River Valley

Wed
30
Aug

“Massacre at Bad Axe” will be bonus program for 2023 Summer Chautauqua Series

Dr. Patrick Jung ...
Dr. Patrick Jung ...

The Ferryville Tourism Council has announced a bonus program for its annual Summer Chautauqua Series. Wednesday, September 13, a fourth program will be offered in the series.

Dr. Patrick Jung, a professor of history and cultural anthropology at the Milwaukee School of Engineering will conduct a presentation entitled: “The Massacre at Bad Axe: Understanding the Final Battle of the Black Hawk War in 1832”. This presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Ferryville Village Hall on the south end of the village along Hwy. 35.

Dr. Jung has recently completed a three-part series on Father Marquette for the 350th anniversary of the founding of Prairie du Chien, WI. These very interesting articles were published in the Crawford County Independent newspaper and included great details.

Wed
23
Aug

State, national Main Street leaders visit Lansing, explain new accreditation procedures


State and national Main Street leaders visit Lansing ... Andrew Boddicker, Main Street Lansing director, led a tour of Lansing’s downtown and surrounding area for representatives of state and national Main Street organizations Wednesday, August 16. Pictured above in front of the Old Stone School in Lansing are, left to right, Lansing resident Marlene Duffy, Carol Lilly of Main Street Iowa, Diana Wilson-Thompson of Main Street Lansing, Jackie Swihart of Main Street America, Boddicker, and Lisa Welsh, Lansing City Council member. Photo by Ellen Modersohn.

by Ellen Modersohn

Main Street America is changing how it evaluates communities for accreditation with the organization. Jackie Swihart, program officer for revitalization services with Main Street America, and Carol Lilly, with Main Street Iowa, were in Lansing Wednesday, August 16, to explain the new process and standards. They toured Lansing’s downtown and met throughout the day with the Main Street Lansing Board and director, city council members and area volunteers.

Lansing is one of 54 Main Street-accredited cities affiliated with the Main Street Iowa coordinating program, which is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Forty-six coordinating programs partner with the National Main Street Center to provide support and training to Main Street America communities across the country, such as Main Street Lansing.

Wed
23
Aug

“Geography is my muse”: Mural artist Erik Burke taps into the spiritual heart of the Driftless Region, and of Lansing, with “Reverse Effigy” at Main Street Plaza


Before and after ... The two images above show how the building wall bordering the east side of the renovated Main Street Plaza in Lansing has been transformed from its original plain white existence (top photo) to the colorful mural (bottom photo) created by Reno, NV artist Eric Burke, who is pictured at the very bottom of the photo displaying his mural creation. The mural was the final piece of the renovation of that Plaza area undertaken by Main Street Lansing and the City of Lansing. Submitted photos.

Mural artist ... Eric Burke, an internationally-known artist from Reno, NV, was selected to paint the mural at the Main Street Plaza in Lansing. One of three professional artists pursued to create a design for the project, Burke’s design was selected for its connection of Lansing to the local environment and the spiritual character of the Driftless region. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

Presenters’ work depicted in the Plaza mural ... As part of the Friday, August 11 celebration of completion of the Main Street Plaza project in Lansing, remarks and presentations were given by a trio of individuals whose work is represented on the new mural (part of which can be seen in the photo background above) that graces the east side of the newly renovated Plaza. Pictured above, left to right, are Amy Ries, with the Raptor Resource Project; Susan Snow, Superintendent of Effigy Mounds National Monument; and David Kester, with the Raptor Resource Project. The mural includes an image of a peregrine falcon soaring over some of the burial mounds that Effigy Mounds National Monument is most noted for. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

After an extended conversation with artist Erik Burke - whose mural, “Reverse Effigy,” commissioned by Main Street Lansing in 2022, is now the aesthetic centerpiece of the recently completed Main Street Plaza in downtown Lansing, it’s easy for people to feel like they’ve made a new friend. He’s just that kind of guy: Down-to-earth, friendly, funny, interested in the people and places he meets on his travels. And make no mistake: His travels and his artwork go hand-in-hand. “I love traveling - going to new places,” Burke says. “It could be a 20-minute drive and I meet the right person, at the right time - or wrong time, sometimes. Sometimes, the wrong time is the right time.” These are the words of someone who is open to whatever new thing there is to learn, along his way. “There’s just nothing like traveling,” he says. “It’s like being outside yourself and kind of re-discovering yourself and what’s important to you.”

Wed
23
Aug

Flotsam River Circus performs at Lansing ...

The Flotsam River Circus performed along the bank of the Mississippi River at Lansing, next to Coffee on the River, Tuesday evening, August 15. Flotsam is a troupe of musicians, circus artists and puppeteers traveling on a handmade raft (as pictured in the surrounding photos), giving free performances in riverfront towns along the way. The troupe’s stop in Lansing was part of its 2023 Mississippi River Tour, a 650-river mile journey over a six-week time frame. The performances are scheduled to take place in 33 different riverfront communities in five different states during that tour, starting in Minneapolis, MN several weeks ago, August 4 and being scheduled to wrap up with three shows in St. Louis, MO September 8-10, including two shows in La Crosse, WI prior to floating into Lansing and one show in Prairie du Chien, WI the following night. Photos courtesy of Laura Gentry.

Wed
16
Aug

Lansing hosts “Triking Tubadour” Jon Hodkin


InnerTuba pays a visit to Thornton Manor ... United Kingdom native Jon Hodkin (far right in the above photo) brought his cycling musical tour that he calls InnerTuba to Lansing Monday, August 7. As part of his stop in Lansing, Hodkin brought his custom-made recumbent tricycle and trailer, along with his tuba, to Thornton Manor, where he played some music and presented a program for residents of the care facility (some of whom are pictured above with him) about his InnerTuba venture that currently includes cycling the length of the Mississippi River. Submitted photo.

InnerTuba provides “inner”tainment ... Jon Hodkin, creator of InnerTuba and a native of the United Kingdom, paid a visit to Lansing Monday, August 7 as part of his 2023 Mississippi River Tour that currently has him traveling the entire length of the Mississippi River, a journey of 3,000 miles in 150 days, from a starting point in Louisiana that began April 18 of this year to a planned finish at Lake Itasca in Minnesota scheduled for mid-September. As part of his travels on his custom-made recumbent tricycle that pulls a trailer housing his tuba, Hodkin’s visit to Lansing included a photo opportunity with the iconic Black Hawk Bridge (photo above) and a musical and educational program he presented at Lansing Office Works that Monday evening (photo below). Photos by Julie Berg-Raymond.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Even in a place that has seen tens of thousands of bicycle riders come through town - having served twice in the past six years as the destinated “dip-site” for RAGBRAI - residents of Lansing still took notice when Jon Hodkin, a self-described “Triking Tubadour,” passed through town a little over a week ago.

The “triking” in the moniker refers to a custom-made recumbent tricycle; the “tubadour” is, of course, a play on “troubadour” - the French singer-poets of medieval Europe - indicating this traveling musician’s choice of instrument: the tuba. Born in the Midlands region of England, Hodkin lives now in Thurso, Scotland - the northernmost town on the mainland of the United Kingdom.

Wed
16
Aug

Lansing City Council adopts new draft of Allamakee County Hazard Mitigation Plan, holds first reading of new utility rates ordinance

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During its regular meeting Monday, August 7, the Lansing City Council adopted Resolution No. 992, a new draft of the Allamakee County Hazard Mitigation Plan. Included in the plan are all six cities, the three public school districts and the county. The plan is waiting for final approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“I will do a follow-up visit with each participating jurisdiction each year to see what actions are being taken on the plan or if there needs to be any additions,” Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker said. “In three and a half years we will start this process over again as the plan is required to be reviewed and updated every five years.”

Wed
16
Aug

Corps of Engineers dredging project near Brownsville, MN gets underway

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, began dredging the Mississippi River navigation channel near Brownsville, MN in Pool 8 this week to ensure the channel remains open for commercial navigation. Dredging is expected to continue in this area through Labor Day. The Above Brownsville Placement Site, known locally as Crater Island, will be closed during this time when needed for dredging operations.

Wed
09
Aug

Lansing residents and visitors still have opportunities to help shape the vision for the future of its Main Street

by Julie Berg-Raymond

A little over a dozen people attended an in-person community meeting Tuesday, July 25 at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing, aimed at identifying needs, desires and concerns that residents and visitors have for the Main Street/Highway 9 corridor through Lansing. The meeting was the fourth in a series of work sessions led by Aaron Detter, senior transportation planner with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) in Decorah, on the Main Street/Highway 9 Corridor Visioning Plan. Two earlier work sessions involved the Lansing City Council, and one involved business and property owners along the Main Street corridor.

Wed
09
Aug

Allamakee County Conservation Board to host Mississippi River Backwater Paddling Series - Army Road, New Albin August 17

Join the Allamakee County Conservation Board for a guided Mississippi River backwater paddling adventure August 17, starting at 6 p.m. and returning to the landing by sunset at the New Albin Army Road Boat Landing.

Participants are welcome to use their own canoe or kayak but must follow all rules and regulations in accordance with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A limited number of solo and tandem kayaks will be available to use from the Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) provided with paddles and life jackets.

Advanced registration is required for this series of programs. To register or reserve a kayak, call 563-538-0403. Solo participants are encouraged to register, but may be paired with other paddlers in a tandem kayak if using Allamakee County Conservation Board  equipment.

Wed
02
Aug

InnerTuba to perform in Lansing August 7 ...

The community of Lansing will welcome a rather unique visitor Monday, August 7, as InnerTuba will make Lansing a performance stop on its current 2023 Mississippi River Tour. United Kingdom native Jon Hodkin is a cyclist and a tuba player who loves to travel, and in 2000 he created the idea of combining all of those loves into a cycling musical tour he calls InnerTuba. Hodkin travels on his custom-made recumbent tricycle pulling a trailer that hauls his tuba (all pictured in the contributed photo above) that he will bring out to play for audiences at various stops along his tour route. According to Hodkin’s website, “InnerTuba is all about extensive travel, playing music and mingling with lots of people”.

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