Community News

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, August 7 to address a variety of matters, including Aveka noise and odor concerns, the Green Valley Bridge project and a review of the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) visit to Waukon. Mayor Duane DeWalle called the meeting to order with approval of the current agenda and minutes from the July 17 meeting.

The Public Hearing for a seven-year lease of a Johnson Vacuum Sweeper VT651-D on a Freightliner M2 Chassis for a total lease of $290,176.04 was opened and closed without any written or verbal comments. The Resolution for the Johnson Vacuum Sweeper lease agreement for seven years was approved later in the meeting at a total lease amount of $290,176.04 for the street sweeper. The Public Hearing for the Sanitary Sewer Collection Spot Repairs Project was also opened and closed without any written or verbal comments.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 31 to address a full agenda of items, including a First Reading of an Ordinance to establish a Pioneer Cemetery Commission, Consideration of a new hire for the Victim-Witness Coordinator position and a Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) recap.

Chairperson Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order with the current agenda and the meeting minutes of July 24 being approved. Supervisor Dan Byrnes was present with Supervisor Dennis Koenig not in attendance due to a scheduled absence. The Supervisors moved into Public Comment with discussion of RAGBRAI in Allamakee County.

The annual Kid’s Archeology Day at Effigy Mounds National Monument will be held this Saturday, August 5 from 1-3 p.m. at the Visitor Center. All ages are invited to participate in the events, which will take place rain or shine and are free of charge. A variety of activities offer kids the opportunity to learn about the past by trying their hand at decorating clay, basket weaving, fur trade era beaded bracelets, spear throwing with an atlatl (as pictured above) and American Indian games. Kids visiting Effigy Mounds can also participate in a Junior Ranger program by picking up a Junior Ranger Book and completing age-appropriate activities to earn a new wooden Effigy Mounds Junior Ranger badge.

A program about Quilts of Valor was presented at the Allamakee County Fair Thursday, July 20 by area quilters. Allamakee County 4-H member Diana Davison reviewed her Quilts of Valor Citizenship 4-H project and Sue Lynch from Prairie du Chien, WI of the Northeast Iowa Quilters’ Guild shared quilts from the guild made for the Quilts of Valor presentations. Grace Murphy and Meg Schaller of Waukon showed a quilt made locally for presentation. At the end of the program, Quilts of Valor were awarded to Gene Scott and Dr. Alden Wiley, residents of Northgate Care Center. Additional Quilts of Valor created by Waukon quilters are being displayed in downtown Waukon in the Waukon Economic Development Corporation (former Tierney’s) building at the stoplight intersection. Pictured above, left to right, at the Quilts of Valor presentation are: Front -  Gene Scott, Grace Murphy, Dr. Alden Wiley and Sue Lynch. Back - Chad Wikan and Allison Schulte of Northgate Care Center. Submitted photo.

Numerous Allamakee County 4-H members had the projects they were exhibiting at the Allamakee County July 19-23 selected for advancement to the Iowa State Fair to be held August 10-20 in Des Moines. Some of those State Fair exhibitors are pictured at right: Left to right - Front row: Katherine Hagen, Allie Bieber, Katelyn Leiran, Samantha Berryman, Neva Peterson. Middle row: Katelyn Monroe, Denzel Decker, Andrew Mellick, Abbie Brainard, Victoria Waters. Back row: Daytona Miller, Diana Davison, Miranda Reinhardt, Devin Bieber, Abby Wiemerslage. Not pictured: Teddy Holthaus, Sam Jacobs, Emma Palmer, Natalie Byrnes, Cheyanne Troendle, Ashley Liddiard, Tessa Rubendall, Austin Schutte, Carley Sweeney, Madalyn Palmer, Maddy Waters. Submitted photo.
 

The Allamakee County Veterans Services Office has received a shipment of specially-published books in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The initial limited shipment of books is being made available to any veteran who served in a “Boots on Ground” capacity in Vietnam or as “Brown Water Navy” on the inland waters of Vietnam. The book is also available to any surviving spouses of these specifically-listed veterans.

Waukon State Bank made a donation in support of the Harpers Ferry Splash Pad project, a planned youth-friendly water activity to be located near the Ethel Robinson Meehan Community Center in Harpers Ferry. A donation of $2,500 was presented to Lindsey Deason, representing the Harpers Ferry Boosters. Pictured in the above photo, left to right, are: Back row - Amy McCormick of Waukon State Bank and Lindsey Deason of Harpers Ferry Boosters. Front row - Keira McCormick, Kennedy McCormick, Kaylin Deason and Mitchell Deason. For more information on the Harpers Ferry Splash Pad project, contact Lindsey Deason at 563-880-3225. Anyone interested in supporting the project can mail donations to Harpers Ferry Boosters, Inc. (Splash Pad), P.O. Box 162, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146. Submitted photo.
 

In partnership with Allamakee County 4-H, the Waukon VFW Auxiliary #4117 awarded citizenship awards to 4-H members at the 2017 Allamakee County Fair Youth Showcase held Tuesday, July 18 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion. Allamakee County Fair 4-H entries that show “The Way Our Youth Honor Their Veterans” were eligible for recognition by VFW Auxiliary #4117. First place was awarded to Diana Davison for her participation in Quilts of Valor that are presented to Allamakee County veterans. Second place was bestowed upon Ainsly Lydon for her American flag string art project. Two third-place awards were given to Sean Liddiard, for his photograph of Arlington Cemetery, and to Ashley Liddiard, for her Iwo Jima Memorial photograph. Certificates were presented by Auxiliary President Sherry Bechtel to the winning entries, along with a cash award. Pictured left to right, are Ainsly Lydon, Sean Liddiard, Ashley Liddiard, Diana Davison, Sherry Bechtel. Submitted photo.
 

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 24 to address a full agenda of items, including a Public Hearing for an Ordinance to establish a Pioneer Cemetery Commission, an update on the Iowa Partnerships for Success grant and a Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) Public Safety Plan briefing. The Supervisors moved into Public Comment, with Brad Herman of Waukon discussing local crop conditions following recent severe weather.

Amy Johnson of Waukon, an instructor at the Waukon Wellness Center, noted for the last several years while attending grandstand events at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon that each time she heard the National Anthem being played for an event and looked around to acknowledge the flag, there was no flag.

"It always bothered me that there was no flag when the National Anthem was playing," Johnson shared. "My father was a Vietnam veteran, so this was very important to me and dear to my heart."

After attending numerous events with no flag to acknowledge and this sort of "troubled" feeling concerning her, Johnson recalled a quote she tries to live by: "Be the change you want to see." She thought, "I'll just do it," and took action.