Community News

In Allamakee County five people are superheroes to a local youth. This January, Helping Services for Youth & Families is celebrating those champions and inviting others to become a hero, during National Mentoring Month.

Mentoring has a positive impact on youth, but many youth are without this type of role model. Nine million kids in America say they are growing up without adults whom they can turn to. In this area, 22 youth are currently waiting for a mentor.

Research shows that mentored youth are more apt to learn more, earn more and live healthier lives. Mentored youth have a greater chance of avoiding negative influences, such as substance abuse, bullying, or dropping out of school.

by Lissa Blake

To call Sue Kiesau of Waukon a Christmas enthusiast would be a serious understatement.

Stepping into her home this time of year is like visiting a holiday museum, with walls covered with hundreds of Santas and other Christmas treasures.

Kiesau’s holiday enthusiasm is contagious, and she spreads the joy each year by welcoming visitors into her home for coffee, homemade holiday treats and, of course, a tour of her 300-plus Santa collection, which she has been amassing for more than 30 years.

“I’ve always loved Christmas,” said Kiesau at her home on Northgate Drive. “I’ve always loved to decorate for holidays. Perhaps I got that from my mom.”

The Lansing Park and Recreation Board has accepted a proposal from the Lansing Lions Club to enhance the playground on South Front Street near the Sports Complex in Lansing. Last year, the Park and Recreation Board removed a large piece of playground equipment which was deemed to be unsafe for children from that location.

The Lions Club has developed a plan to add new equipment for five- to 12-year-old children that is safe, handicap accessible and educational. The proposed equipment will have a theme which relates to the area. The plan also includes a bicycle rack, sidewalks, and benches for parents to use as they observe their children playing or ice skating.

A significant part of the plan is a fundraising campaign. The project has a budget of $60,000. Grants are being applied for; however, the campaign needs to raise at least $15,000 from the local community to achieve its goal.

The Knights of Columbus, Council 1570 of Waukon, recently presented two checks from funds donated to the annual Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive. Thanks to the many businesses that allow the KC Tootsie Roll canisters to be placed in their business, to the many people who have donated, and to the KC members donating their time, the Knights of Columbus Council was able to present checks to Mosaic and to TASC. Mosaic provides residential services to adults with intellectual disabilities. TASC provides residential services, vocational/employment and day services for individuals from Allamakee and surrounding counties. Pictured above accepting the check for TASC is Sheila Schulte, and pictured below accepting the check for Mosaic is Nicole Leiran. Checks are being presented in each photo by Grand Knight Bob Larkin. Submitted photos.
 

What was intended to simply add a bit of fun to the holiday season as a humorous seasonal decoration has also resulted in a display of helpful spirit from passersby, according to Bill and Kelly Delaney, who put up this display at their home along Eighth Avenue NW in Waukon. Since they put up the display of what appears to be an unfortunate decorator (merely a stuffed and accessorized pair of coveralls) who has slipped off his ladder and is hanging from the home's roof edge, the Delaneys say "countless people" have pulled their vehicles over and rushed across their yard to try and aid the dangling decorator, only to find that there is no real emergency. "We hope everyone is finding our house humorous and no one has been offended," they say, further wondering if they should hang a note thanking people for caring and for their willingness to help. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

A northeast Iowa woman says a lucky feeling led her to a big lottery prize this past week. Wendy Norton of Waukon claimed the 23rd of 72 prizes of $10,000 available in the lottery’s “$250,000 Riches” scratch game. She said she bought her winning ticket at Kwik Star, located at 101 Rossville Road in Waukon.

Norton said she’s an occasional lottery player but she thought she’d try her luck on the $250,000 Riches scratch game because her son-in-law had just won $100 playing it.

“I was driving home the next day, feeling a little lucky, and thought, ‘I’m going to go get me one of those,’” Norton told lottery employees Wednesday, December 7 as she claimed her prize at the lottery’s regional office in Cedar Rapids.

Macy McNamara was born and raised in Waukon, and for the past four years she's been a Main Street business owner in her hometown.

McNamara opened her business, Macy's Cutting Edge, at its 100 West Main Street location on an easily remembered date of 12/12/12 (December 12, 2012). Her inspiration for opening her own business in her hometown came from her experiences growing up there.

"I grew up in Waukon and worked at a cafe for five years, so I knew a lot of people from the area," she explained, noting that it is serving the people she knows and gets to know that is most rewarding about running her own business. "I have met so many amazing people that I have become close to, like family. To see the smile on people's faces after a service is so rewarding; making people look and feel great."

The year 2016 has seen Amber Huck, LMT establish her business, Amber's Therapeutic Massage, LLC, at its new location at 100 West Main Street in Waukon. Sharing space with the longer-established salon, Macy's Cutting Edge, at that location, Huck said her decision to offer her services there has proven to be a good one since starting her business March 9 of this year.

"I had a former co-worker, Brent Smith, mention a friend of his was looking for a massage therapist to rent a room in their salon," Huck explained. "After finalizing my decision on where, Macy's Cutting Edge was the best option."

Huck says she's had an entrepreneurial drive her entire life that has motivated her to own and operate her own business. That drive has paid off in what she notes as the most rewarding aspects of owning her own business. "Most rewarding is seeing clients smile after a massage session, along with how much there is to learn in owning a business," she said.

The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its "Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols" service this Sunday, December 11 at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, located at 8 Fifth Street SW in Waukon. The program is prepared and directed by James Bieber. The public is invited to attend and share in this community celebration of Christmas.

The idea of a community choir was conceived through conversations between Monsignor Frederic Heles of St. Patrick Catholic Church and James Bieber, Director of Music and Organist at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon. They became friends through their mutual interests in fine arts and classical music. During their visits, Monsignor Heles often lamented about not hearing the beautiful Latin Gregorian Chant music in the Catholic masses (worship services) since Latin was eliminated by the Vatican II Council several years earlier.

Members of the public are invited to the next meeting of the Allamakee County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee set for Wednesday, December 14. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Waterville Fire Station, located at 121 Main Street in Waterville.

At the meeting, planners will provide an overview of the hazard risk assessment process and review information on hazards that have been profiled for the hazard mitigation plan thus far. Meeting attendees will then have an opportunity to help score hazards to determine which are most likely to impact Allamakee County communities.

For those who would like to learn more about what hazards are currently identified and profiled for Allamakee County, take a look at Section 3: Risk Assessment within the existing hazard mitigation plan, which can be viewed on the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission website at http://uerpc.org/allamakee-haz-mit.html.