Community News

Sunday, December 17, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing will be hosting a worship celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of the ordination of their pastor, the Reverend Laura Gentry. She began serving their congregation when she was called in 2001.

Pastor Gentry’s ordination into the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America took place at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Guttenberg in December of 1998. After earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in the area of worship and the arts at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA and being approved for ordination by her candidacy committee in Montana, her first call came from American Lutheran Church in Burbank, CA. Rather than have the ordination in California, she chose to hold it at her grandmother’s church in Iowa so that extended family could attend.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, December 4 to address a full agenda of matters including changing city council meeting dates in January, hiring a police officer and discussion of funding for the City Facade Improvement Grant Program.

Mayor Arvid Hatlan called the meeting to order. There was no public comment during that alloted time with the meeting moving into Department Reports.

Robey Memorial Library Director Cate St. Clair encouraged children and families to participate in the Main Street Story Walk which continues in December. St. Claire noted that copies of the book “Winter is Here” by Kevin Henkes are available for free at the library to children that complete the Main Street Story Walk, with this being made possible through a donation by the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation.

written by Ellen Modersohn and submitted by Northeast Iowa RSVP

On a mild day in early November Jerrine Osenga sprinkled some Smooth Blue Aster seeds into the Decorah Prairie Butterfly Garden on the city’s west side. She had harvested them from another city park.

“We can always use more asters,” she said. A butterfly garden needs diversity of plants and colors, and blue can be a rare hue among wildflowers.

Jerrine, known as Jerri, has been looking out for the well-being of the garden for the past dozen years. She is one of many volunteers over the past 23 years who have indulged their passion for prairie plants to keep this Upper Iowa River-side acreage thriving.

This year’s Holiday Parade in Waukon has been scheduled for Saturday, December 9, beginning at 6 p.m. Anyone from the general public, business community, or any school or community organization is invited to decorate any vehicle, float, side-by-side or other creative avenue with lights and participate in the parade as it travels through Waukon by a different route this year.

Registered entries will be eligible to win a prize in one of the following three categories: Most Effective Use of Lights; Best Religious Theme; or Best Decorated Animal Entry. It is asked that no parade entries use a live Santa Claus, as he will be making his own appearance in this year’s parade.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, November 27 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of the 2024 Holiday Schedule for County Offices, discussion of collective bargaining relating to union negotiations, and consideration of ending the probationary period and approving a wage increase for an employee in the County Auditor’s office.

The meeting was called to order by Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present. There was no Public Comment during the time allotted for that agenda item.

Robey Memorial Library and The Oneota Valley Literary Foundation have partnered to host Main Street Story Walk in November and December in Waukon featuring the children’s story “Winter is here” by Kevin Henkes. Families are encouraged to read this story as they stroll the downtown area of Waukon. Six selected businesses have a portion of the story posted in the front window of their establishment for viewing from the sidewalk. Each stop along the story walk will direct readers to the next location. Selected businesses for this latest Main Street Story Walk are all located on West Main Street at the following locations also labeled above: 1. KNEI Radio Station; 2. Teslow’s Formal Wear; 3. Waukon State Bank; 4. Main Feature Theater, labeled above as Wolfpack Theater Company; 5. Howards Home Furnishings; and 6. Wax by Amber. Submitted image.
 

Helping Services for Youth & Families is hosting the 19th annual Holiday Lights event, held at Pulpit Rock Campground in Decorah. Holiday Lights is an annual fundraiser for Helping Services for Youth & Families, a non-profit organization with programs that promote healthier and safer families throughout northeast Iowa. A free-will donation will be collected as visitors enter the gates of Holiday Lights each evening. All donations benefit Helping Services for Youth & Families. For the complete schedule and list of sponsors, visit the Helping Services website at www.helpingservices.org/holidaylights.

Santa Claus will be coming to town, or should it be said, to the farm! A Drive-Thru Santa on the Farm event will be held at Iowa’s Dairy Center Friday evening, December 8 from 5-7 p.m. Iowa’s Dairy Center is located at 1527 Hwy. 150, Calmar.

Visitors will be able to meet Santa from their vehicles. The drive-thru event will take visitors right through the farm’s freestall barn to see a close-up view of the milking cows. Pre-packaged cookies and milk will be served right to participating vehicle and visitors will also receive a fun holiday goody bag which includes dairy educational activities.

This family-friendly event is free to the public and donations are appreciated. The event will be weather permitting. For up-to-date information or questions, visit the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation’s Facebook page or email info@iowadairycenter.com. Submitted photo.
 

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Master taxidermist and owner of Big River Taxidermy in Lansing, Jeff Morris is, after almost three decades, turning over part of the widely renowned business to a young man who has been working with Morris as his apprentice for five years - Gabe McCann, of Gays Mills, WI.

“Big River Taxidermy is still what it has always been,” Morris says. “I’m still going to take care of my long-term customers - and I’ll continue to take on some new ones. I’m just handing over a portion of the business to Gabe, and he’ll be working under my supervision.”

A total of 36 area military veterans were honored during an event hosted Saturday, November 11, Veterans Day, at AJ Bar & Grill in Waukon. The event was hosted by Midwest Veterans of America and included each of those 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 top photo, standing on the staircase for a group photo, and many of their family members, friends and acquaintances were also in attendance to share in their honoring, as depicted in the bottom photo at right of the capacity crowd. Among the honorees was retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Kevin Herman, a 1984 graduate of Waukon High School who served as emcee of the event and is pictured in the photo at center addressing the crowd. Standard photos by Joe Moses.