Community News

Members of the Waukon Area Fire Protection District held a ceremony during their Monday, September 14 meeting to dedicate the new fire station. Among other items, the ceremony included the reciting of the names of members of the volunteer firefighting crew who have passed away, with the bell in the new station's meeting room  being rung after those names were read. The new station also had a new sign hung on its front exterior this past week (pictured). Waukon artist Steve Oden having created the sign.
 

by Bob Beach

by Bob Beach

The Northeast Iowa Council, Boy Scouts of America has begun its 2015 Fall Recruitment season. Sign-Up Night for Waukon Cub Scout Pack 64 will take place Wednesday, September 9 at 7 p.m. at the new Waukon Fire Station located on 11th Avenue on the south edge of Waukon. For more information on the Sign-Up Night for Waukon Cub Scout Pack 64, contact Troy Gress.
Cub Scouting is designed for boys in first through fifth grades and combines the outdoors, learning activities, sports, and fun in an exciting program that help families teach ideals such as honesty, good citizenship and respect. Volunteers and parents will be on hand to help facilitate Recruitment Night, visit with parents, and answer questions in regards to joining Scouting.
 

The Eighth Annual Big Pumpkin Contest is being planned for Sunday, September 27 at TASC, located at 2213 Mt. Olivet Road NW, just north of Waukon off of Highway 76. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and involve much more than just big pumpkins.
Registration for entries in the biggest pumpkin contest closed June 15, with those entries being on display at the September 27 event. There will also be a biggest sunflower contest in which entrants are asked to bring their entire sunflower to the event to be entered. A pumpkin or apple bake-off contest will also be taking place.
Among the many other activities taking place at the annual event will be pumpkin decorating and carving, face painting, mini golf, bean bag toss, caricature drawings, live music by local musician J.R. Brink and much more. A big pumpkin meal will also be available for purchase from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon is looking for teenagers who are interested in becoming a member of the library's Teen Advisory Board (TAB), which meets once per month from September to May. Teenage members of TAB provide library staff with input for teen programming and displays; recommend materials for purchase; share information and address teen topics; volunteer; and read and review books.
Any area teenager who feels this is something they would like to participate in can visit the library's website or stop at the library to complete an application. Staff members will then inform selected members of the board meeting schedule.
For more information, visit the library's website at http://www.waukon.lib.ia.us/teens/tab or contact Robey Memorial Library at robeymemorial@waukon.lib.ia.us or 563-568-4424.
 

Waukon City Councilman Darrold Brink has resigned his At-Large seat on the Council, effective this past Friday, August 28. In his letter of resignation addressed to the attention of the Mayor and City Council, Brink stated, “Due to my change in status from Public U.S. citizen to Private Citizen of United States I am stepping down from my position on city council. If anyone wants to know more about the difference and why the change we can have a private one on one meeting.”
Waukon City Clerk Al Lyon said that, according to the Waukon City Code, the Council has 60 days to either appoint someone to fill the vacancy or schedule a special election.
 

by Brianne Eilers

The “Every Hero Has a Story” Summer Reading Program (SRP) 2015 at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon has now come to an end, with a variety of events being held throughout the summer as part of this year's program. The July 6 Family Night kicked off the Summer Reading Program.
Opening that Family Night program was story lady Sue Kiesau and her beloved puppets, including Bernie and Peanut Butter. A special highlight of the evening was a Super Hero Training Camp, set up around the library for attendees to challenge their skills. Those activities included Balancing Act; Decoding Skills; Laser Beam Obstacle Course; Bomb Disposal; Villain Bowling; Villain Window Toss; Kryptonite Disposal; and Library Friends Rescue. Once the children completed all activities, they received a prize by punching through the paper cover of the Punch Board.

Michelle Heffernan Schwartzhoff of Dorchester has had Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for more than half of her 46 years of life. Diagnosed 25 years ago, her family says she feels fortunate that those outside of her family and close friends were not aware of her MS because her symptoms were mainly sensory and noticed only by her until just about four years ago. Now, she uses a cane to help her walk and progressively struggles with daily pain and the accomplishment of day-to-day tasks.
In an effort to potentially alleviate some of her symptoms, Schwartzhoff has been selected to take part in a StemGenex Adult Adipose Clinical Study for Multiple Sclerosis in California in September of this year. She has a place reserved for her in the study, and her family is in the process of helping her raise the funds necessary to maintain her place in that study.