JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER It may have been 50 years ago, but Martin Sieverding remembers well the very first Menno Band Day well. Marching in it must have really left an impression. “I was in the band at the time and I remember coming down to Menno and especially driving into town,” said Sieverding, who estimates he was an eighth-grader or in his early high school years at West Central at the time. “I think I even saw a picture of our band in the files in the Menno band room.”

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER The Tienda CentroAmerica restaurant that was scheduled to open this week Thursday, Oct. 15 is now scheduled to open the following week instead.  According to a Facebook post by the building’s owner early this week, the new opening date is slated for the weekend of Oct. 23-24.

Big Friday on tap in Menno with pep rally, parade and football game Menno seniors Josh Heckenlaible and Jesse Munkvold were crowned king and queen as Menno Public School and the larger community kicked off a week of homecoming activities at coronation Monday night, Oct. 12. Heckenlaible and Munkvold were joined by a royal court that also included candidates Brady Fergen, Levi Bender, Kylie Harriman and Morgan Edelman.

Students and staff at Menno Public School and the larger Menno community will get their chance to celebrate homecoming this week under the slogan, “The Wolves will stun in 2021.” The traditional coronation will formally get things started Monday night, Oct. 12 and a parade on Friday, Oct. 16 will highlight the week. Coronation begins in the old city/school gym at 7 p.m., with the parade starting at 1:30 p.m. This year’s theme is “Roadtrip” — landmarks and destinations. A 1 p.m. pep rally will precede the parade.

This week Friday, Oct. 9, nine area bands will take to the streets of Menno for the 12th Menno Band Day. Many precautions for COVID-19 are being taken as bands participate in this street-marching competition and the drumline battle at the football field. There will be three classes based on band size. The bands in Class C are: Gayville-Volin, Elkton-Lake Benton and Avon. The bands in Class B are Scotland and Centerville. The bands in Class A are: Sioux Falls Christian, Platte-Geddes and Castlewood.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER The Tienda CentroAmerica grocery store that has been operating on the north side of the former Chislic House since late August will soon become the CentroAmerica grocery store and restaurant.

Kirk McCormick has resigned as the chief of police for the city of Freeman, effective immediately. McCormick turned in his letter of resignation last week Friday, Sept. 25 and the Freeman City Council accepted his resignation at its second meeting of the month Monday night, Sept. 28. It also agreed to advertise for a full-time police officer.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER When David Mensch set out to find, purchase and restore a carousel for placement at Pioneer Acres, the longtime home of the Menno Pioneer Power Show, he knew it would take more than a little elbow grease to get the job done. But he never imagined the project would be as tedious and time consuming as it has been. Ten years — that’s a long time.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 8 a.m. - Registration 9 a.m. - Flea market & toy show open; equipment operators safety meeting 10:30 a.m.-Noon - Corn cutting, binding & chopping; corn shelling & shredding, hay demonstrations, steam threshing, steam engine plowing; sawmill start-up Noon - Antique car & tractor parade 1 p.m. - Children’s games open

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Freeman residents who were ticketed for violating the city’s parking ordinance from Sept. 8 to Sept. 16 will not have to pay those fines, according to Freeman Mayor Michael Walter, who estimates a couple of dozen residents were issued citations.