and other landscaping around downtown.  We are still seeking volunteers who are willing to serve on an alternate roster.  Watering works best in teams of two and takes about one-hour.  Give me a call if you want to be added to the list, 641-623-7600. 

I also wanted to give a shout out to our utility guys for filling and moving planters and hanging baskets and our new banners.  Everything looks terrific!

In the fall we will welcome the Iowa Downtown Resource Center's community engagement team to Montezuma.  The team will work directly with many community leaders and downtown stakeholders in gathering input for a future downtown plan.  At the end of the second day, the team will present back their findings in a public forum, and later provide the City with a written plan for future downtown development.  The Downtown Resource Center brings 25 years of experience in working with Iowa communities, including Iowa's Main Street program.  Other Main Street communities in the region include Belle Plain and Oskaloosa. 

Terence Blain, Director

Montezuma Community Development

Quote of the Week

After you've done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over. 

~Alfred Edward Perlman, New York Times, 3 July 1958