Viewpoints

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I have often heard radio and TV announcers refer to something happening in Waukon, “way up there in northeast Iowa,” or print media reading Waukon, “in extreme northeast Iowa.” It is almost as though we don’t exist for the rest of Iowa.

So, after RAGBRAI put us on the map this summer, it is nice to see Waukon getting attention on the sports pages for its football team making the state finals.

By the time you read this, you will know if the result was the championship or runner-up. Either is quite rare for the school. We did have a state championship girls’ basketball team in recent years, and I can remember a runner-up finish for the softball team several years earlier. There were the successes of the boys’ cross country teams, but only “major” sports seem to get the attention.

It’s nice to be noticed for pleasant things.

To the Editor:

Forty-plus years ago, a Superintendent of McGregor (Mar-Mac) Schools went on to become Iowa’s Superintendent of Schools. His well-known agenda was that of closing Iowa’s smaller schools and making them move to central locations. Then on to mergers and more centralization. This has been the agenda for over 40 years. Progress.

I recently received a district-wide mailer, generated by a “committee” or “task force”, with many charts and graphs; all trying to close our Waterville Elementary. Progress.

Let’s have our “committee/task force” drag up stats on the drug addiction problem facing our “centralized” schools over the last 40 years! Is that also progress?

We are trying to replace quality education with economic education, for what reason? Progress?

Mark E. Young
Waterville
 

To the Editor:

I attended the public forum for the potential Waterville school closing being discussed to hear what the school board would share in the way of facts. I left with a couple of items of concern I wish to comment on.

A board member represented they receive a lot of “heat” for the disparity in costs per student between the Waterville and Waukon operations and the same taxpaying parents don’t think it’s right that their Waukon attendee children get less from their tax dollars. It would seem a great misnomer that any taxpayer expects a proportionate direct benefit from taxes paid, that is not how the system works.

To the Editor:

I have been an educator for 34 years and never in all  my experiences have I  witnessed such a remarkable celebration of Veterans Day as I did Friday (November 10) at New Albin  Elementary School. The day was coordinated by fifth grade teacher Ms.  Masek and lead teacher  Ms. Thomas.

Each grade level from third grade and up performed, including a power point, choral and instrumental performances featuring  patriotic-themed songs, and war history. The entire school sang a song dedicated to honoring veterans. A “Quilt of Honor” was presented to a World War II veteran, Vern Meiners.

The day was completed by a 21-gun salute performed by the New Albin V.F.W. with a perfect rendition of “Taps” performed by a student, Joe Sullivan, and by retired instrumental teacher Jane Remmen. What a day.

To the Editor:

In the July 12 issue of The Standard newspaper, a lady wrote an article giving credit to Planned Parenthood for all the good it has done providing a variety of services for many people. She, however, failed to comment on the unconscionable horrors of the numerous variety of abortion procedures that are performed, 3,600 times every day resulting in a murdered child. See Exodus, Chapter 20, Verse 13: “You shall not murder.” His laws are treated with contempt and indifference.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to legalize human baby abortions, Roe vs. Wade, beginning with Baby Doe. The Supreme Court is comprised of nine highly educated judges of supposedly greater intelligence than most all of the inhabitants of the U.S. They couldn’t decide when conception takes place in a woman’s womb, apparently refusing to research the subject.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that the University of Iowa football team wore vastly different uniforms for the game against highly ranked Ohio State, and the Iowa team looked like an entirely different team than the one we had watched earlier in the year.

The science fiction like black uniforms may not have been the reason for the different play of the team, but just to be safe, I think they should wear them again for their last home game against Purdue. They can’t do so against teams on away fields.

It couldn’t hurt to bring them out again. The lopsided victory over Ohio State made the team bowl eligible, but another win or two in the three remaining games would mean a better bowl and possibly more income for the athletic department.

More about that later.

Can a change of uniform have a difference?

I think there is something mental to be noted.

I have worn a number of different military uniforms.

To the Editor:

I met Jeannie Hegeman when I was a young campaign staffer wandering the roads of Waukon. Far from my home in southern California, I was assigned to work in Allamakee County for then-Senator Barack Obama’s underdog campaign in the Iowa Caucus.

With Hillary Clinton expected to dominate the upcoming election, my boss said we had no chance of winning Allamakee and that I should focus instead on simply holding the line. Our campaign diverted many of its valuable resources to other counties where our prospects were stronger. As a result, I spent much of my time commuting alone from our nearest office in Clayton County, spending long hours driving and calling voters from the car.

To the Editor:

Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc., one of the first nonprofit organizations to establish an endowment within the Allamakee County Community Foundation, received its first endowment gift of $3,300 in 2008.

Since then, donors have helped grow the fund to promote area education. The nonprofit receives an annual payout of five percent of the average fund balance to help sustain its important mission. These annual payouts will continue and be a source of support it can rely on forever.

Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. is not alone. In Allamakee County, dedicated forward-focused board members have established permanent funds which preserve area history, education and health. This year, these funds paid out more than $17,000 to provide long-term support for local organizations.

To the Editor:

Our home is under yet another major environmental threat. A huge cattle feedlot operation is being enlarged just east of Monona adjacent to U.S. Highway 18.

This factory farm will be constructed on 48 acres, will house 10,000 head of cattle at one time - 20,000 per year, will house a lagoon of 39 million gallons of manure, will have two 620-foot deep wells pumping 22 million gallons of water out of our precious aquifer, annually.

This massive feedlot will be built in the watershed of our beautiful cold water trout stream of Bloody Run. The air pollution could be unfathomable. From the history of these size manure lagoons, it’s not if it will spill, but when it will spill. There are many sinkholes in this watershed, which are direct conduits to our aquifer.

Waltz Energy Limited Liability Company of West Des Moines is a big ag-industry corporate player who has our politicians and government bureaucrats in their back pocket.

To the Editor:

I am concerned about Representative Rod Blum and the Republican/Trump tax plan. Rep. Blum supports the tax plan, stating it will “lower taxes for hardworking American families.” Whom is he talking about?

While the tax plan claims to benefit the middle class, the truth is it will provide massive cuts to wealthy individuals and corporations. The top 20% of the U.S. taxpayers will receive 86% of all tax cuts.

How many in Allamakee County are earning more than $149,400 in 2017? In addition, 12.5% of Iowans will get a tax increase.

And what about “everyman” Rod Blum? He is one of the 50 wealthiest congressmen, worth 15.4 million. He will benefit the most!

Sincerely,
Ann Hart
Waukon