Community News

Those who are heading out to a St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year need to make sure they have more than just the luck o’ the Irish on their side. This holiday, dated as March 17 but often celebrated the weekend prior or after as well, is one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year and this, unfortunately, means more impaired drivers on the roads.

Drunk driving accounts for nearly one-third of vehicle related fatalities in the United States. Nationally, in 2018 alone, 73 people (39% of all crash fatalities) were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period and 33% of the pedestrians aged 16 and older killed in crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above .08. In 2019 in Iowa, there were two crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday which killed four people.

Plans have been announced to hold the 2020 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Waukon Sunday, March 15. All are invited to participate in this year’s parade with an Irish-themed entry at no cost. Further details of the annual event will be printed as they become finalized.
 

What does toothpaste have to do with being a good citizen? Clover Kids learned that being a good citizen means showing respect, kindness and being helpful to others in their recent Saturday gathering. After squeezing out all the toothpaste, youth were challenged with putting it back in the tube, a nearly impossible feat.

Youth learned that just like words coming out of their mouths, once the toothpaste is out it is very hard to put back in, therefore they must choose words carefully. Clover Kids then made a cookies in a jar mixture where they learned how to properly measure dry baking ingredients (such as pictured below) and pack brown sugar. After they added all their ingredients and a recipe card with directions on how to complete the cookies from the mixture, they were tasked with sharing their jar (held by the kids pictured above) with someone and being a good citizen.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 2 to address a full agenda of items including a proclamation relating to the fire at Gus and Tony’s Pizza and Steakhouse, a grant opportunity for lighted pedestrian signage and the purchase of a pothole repair machine.

During Public Comment, Director Ardie Kuhse of Waukon Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) discussed the Waukon Chamber of Commerce Banquet taking place the evening of Saturday, March 7 with awards to be presented for Person of the Year and Business of the Year. Kuhse indicated that a new chamber director has not yet been named with the application process ongoing.

Youth Mentoring at Helping Services for Youth & Families is hosting its annual Bowl-A-Thon Saturday, March 21 at Arrowhead  Lanes in Waukon. This event aims to raise $7,000 to connect youth in Allamakee, Howard and Winneshiek counties with a mentor.

Currently, 104 people are involved in Youth Mentoring at Helping Services. Now is the time to strike up a conversation with friends, neighbors, club members and co-workers to form a team to bowl. Proceeds support those youth and adults being friends in mentoring. Participants can be involved in two ways: register to bowl and/or donate to the cause.

Registration is now open at www.helpingservices.org/YMBOWL. Bowlers can form a team of four members or sign up to bowl individually and Helping Services will pair them with others. Anyone can bowl at this event, and bowlers do not have to be associated with mentoring to bowl. Bowling times are 10 a.m., Noon and 2 p.m.

Plans have been announced to hold the 2020 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Waukon Sunday, March 15. All are invited to participate in this year’s parade with an Irish-themed entry at no cost. Further details of the annual event will be printed as they become finalized.
 

Effigy Mounds National Monument announces a series of special events celebrating the American Indian tradition of storytelling in winter. Winter Stories will occur Saturday and Sunday afternoons through the end of March. Activities will take place in the Effigy Mounds National Monument Visitor Center located at 151 Highway 76, Harpers Ferry.

Presentations span multiple genres of storytelling including traditional storytelling, cinematography and art. This weekend’s presentation is scheduled for Saturday, February 29 from 1-3 p.m. and will feature Bill Quakenbush, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin speaking on “Ho-Chunk Oral Stories: Are They Still Relevant Today?”

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon is hosting the ISBA People’s Law School series through April 21. The library is partnering with the Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) to bring free high-quality adult programming to the local community.

Tuesday, March 10 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the ISBA will live-stream a free educational event focused on employment law basics to Robey Memorial Library. Topics for this ISBA People’s Law School session include:

• An overview of the employment relationship
• Trends in policies and best practices
• Resources for employees.

Kay Oskvig, an attorney with Whitfield & Eddy Law, will be presenting the information. She represents businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and independent contractors on issues including non-competition covenants, wage and hour matters, and civil rights complaints.

AVEKA Group, Inc., a contract manufacturing and research and development company based out of Woodbury, MN with a plant facility located in northeast Waukon, has announced that the company has become an S Corporation ESOP (employee stock ownership plan), effective October 15, 2019. In the transaction, prior investors sold 100% of their ownership interest to a newly created Employee Stock Ownership Trust, allowing current and future employees to gain a beneficial ownership interest in the company.

Effectively, the ESOP is a qualified retirement plan which, based on company performance, could generate significant retirement benefits for AVEKA Group’s approximately 280 employee owners.

Local favorite The Caminos will open Saturday night’s music event

The grandstand at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds will be rockin’ and rollin’ Saturday, July 11 in Waukon, as this year’s grandstand musical act for the Allamakee County Fair will feature some new flair and some local air.

The Allamakee County Fair Board has announced that it will be bringing the next best thing to legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bon Jovi to the fair this year when Slippery When Wet - The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute hits the stage to headline this year’s musical entertainment for the fair. This four-man group is led by frontman Jason Morey on vocals, Adin Stickle on guitar, Jimmi Botsford on bass and John Martin on drums.