Community News

This May, in celebration of Bike Month, residents, schools, and local partners across Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek counties came together to support Upper Explorerland’s Safe Routes to School’s “Recycle Your Bicycle” initiative. The project collected over 200 donated bicycles throughout northeast Iowa - a testament to the region’s interest in sustainability, community, and active living.

Thanks to the generosity of individuals and organizations throughout the area, many of the collected bikes found new homes right here in local communities. Others, not taken or exchanged locally, were donated to two nonprofit organizations: the Iowa City Bike Library and the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective.

The Allamakee County Veterans Affairs Office and the Allamakee County Veterans Museum are sponsoring a Mental Health Awareness Walk Saturday, June 28 beginning at 9 a.m. from the Freedom Rock in the Waukon City Park to the Allamakee County Courthouse front lawn. Following the walk there will be tables set up on the Courthouse lawn with representatives from helping agencies as well as video presentations at the Allamakee Veterans Museum at 105 Allamakee Street, across from the courthouse.

The event is not limited to Veterans, but is designed to inform the public at large of resources available and to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining mental health. Those unable to participate in the walk are also invited to attend events at the courthouse and the Veterans Museum. If there is rain, this event will be postponed. Contact the Allamakee Veterans Affairs Office at 563-568-6135 for additional information.
 

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, June 9 to address a full agenda of matters including the discussion and consideration of a pioneer cemetery expense relating to a tree removal in Village Creek Cemetery in rural Lansing, discussion and consideration of personnel matters and the resignation of a jailer/dispatcher at the Allamakee County Public Safety Center, and the consideration of setting a letting date for concrete pavement repairs. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Tom Clark also present for the meeting.

The public is invited to a special Jubilee Mass to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Father Jerry Blake’s ordination to the priesthood, Sunday, June 15, at 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, Hanover. A reception and meal will follow at St. Patrick Catholic Church Hall, Waukon.

Father Jerry William Michael Blake was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB (Order of Saint Benedict), at the Cathedral of St. Raphael in Dubuque, June 3, 2000. Fr. Blake’s first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville. He later served in the Hancock/Winnebago Counties Cluster, Key West (near Dubuque) and surrounding area and Traer (in a newly formed cluster). Since 2014, he has served at the Holy Family Cluster in Clarion.

Reserve a bucket of junk by this Thursday to participate

The Allamakee County Fair Board is hosting a brand new contest this year that truly falls in line with the old adage of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. A Bucket of Junk contest will allow area residents to display their creativity and craftsmanship for the Allamakee County Fair, in hopes of winning a cash prize.

Everyone is invited to reserve their bucket of junk from the Allamakee County Fair Board by this Thursday, June 12 by emailing allamakeefair@gmail.com with their name and phone number. Those buckets of junk can then be picked up Monday, June 16 at 6:45 p.m. at the Show Barn at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon.

Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting a Birth of America celebration Sunday, July 6 at the Sweeney Shelter near the Allamakee County Freedom Rock in the Waukon City Park. The free event will begin at 11 a.m. and will honor 25 area Veterans with a cook-out meal followed by an awards presentation that will begin at 1 p.m.

Among those honored Veterans, Midwest Veterans of America is seeking to specially honor the five oldest living Veterans in Allamakee County. To nominate one of those “most veteran” Veterans, call 563-568-5275.

The general public is invited to attend the event, and those attending are asked to bring a salad or dessert to pass; other meal essentials will be provided. Those who have further questions or who are interested in donating to the event may call 563-568-5275.

Nearly three dozen area military veterans were honored during an event hosted Saturday, May 17 at AJ Bar & Grill in Waukon in honor of National Armed Forces Day, which is observed the third Saturday of May each year to honor and thank the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces. First celebrated May 20, 1950, it is a day to acknowledge the commitment and sacrifice made by those defending the nation.

The event was hosted by Midwest Veterans of America and included each of the honored veterans receiving a plaque and small American flag, in addition to rounds of applause and gratitude from the many in attendance for their years of service to their country. Many of those honored veterans are pictured in the photo above, standing on the staircase at AJ Bar & Grill for a group photo, and many of their family members, friends and acquaintances were also in attendance to witness and share in their honoring. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

The public is invited to a special Jubilee Mass to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Father Jerry Blake’s ordination to the priesthood, Sunday, June 15, at 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, Hanover. A reception and meal will follow at St. Patrick Catholic Church Hall, Waukon.

HISTORY
Father Jerry William Michael Blake was born November 28, 1954 in Waukon. He was the ninth of 13 children, born to John Patrick and Mary (Hammell) Blake.

Fr. Blake attended kindergarten through sixth grade in a one-room country schoolhouse before attending Waukon Junior High School. He attended ninth grade at St. Patrick High school (before it closed) and finished his high school career at Waukon High School, graduating in 1973.

After high school, he spent 21 years farming with his brothers on the family’s organic farm near Hanover.

Attorney Kevin E. Stinn has become a shareholder in the law firm now known as Swartz & Stinn Law, PLLC, in Waukon. The firm was formerly known as Swartz Law Firm, PLLC. Stinn is a married father of one and resides in Waukon. He practices family law, criminal defense, general civil litigation, real estate transactions, and estate planning.

Attorney Stinn is presently the President of the Iowa Municipal Attorney’s Association and an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Marquette. He is also active in the Allamakee County Bar Association and in several community and non-profit organizations. Pictured in the above photo is Attorney Kevin E. Stinn (left) shaking hands with the firm’s founding attorney Jeffrey L. Swartz (right). Submitted photo.
 

Fourteen members of First Baptist Church of Waukon are scheduled to depart Wednesday, June 4 for Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil on a mission trip, returning Wednesday, June 18. This is the fifth mission trip to Brazil organized by co-leaders Pastor Duane and Cristina Smith. The couple enjoys planning overseas mission trips for First Baptist Church with the intent of sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

The mission team will present to churches, schools, and one-on-one with individuals in the city of Vitoria da Conquista. Cristina Smith’s brother and sister-in-law, David and Debbie Thompson, are the team’s hosts and have served as veteran missionaries to the area for 40 years.