Community News

by Julie Berg-Raymond

This year, the International Transgender Day of Visibility - created by transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009 - coincided locally with what the National Weather Service has described as “an intense storm system (that) tracked across the state of Iowa on Friday, March 31 … (creating) quite the volatile environment for severe thunderstorms” (weather.com).

Outdoor events throughout the state, intended to commemorate the Day of Visibility - like a rally on the courthouse steps in Decorah, for example, were postponed until Saturday.

by David M. Johnson

Amish communities have established their identity with the horse drawn buggies, no electricity, and late 19th/early 20th century farming techniques. One local member of the Amish neighborhood has recently decided to move on to something a little different, developing his own meat processing business.

Elmer Miller, 26, of rural Waukon is very enthusiastic about his promising new business endeavor. He, with his dad, had dabbled in construction, farming and a sawmill but over the past few years had tried his hand at butchering livestock. He had done some meat processing the last 10 years with his father before expanding to where he is today as a true business venture.

Original members of three local bands will be reuniting Friday evening of Mother’s Day Weekend, May 12, for one night in downtown Waukon, with proceeds from the event benefiting the Veterans Memorial Hospital Health Care Foundation. This benefit event features a reunion of 11 mostly local musicians, two of whom played together 45 years ago in a number of area bands including Rising Sun, Horizon and Jackson Junction.

Many of the returning musicians are from Waukon including brothers Bill Withers, Jim Withers and John Withers, along with Gary Hesla, Bob Bechtel, Dave Dougherty, Brad Prestemon, Todd Pickett and Joel Anderson. They will be joined by Keel Clemmens and Jamey Lideen, longtime band members over the years. Of the original 12 musicians, the late Pat Dougherty will also be remembered during the event, with his brother, Dave, joining the band at times throughout the evening.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 27 to address a full agenda of matters including the Public Hearing for the County Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Maximum Levy/Property Tax Dollars, consideration of a vehicle purchase for Environmental Health, and consideration of bids for an asphalt project on Yellow River Drive. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present.

Allamakee Community Players, Inc. (ACPI) is once again teaming up with Empty Nest Winery to present a Dinner Theatre event this Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 from 6-9 p.m. each evening. This year’s production will be “Crazytown”, a comedy presentation that will be presented throughout a three-course dinner being served at Empty Nest Winery. Additional information, including ticket availability, can be found on the Empty Nest Winery website, https://emptynestwinery.com/, under the Upcoming Events tab.

“Crazytown” will take those in attendance on a tour of the most messed up town in America, from the police interrogation room where the nicest guy in town is issued a strange ultimatum, to the elementary school for a heated political debate on critical issues like tater tots. Welcome to Crazytown, where the town’s motto is: “Welcome to Crazytown!”

The Northeast Iowa Quilters’ Guild will next meet at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Luana Savings Bank Tuesday, April 4. Sisters Carolyn Clark and Dianne Rissman from the Forest Mills Quilt Shop located between Waukon and Luana will speak about the history of preprinted panels and their evolution to the products available today.

Special events and honors are often commemorated with a quilt. Fabric panels have made this practice much less time-consuming. Clark and Rissman will have many samples from the 1970s to the present, and will set up a mini-boutique with panels and patterns.

For more information, contact Mike Ellingsen at 507-602-0322, Nancy Sojka at 563-419-1828, or check out the NEIQG home page (www.neiqg.com) and the NEIQG Facebook page (NorthEast Iowa Quilters’ Guild).

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will be offering “Saturday Morning Cartoons of World War II” to the public in the meeting room of its museum in the former Vet’s Club building at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon this Saturday March 25. Cartoons will play on the big screen continuously from 9 a.m.-noon.

These are the cartoons from before TV that helped train the troops, support the war effort and keep up morale. Those attending may come and go anytime they wish.

Museum winter hours include tours each Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, and by appointment for groups of all kinds. There is no admission charge, and the museum is wheelchair accessible.
 

The Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting a Vietnam Day Fellowship event in honor of National Vietnam Veterans Day, which is observed March 29. That Wednesday, March 29, from 3-6:30 p.m., the Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting an all-you-can-eat Soup Supper at the Allamakee County Farm Bureau building, located at 14 1st Avenue NE in Waukon.

A raffle will also take place, with raffle winners announced at 5 p.m. and awards distributed to Vietnam Veterans also taking place at that time. Everyone is welcome to attend, especially surviving spouses of Vietnam Veterans. For additional information, call 563-568-5275.
 

As part of its Live & Learn: enriching lives through monthly learning series, Robey Memorial Library is offering a Tree-mendous Growth Workshop presented by Trees Forever Thursday, March 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the lower level Community Room of the library. Andrew Rust, Trees Forever Northeast Iowa Field Coordinator is presenting ways to increase tree canopy in Iowa. He will be joined by Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) District Forester Dave Asche. Workshop topics include: the benefit of trees; how to set a canopy goal; improving tree ordinances; what trees to plant; and more. Rust has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Northern Iowa.

Allamakee Community Players, Inc. (ACPI) is once again teaming up with Empty Nest Winery to present a Dinner Theatre event Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 from 6-9 p.m. each evening. This year’s production will be “Crazytown”, a comedy presentation that will be presented throughout a three-course dinner being served at Empty Nest Winery. Additional information, including ticket availability, is published in the advertisement printed on Page 9 of this week’s print and e-edition of The Standard.

“Crazytown” will take those in attendance on a tour of the most messed up town in America, from the police interrogation room where the nicest guy in town is issued a strange ultimatum, to the elementary school for a heated political debate on critical issues like tater tots. Welcome to Crazytown, where the town’s motto is: “Welcome to Crazytown!”