Community News

Beginning July 1, Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will return to its normal program and event calendar that has been interrupted for the past year-plus by the COVID-19 pandemic. This means the return of programs like Story Time, Tech Tutor and Chess Club. Those who have never been to a library program are especially invited to see what the library has to offer in the following returning programs:

Tech Tutor - Technology help session Thursdays from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stop in for basic help with computers, gadgets and popular software programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and more.

Chess Club - Mondays from 3-6 p.m. through the month of November. Children eight and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult. All skill levels are welcome. Come to learn or just to play with a new opponent.

Providing a service unique to this area and being able to create her own schedule while doing what she loves are just some of the reasons Amber Murphy has opened WAX by Amber, a body waxing salon, at 102 West Main Street in Waukon. Murphy opened her new location in Waukon at the beginning of this year, creating the best possible scenarios for both herself and her clientele.

“I offer services that aren’t found in the area,” she explained. “I’m also very flexible with my hours and days I work. It’s amazing to make my own schedule to accommodate customers. I love what I do and wanted a space of my own to make people hairless. I love making people smile when they leave; when people leave happier than when they come in. I have always been a people-person, working on my service to the community.”

Nightingale Pharmacy, newly opened at 606 Rossville Road in Waukon as of May 14 of this year, recently received a First Dollar Visit from the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. Pictured above at that First Dollar presentation are, left to right, Certified Pharmacy Technician Cherrie Christopher, Pharmacist in Charge Matthew Maker, and Nightingale Pharmacy owners Linda Nightingale, and Sylwia and Eric Nightingale. Photo courtesy of the Waukon Chamber of Commerce.
 

Aerial treatment to control the invasive gypsy moth is scheduled for this Friday, June 25 in specific areas of Allamakee and Clayton Counties. Map images and more specific descriptions of the treatment areas can be found in the images accompanying this article.

Low-flying airplanes will be applying a mating disruption product called SPLAT GM-O. The product does not kill the moth but it disrupts the mating process by using a pheromone to inhibit male gypsy moths from finding female mates. SPLAT GM-O is an organic product and is not harmful to bees, birds, plants, pets or humans.

In Allamakee County, the treatment includes two rural areas around Black Hawk Point and Lansing Wildlife Management Areas totaling 5,018 acres. In Clayton County, the treatment will focus on a 590-acre site including Marquette and the surrounding rural area. Survey data has identified these three areas where gypsy moth populations are starting to grow.

The Allamakee County Fair Board is seeking applicants for the 2021 Allamakee County Fair Queen contest, with this year’s Fair running July 21-25.

The contest will run similarly to that of the Iowa State Fair Queen Contest. Contestants will undergo a formal interview, as well as a group interview. Judging will be based on personality, attitude, appearance, awareness, charm, poise, leadership, citizenship and overall appearance.

Coronation of the 2021 Allamakee County Fair Queen will be held on the fairgrounds during the Fair. During this event, the contestants will be asked to share a favorite Fair memory. All candidates will be a part of the 2021 Fair Royalty Team which will preside and assist at different events and activities throughout the Fair and community events during the year.

The World Health Organization estimates that 120 million people are visually impaired because of uncorrected refraction errors (far or near sightedness). Refractive errors can easily be diagnosed, measured and corrected with eyeglasses. Yet, millions of people lack the access to these basic services.

While each Lions Club has its own service focus, there are five global Lions causes of particular interest around the world: Vision, Diabetes, Hunger, Environment and Childhood Cancer). Vision causes began in 1925 when Helen Keller challenged the Lions to be “knights of the blind”.

The Waukon Lions Club has recently enhanced its efforts to recycle used eyeglasses and hearing aids. New collection boxes (see accompanying photo) have been placed in area businesses. The glasses will be gathered and sent to a regional recycling center where they are cleaned and sorted by prescription strength. They are then packaged and stored for the next eyeglass-dispensing mission trip.

Final week to nominate local business or individual

The Waukon Chamber of Commerce continues to seek nominations from community residents for awards to be distributed at the August 19 Waukon Corn Days celebration. Those awards include Business of the Year and Person of the Year honors within the Waukon community, and the nomination deadline for those applications has been extended to Tuesday, June 22, when they will be due to the Waukon Chamber of Commerce office.

The Chamber will bestow those honors upon the best nominated candidate fitting the following award criteria:

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, June 7 to address a variety of matters including discussion of purchasing a police vehicle, an update from the Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator and discussion relating to the former C-Mart property.
There was no Public Comment and the council moved into Department Reports with Waukon Park and Rec Wellness Director Jeremy Strub noting that summer events are in full swing and that little league baseball and softball have started. Strub discussed staffing levels for Park and Rec and said that the Jaycee Shelter is in need of repair.

Water and Sewer Superintendent Jim Cooper discussed water usage by residents increasing with lawn watering and that the sewer tie-in to the new Wastewater Treatment Plant will take place this week or next.

The opening of Luna Salon & Boutique at 1 East Main Street in Waukon as of April 1 of this year marks the realization of dreams of the new business’ co-owners, who also happen to be a Waukon mother and daughter pair. Robin Palmer and her daughter, Adrianna Rocksvold, joined their combined interests and their faith in one another to start the new venture.

“We both had a dream of being business owners, and had no experience as business owners,” they shared. “We decided to go in together and start a business that would be a unique experience and stand out to our customers. We share a love of fashion, style and having fun, and we want our customers to also.”

“Because of Organ Donation: A Collection of Inspiring Stories Celebrating the Gift of Life” includes story of Waukon High School 1978 graduate Paul Osterholm’s “gift of a lifetime” to Nicole Braatz

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Waukon native Paul Osterholm came home Saturday, May 29 and introduced a roomful of family and friends to Nicole Braatz - a woman whose life was saved because of Osterholm’s gift to her of one of his kidneys.