Community News

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.

Quilts of Valor presentations were made at the VFW/VFW Auxiliary Spaghetti Supper held Thursday, November 9 in New Albin. Pictured above with their quilts following the presentation are, left to right: Front row - Dan Becker of New Albin and Jennifer Mitchell of New Albin; Back row - Richard Protsman of Waukon, Bill Moore of Lansing and John Whaley of New Albin. Photo submitted by local representatives of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, November 13 to address a full agenda of matters including the Third Reading of Amendment #13 to Zoning Ordinance L, consideration of the Resolution for the Solid Waste Comprehensive Plan and the consideration of a detour route for Waukon’s Lighted Holiday Parade. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present.

Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer advised that the liquor license renewal for Wings in Dorchester was being removed from consideration at the meeting with the amended meeting agenda then approved by the Supervisors.

Mary (Evanson) Bleckwehl, a Waterville area native who grew up on her family farm on Elon Road in Allamakee County and is now a children’s author living in Minnesota, will be in Waukon Tuesday, November 21 for two author events.

She will be at Robey Memorial Library Storytime from 10:30-11 a.m. and will be introducing and reading from her newest picture book, Arrrgh! Me HATE To Wait!, a story of an impatient piggy pirate who learns that good things come to those who wait.

That afternoon, the author will be at St. Patrick Catholic School. She will spend the afternoon meeting with all grade levels to share her author journey, newest books and more.

Saturday, November 18 at 10 a.m., the Allamakee County Veterans Museum will honor another World War II veteran by presenting a video program in the Veterans Museum located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon. A video interview filmed in 2006 by staff from the Five Sullivans Museum in Waterloo with U.S. Army veteran Marvin Chevalier will be played.

Lt. Marvin Chevalier served in the artillery as a forward observer with the 28th Division in the European Theater after the Normandy Invasion. November 7, 1944, he was taken prisoner by the German Army and was held in German prison camps until his camp was liberated April 7, 1945.

After the war, Chevalier had a long career as an Iowa banker, retiring in 1983 as President and CEO of Citizens State Bank in Postville. He passed away in 2006.

The public is invited to attend. There is no admission or membership charge. The facility is handicapped accessible.

The Waukon Patriot Quilters honored a number of area veterans this year for their service to their country during a ceremony held on the Veterans Day observance date of Friday, November 10 in the Community Room at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon. Pictured in the photo at right, area veterans (left to right) Richard Christianson, Amanda Willoughby, Sarah Collins, Terry Lubahn, Daryle Ferguson and Tom Gregor each hold the quilt they received during the Veterans Day observance event. Photo submitted by Waukon Patriot Quilters.
 

R.W. Pladsen, Inc. in Waukon recently completed its Fill-A-Truck promotion held throughout the month of October to benefit the Allamakee County Relief Office in its efforts to help those less fortunate. Individuals could donate a non-perishable food item to help “fill a truck” and also have their name entered into a weekly Friday drawing during the month of October for prizes that included gift certificates, t-shirts and other items donated through the generosity of Allamakee County businesses much appreciated by R.W. Pladsen, Inc. and all those benefiting from the promotion. Pictured above at the presentation of the donated food items to the Allamakee County Relief Office are, left to right, R.W. Pladsen, Inc. staff member David Mark, Allamakee County Relief Office Director Rebecca Hawes, and R.W. Pladsen, Inc. staff members Carli Mellick and Greg Halverson.