JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Participation numbers were down and the fish weren’t biting much, but considering the nature of what organizers were up against, the 17th annual Freeman Fishing Derby held Saturday morning, June 17 is being declared a success. “With everything going on, I was happy with it,” said Sam Sorensen, who notes that the number of registered participants — 49 — was down slightly from last year’s 55, but that was largely due to a host of other activities taking place that day, including three youth baseball and softball tournaments.

When “Matilda, Jr.!” takes the Pioneer Hall stage this Sunday evening, it will be a bittersweet affair — bitter in that it serves as a reminder of the Schmeckfest musical that never saw the light of day and sweet in that this endearing story is finally making its way to an audience in Freeman. Since last week, 31 youngsters in grades 4-8 and two directors associated with the Freeman Area Children’s Choir have been preparing the junior version of the story made popular by British author Roald Dahl for Sunday’s performance. Curtain is 6:30 p.m.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER The story of Matilda, a mischievous but highly intelligent 6-year-old who first appeared in a 1988 bestselling children’s novel written by Roald Dahl, will finally be presented to a local audience from the Pioneer Hall stage. “Matilda Jr.!” a theatrical adaptation for children taken from the hit Broadway musical based on Dahl’s book, is being prepared by the Freeman Area Children’s Choir and will be presented this Sunday, June 25. Curtain is at 6:30 p.m. and tickets will be available at the door.

Tis the season for swimming lessons — at least it is in Freeman, where the first of two sessions for all levels is underway. Tuesday, June 20 was the second day of the first two-week session, and this is the Level 1 participants (the youngest group) getting used to the water. Lessons begin each day with Levels 5 and 6 at 8 a.m., with Levels 4, 3, 2 and 1 continuing through 11:45 a.m. The first session of lessons runs from June 19-30 with the second session scheduled for July 10-21.

A group of young actors involved with the Freeman Area Children's Choir rehearse a scene from "Matlida Jr!" which is the focus of a June 12-23 musical theater camp being led by FACC directors Amber Bradley and Iwona Lewter. The 10-day camp is being held during the mornings, and "Matilda Jr!" will be presented Sunday afternoon on the Pioneer Hall stage.

There's a slight haze in the air but the sun is shining on a beautiful Sunday morning in Freeman. This picture features Sixth Street — the primary roadway into Freeman from Highway 81 — running diagonally through the center-right portion of the image. The Freeman Missionary Church is pictured in the lower left, with the St. Paul Lutheran Church and Freeman Regional Health Services further toward the top.

Ryan Sorensen and sons Nash (left) and Hayes head for a fishing spot at the Freeman Prairie Arboretum Saturday morning, June 17 in the minutes leading up to the 9:30 a.m. start of the 17th Freeman Fishing Derby. Temperatures were comfortable for the family-friendly, catch-and-release event — which was scheduled to conclude at 11 a.m. — but turnout was light.

The Photo of the Day on Wednesday showed the new stop sign that faces west at the corner of Cherry and Fifth Street. This is the other new stop sign that has gone up in Freeman and faces east at the corner of Cherry and Sixth Street.

Freeman was a busy place Wednesday night with the farmer's market (pictured) at the Swimming Pool Park, baseball and softball games across the road and a bike rodeo/light meal downtown that included participation from the Freeman Community Development Corporation, Freeman Regional Health Services and Pink Ladies. The evening also included a bike donation to community "bike doctor" Dennis Ries, who fixed up the rides for those who might be in need.

Drivers navigating the familiar Cherry Street jog that connects Sixth Street with Fifth Street will notice two new stop signs that have been placed at two intersections — this one facing west at Fifth and Cherry and another facing east at Sixth and Cherry. The signs are there to help control traffic at what is a busy connecting point for areas around town.