Community News

by Brianne Eilers

by Bob Beach

The City of Waukon has set its official Trick-or-Treat time for Friday, October 31 from 5-8 p.m. Area residents are asked to leave porch lights on to welcome trick-or-treaters,  and the youngsters are reminded to keep safety in mind while making their rounds from house to house.

Northgate Care Center
Northgate Care Center in Waukon will be offering open house trick-or-treating Halloween evening, Friday, October 31 from 4:30-6 p.m. Northgate Care Center, located at 960 Fourth Street NW in Waukon and owned and operated by ABCM Corporation, has welcomed children for trick-or treating for several years in an effort to offer parents and children a safe alternative to outside trick-or-treating. Residents and staff look forward to seeing the children dressed in their Halloween costumes and sharing the experience.

The Waukon Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from community residents for awards to be presented at its annual banquet in February. Nominations are being accepted for awards including Years of Service, New Business of the Year, Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Person of the Year honors.
The Chamber will bestow the honors upon more than one individual/group or local business fitting the following award’s criteria:

Years of Service Awards
Businesses celebrating a five-year increment anniversary (five-year, 10-year, etc.) in 2015 will be recognized at the annual meeting. Nominations can be made by business owners or anyone familiar with the business.

by Kelli Boylen
freelance writer

by Brianne Eilers

by Bob Beach

Fiesta Vallarta Mexican Restaurant opened for business Monday, September 29 at 9 East Main Street in Waukon, former home of Main Street Entertainment. Business owner Jose Velarde said his appreciation for small towns led him to Waukon and the opening of his own business.
"I like the small towns, and I had been looking for a town like Waukon," Velarde shared. "When I saw there wasn't a Mexican restaurant here, I decided to try it."
The experience Velarde gained to open his own business came from working with his uncle in a Mexican restaurant in Ames, where he moved to after graduating from high school. "I had been working in the restaurant business for a long time and have seen that it is a good business to serve people, and I like that, so I decided to open my own restaurant," he said.

Laura Larson, the daughter of Joanne Larson and the late Ralph Larson of Waukon and a 1986 graduate of Waukon High School, was one of 168 firefighters honored at the 28th Annual International Association of Fire Fighters Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial Observance held in Colorado Springs, CO Saturday, September 20.
Larson, a Captain of Engine 56 with the Omaha Fire Department, died in May of this year from ovarian cancer at the age of 46. Her death was classified as a line-of-duty death due to years of inhaling toxic smoke ruled as contributing to her cancer. Her name is now forever commemorated after being engraved in the marble wall of honor that is part of the overall Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial located in the shadow of Pike's Peak of the Rocky Mountains.

Students at Waukon High School have selected their Homecoming representatives for 2014, with the coronation of this year's Homecoming Queen and King to take place at the traditional "Burning of the 'W'" pep rally scheduled for this Thursday evening, September 25, beginning at 7 p.m. at Waukon High School. Pictured in the top photo at right (photo courtesy of Waukon High School Publications class) are this year's Waukon High School Homecoming Queen and King candidates from the 2014-2015 Senior class, including: Left to right - Front row: Queen candidates Allie Schwartz, Thea Meyer, Katie Kerndt and Jacqueline Welch. Back row: King candidates Jacob Ronan, Gunnar Grangaard, Adam Benzing and Landon Sivesind. Pictured in the bottom photo at right, left to right and front to back, are Junior Class attendants Nicole Behrend and Will Keenan, Sophomore Class attendants Sydney Herman and Logan Sullivan, and Freshman Class attendants Kylee Hager and Isaiah Welch.