Dozinky, the Czech Harvest Festival of 2021 is entering the record books. This year was a good one for weather as there was plenty of sun and temperatures made for a nice weekend on Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18.
More often than not I did have fun, while keeping very busy taking photos and talking to people. I saw some people that I haven’t seen in some time and met new people. It always amazes me how there is a large crowd for the parade and sometimes the crowd stays around.

When I grabbed the can koozie from the cupboard and looked at the inscription it stopped me. “2020 The year Dozinky didn’t happen.” That’s what the pandemic caused. But that’s not what caught my attention. It was the memories from 20 years ago when Dozinky almost didn’t happen!
It was Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, and our community was eagerly anticipating the coming weekend of Cruise and Dozinky. I was serving on the New Prague Chamber Board at the time and we were putting the final touches on all the necessary preparations.

Everyone has habits, whether we like it or not. Some of our habits are good ones and some, not so much.

As of this Thursday, Aug. 19, edition of The New Prague Times I have reached 22 years of being a reporter here in New Prague. The majority of my 27 years as a reporter has been here in this community that has become my home.

With the current temperatures hitting the high 80s and the 90s, plus almost jungle like humidity on several of those days, the old question “Hot enough for you?” has likely been asked. There’s also probably been the statement, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” Whichever it is, these are days that many of us are trying to find ways to keep cool.

Like anyone watching the work on Main Street progress by our front door, we at The Times sometimes have questions about why the work crews do things.

One of the benefits of a small town is seeing people come together as a community to help others or work on a project. Over the years I have covered I don’t know how many fundraisers to help a family with medical needs or to help the community in general with such things as the food shelf.

Friday was a night of wrestling as I covered Under the Big Top 4, pro wrestling with local favorite Mitch Paradise. This wasn’t the first time I covered the event at the Doublewide Lounge in Elko New Market, but it was the first time that the action landed very close to me.

Last week and this week are busy for news and other events. Paging through The Times people can see there was a visit by the Deputy Consul General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, the Home Run Derby, the Henderson Tractor Ride and there’s going to be festivals again after the pandemic put most on pause last year.
Last week I also took time to see Generations Theatre’s production of “Blame it on the Movies.” It was nice to be able to go in and see a live production with singing and dancing. It was something I didn’t see a lot of during the last year.

This Sunday, June 20, is Father’s Day, when dads across the country and the world will celebrate with their families. For some it’s a big get together with their children and grandchildren in a park or at their houses, others will have small gatherings with an aged parent.
Over the years with some of the friends I’ve made I found out how sometimes a father isn’t part of their children’s lives.

We are definitely in one of the first heat waves of the summer with the weather forecasted to be in the 90s and the upper 80s for the rest of the week. It brings up the old question, which affects things more the heat or the humidity?

Here we are, a week where the temperatures are forecasted to give us a taste of what summer is about. This week the forecast calls for temps in the high 70s at the least, if not in the 80s and 90s. It’s the type of weather that many people want or look forward to during the colder days of winter.
I’ll admit I do enjoy the sun and warmer temperatures, mainly because it means I don’t have to worry about throwing on extra layers of clothing or at least a jacket just to go outside to check the mail when it’s sub zero temps outside.

Two events that are important for many people around the area are happening this weekend. This coming Friday, May 28, is New Prague High School’s graduation ceremony and on Monday, May 31, it is Memorial Day when we honor those veterans who gave all for our country.
As I was growing up Memorial Day didn’t seem to be observed as much, or it could have been, but my family didn’t attend the ceremonies. I remember going to one church service in the local cemetery. More often than not it was a weekend when my family gathered.

When I said it was going to be a noisy construction season I didn’t realize how right I was going to be. Nearly every day has had the sound of construction vehicles beeping as they back up, the loud crunch as concrete or asphalt breaks apart, the metallic boom and the slight echo as dump trucks drop their cargo or are loaded with concrete and the rocky clatter as gravel is deposited for the street. Of course since the streets are not finished there is dust.

A week ago on Wednesday, April 21, I went to Le Center to get my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. It went well and the only side effect I had was that my shoulder was a bit sore for a day where I received the inoculation.

There is a lot happening in New Prague, our state and everywhere else. A person needs only to look at the front page to see things that have happened and that are coming up this weekend.