Mount Vernon and Lisbon will be holding Memorial Day ceremonies Monday, May 30.
Mount Vernon’s ceremonies will begin Saturday, May 28, with the set up of the Avenue of the Flags.
“We’ll be setting up the Avenue of the Flags Saturday, May 28, beginning at 8 a.m.,” said Michael Woods, American Legion Howard-Hahn Post #480 commander. “Anyone who wants to join us to help set up the Avenue of the Flags is welcome to do so.”
The Howard Hahn Post will make a decision on where the Memorial Day ceremony will be held Monday morning. Rain location will be the Mount Vernon School District Auditorium.
The Legion Auxiliary will be distributing poppies at area businesses May 27 through Memorial Day.
The Mount Vernon Boy Scouts will host a pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Adult tickets are $6, children (4-10 years of age) and seniors are $4 tickets.
The Mount Vernon Memorial Day parade will line up near Memorial Park in uptown Mount Vernon beginning at 8:45 a.m. The parade will then march from Memorial Park to the Mount Vernon Cemetery beginning at 9 a.m.
The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m., with Fred Lehman providing the welcome and pledge of allegiance.
Pastor Terra Amundson of the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church will present the invocation.
Members of the Mount Vernon High School and Middle School band will perform God Bless America.
Ann Curie, member of the Legion Auxiliary, will read the poem “On Flanders Field,” and Scott Rose will provide remarks for the city. Aden Grudzinski will perform the Gettysburg Address and Mount Vernon poet laureate Amelia Kibbie will read her new poem. A volley of will be fired to honor the fallen, followed by Taps and the echo by the Mount Vernon school buglers.
The band will also perform a Medley of Armed Forces Selections and the National Anthem at the ceremony.
Lisbon’s Memorial Day festivities will begin Monday, May 30. The Lisbon American Legion will march from the Lisbon American Legion building to the Lisbon Cemetery beginning at 9:30 a.m., where the Lisbon High School Band will perform.
David Prasil, commander of the Lisbon American Legion, said that there will be a guest speaker at the cemetery. The three “What the Flag Means to Me” essay winners will be invited to read their essays as part of the ceremony. It will conclude with a volley of gunfire to honor the fallen soldiers.
The rain location for the Lisbon Memorial Day festivities will be in the Lions Den at Lisbon Schools.
Closures, other activitiesMount Vernon City Hall and Lisbon City Hall will both be closed on Monday, May 30, for the holiday. Mount Vernon Bank and Trust, Hills Bank, and Bridge Community Bank will also be closed for the holiday.
Linn County governmental offices will be closed Monday, May 30 in observance of Memorial Day.
The following services will continue to operate:
• Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services
• Mental Health Access Center
• The Sheriff’s Office will be closed; however, continuous operations will be available for routine and emergency responses. This includes the Patrol Division, Communications Division and the Correctional Center. In an emergency, always dial 911.
Vehicle registrations can be renewed online at any time at www.iowataxandtags.gov.
The Mount Vernon swimming pool is on track to be open for the season Saturday, May 28. Mount Vernon parks and recreation director Matt Siders said that the pool has held water since it was filled, and the heater for the pool was working. Staffing will be the hurdle for the pool this year.
The Lisbon Splash Pad is not on track to open after Memorial Day, as painting has not been able to occur to the bottom of the splash pad this spring, due to the rainy conditions. Once that is completed, the splash pad will be open to the public.