Temple named grand marshal of Fourth of July Parade

     Exciting things are developing for the Monticello Fourth of July Parade.

     The theme was announced in April: “Colors of Flag.” This celebrates the 249^th anniversary of America.

     In April, the Parade Committee also sought the public's help in nominating someone (an individual, more than one person, a group of people) to serve as grand marshal(s) of the Fourth of July Parade.

   Nominations were collected through April 22.

   The committee can now announce that retiring Monticello Express Sports Editor Pete Temple was named grand marshal.

   Temple will retire in June after 26 years with the Express.

   While covering sports, agriculture, and school fine arts events during that time, Temple also helped take photos during Monticello's Fourth of July and Memorial Day parades for many of those years, as well as covering 4-H livestock shows and sporting events each at the Great Jones County Fair.

   Temple also plays piano and leads hymns as an accompanist at Wayne Zion Lutheran Church.

   Originally from West St. Paul, Minn., Temple was hired for his first sports writing job by the Dakota County Tribute in Farmington, Minn., in 1981. He moved to Monticello in November 1998 to start work with the Express and to be closer to his then-fiancée, Diane, a teacher at Maquoketa Valley High School, and more recently, at Kirkwood Jones County Regional Center. They have been married for 25 years, and have two sons, Levi and Ian, who are Monticello High School graduates and were involved in multiple activities here.

   "I remember being nervous about the adjustment from life in the Twin Cities suburbs to small-town living," Temple said. "I quickly learned that Monticello and other cities like it are great places to live, work, and raise a family.

   "It has been a privilege to serve Monticello and surrounding communities through my work at the Express," continued Temple. "I am deeply honored to have been chosen as grand marshal for this year's parade."

   The parade will follow the same route as past years, starting and ending at the Berndes Center.

   The Jones County Amateur Radio Club will assist the parade committee and volunteers during the parade by setting up their mobile command center to communicate between the staging area and the viewing stand. They'll be using a private internet system to do so. The public is welcome to tour their mobile command center following the parade. It will be parked near the old ticket booth at the fairgrounds.

   Trophies will be handed out this year for winners of the parade in the following categories:

   • Best of Parade: Performance and Music

   • Best of Parade: Creativity

   • Best of Parade: Patriotic Use of Theme

   • Best of Parade: Color and Décor