River Valley

“Main Street Madness”, Lansing Main Street’s holiday punch card shopping promotion, is anticipating a record-breaking year with even more prizes. This year’s “Madness” runs from November 11 through December 14. Last year, $220,100 was spent in downtown Lansing by “Main Street Madness” punch card promotion participants.

To get started this year, look for a participating merchant poster and pick up a free punch card. The cards can then be validated with either punches or stamps in five-dollar increments for purchases made between November 11 and December 14. Once a card is full ($100 in purchases), turn it in and start another. Shoppers are welcome to complete as many cards as they can.

Completed cards will then be entered into a drawing for one of four Lansing Downtown Dollar prizes this year of $200, $150, $100 and $75. Gift cards from local businesses will also be awarded.

by Alexis Johnson

The regular meeting of the Lansing City Council was held Monday, November 18. The meeting discussion centered around the consent agenda, a transfer of funds for the Splash Pad and an increase in the price of recycling bins.

The consent agenda consisted of council meeting minutes from November 4, 2019 and the treasurer’s report for October 2019. A motion was made and seconded to approve the consent agenda with minimal discussion.

Resolution #929 was reviewed and considered to transfer funds from trust fund savings to general checking to cover splash pad expenses. A motion was made and seconded to approve Resolution #929 with minimal discussion.

A motion was made and seconded to increase the price of recycling bins. That price was increased to $12 per bin for a one-time purchase.

Deepanshu Dabas, an exchange student from India currently attending Kee High School in Lansing, will give a cultural presentation at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, November 21. Dabas will serve traditional foods from his native country as part of the presentation.
 

The River Valley Panthers 4-H Club is hosting a Food Drive in preparation for the holiday season. Drop boxes, such as the one pictured above surrounded by members of the River Valley Panthers 4-H Club, have been placed at Fareway-Waukon, Quillin’s, Hartig Drug, Robey Memorial Library and the Allamakee County Extension Office in Waukon. All donations will be taken to the local food pantry. The Food Drive boxes will be available at the above locations until this Saturday, November 16. The River Valley Panthers 4-H Club would appreciate any donations and support of this community service project. Submitted photo.
 

Second graders at New Albin Elementary School learned about MyPlate and the five food groups at a recent presentation by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. They studied the lunch menu and learned all five food groups are served daily. While digging deeper, they learned about eating the rainbow and why phytochemicals (what gives food its color) are so good for those who eat them. While matching sugar cubes to the correct food, students gained a visual of how much sugar they are consuming, versus how much they should limit themselves to. Each lesson ended with a local food taste test.

These taste testers tried zucchini chips, sweet potato waffles, fresh mangos, cranberries, and cut up their own kiwis. For more information about joining 4-H, contact Becky Rea, Allamakee County K-12 Program Coordinator at the Iowa State Extension and Outreach Allamakee County Office at 563-568-6345. Submitted photos.
 

by Alexis Johnson

The regular Lansing City Council meeting was held Monday, November 4. The meeting discussion centered around the consent agenda, parks report and street report.

The consent agenda consisted of council meeting minutes for October 21, payment of claims, parks board minutes from October 22, library board minutes from October 15, liquor licenses for The Other Place, treasurer’s report for August 2019, and Utility Rec Report for September 2019. A motion was made and seconded with minimal discussion to approve the consent agenda.

The Kee High School Post Prom Committee will host Bingo Sunday, November 10 in the Kee High School cafeteria in Lansing. Games will start at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 3:30 p.m.

Participants can bring a food or household item and play an extra Bingo card free.  All donations will be given to LIFT (Lansing Iowa Food Trust). Every player will be eligible for a door prize drawing at intermission. Proceeds will be used to fund 2020 Post Prom prizes and entertainment.
 

The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center located in Lansing will host the Driftless Birding Fest Saturday, November 9. The Fest will include speakers, exhibits and self-guided field trips to area hotspots.

Speakers will include William Reiter-Marolf, who is a biologist with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Upper Mississippi River Refuge. His presentation will begin at 10 a.m. and will include information on the Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the bird research that is done throughout the entire refuge.

At 1 p.m., Pamela Eyden, editor of the book “Birds of the Upper Mississippi and the Driftless Area,” will read selected stories from the book at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center. Along with other editors of the Big River Magazine, she helped put together the 39 stories that appeared in the magazine over a 22-year period.

“No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong with it.” This saying is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse”, a poem by Robert Burns. Organizers say the phrase also accurately describes what has happened with this year’s “Big Splash” splash pad project for the playground area on South Front Street.

The proposed project began with an idea from some concerned citizens who wanted to add more activities for young children at the playground. A splash pad project was chosen to add some water activities for younger children who are not able to enjoy the benefits of a swimming pool because of their age or also because of some physical limitations.

Kerndt Brothers Bank has announced a branchwide food drive for each of the local food pantries located in Lansing, Waukon, Decorah, Clermont, West Union and Cedar Rapids. Non-perishable, non-expired food items such as pasta, soup/broth, canned vegetables and fruits, dinner kits, crackers, syrup, pancake mix, peanut butter, jam/jelly, among others, will be accepted for donation. Also appreciated are personal care products such as toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Items will be accepted until November 20 and may be dropped off at any of the six Kerndt Brothers Bank locations in the communities listed above. Food collected at each branch will be delivered to the local food pantry in their respective communities.