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Marvin "Bud" Strike enjoys Honor Flight experience

by Lissa Blake

It was a long day, but it was well worth it. That’s what Korean War veteran Marvin “Bud” Strike of Waukon had to say about his opportunity to take part in a recent Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Strike, accompanied by his son, Rich, took the flight out of Waterloo October 10. A native of Nashua, Strike said he had heard about the Honor Flight opportunity years ago, but had never pursued it, primarily because the flights were out of Waterloo and he had been drafted out of Chickasaw County.

But when his son and daughter-in-law suggested he fill out an application and send it in, he decided to do it and was approved. “We had a meeting in Waterloo September 28. It was a nice dinner and informational meeting,” he said.

Article featuring Waukon native and WWI POW George Goeke shared by family

Editor's Note: George Goeke was a lifetime resident of Allamakee County and a local businessman who ran Goeke’s Sport Shop on West Main Street in Waukon in the late 1920s.  He was the father of Wesley, Allen and Ronald Goeke, all of whom still live in Waukon. His three daughters were Karen Delatte of Madison, MS, and the late Lorna Miller of Postville and Ruth Dotseth of Waukon. George’s grandchildren who are in the Waukon area include Jerry Goeke (Allen’s son), Randy Goeke and Wendy Ebner (Ronald’s son and daughter), Julie Alden and Nancy Welper (Ruth’s daughters), and Lisa Moose and David Miller (Lorna’s daughter and son).

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors and Administration will be hosting a public forum Monday, November 13 regarding the future of Waterville Elementary School. The forum is open to all members of the public and will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Waukon High School auditorium.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy 2017 will be held this Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 10, 11, 12 and 13 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The theme for this year's event will be “A Christmas to Remember."

This year's Fantasy schedule of events includes the following:

“Tingle ‘N Mingle” Happy Hour is a special opportunity to meet socially with friends and co-workers. Over a dozen tables of hearty hors d’oeuvres, desserts, candies, breads and spirits will be served among the trees from 5-8 p.m. Friday night. The event is sponsored by Four County Ag Services and Four County Crop Services. Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and local banks, as well as at the door.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, November 6 to address a full agenda of items, including an update of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission's (UERPC) activities, an update from the Robey Memorial Library in Waukon and a tour of the Reel Core manufacturing facility in Waukon.

The meeting was held at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, the final library visited within Allamakee County during 2017. During Public Comment, Coordinator Ardie Kuhse with Waukon Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) discussed that the recent forum for the Waukon Mayor and City Council candidates was well attended.

Voting results from the Tuesday, November 7 City Election reveal a new councilman for Waukon's Third Ward, but no candidate in the five-person race for Waukon Mayor could be declared the winner of that office, as none of the five candidates received a majority vote of at least 50% of the vote total plus one more. In such a case, the top two vote-getters advance on to a run-off election, which, according to the Allamakee County Auditor's Office, will be scheduled for Tuesday, December 5.

In the unofficial results released shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, Dwight Jones received the most votes of the five mayoral candidates - 259 votes (35.24%), with Pat Stone next in line with 169 votes (22.99%). Those two top vote-getters, Jones and Stone, will now face off in that December 5 run-off election. Other candidate vote totals in that mayoral race are as follows: Darryl Brink - 120 votes (16.33%), Steve Wiedner - 111 votes (15.10%) and Rick Herman - 73 votes (9.93%).

Voters in all Allamakee County towns with local government representation are scheduled to go to the polls Tuesday, November 7 to cast their selections in the 2017 City Election. Sample ballots of the respective races within each of the communities with local government candidates competing in this year's election were published on Pages 2B and 3B in the October 25 issue of The Standard, along with a listing of polling sites for all six Allamakee County towns holding elections this year. Election polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. in Waukon and from 12 noon-8 p.m. in all other Allamakee County communities holding elections.

Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism (ACED) unveiled a new postcard (pictured at right) at the ACED Annual Meeting hosted in New Albin Thursday, October 19.  The meeting attendees were challenged by ACED Director Val Reinke to mail the postcard to a friend or family member outside of Allamakee County with an invitation to visit.  Reinke commented, “Tourists and residents alike have inquired about a 'local' postcard and now we can finally offer one.”

This postcard was created to highlight and recognize Allamakee County’s top tourist locations, including Effigy Mounds National Monument (more than 80,000 visitors a year), Yellow River State Forest (more than 40,000 visitors a year), Driftless Area Scenic Byway (voted most scenic byway in Iowa) and Great River Road (36.2 miles through Allamakee County). This postcard design also matches the new display banners created for tourism and economic development events.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

About two dozen people stood out in the rain one recent early morning, Saturday, October 21, to watch members of the all-volunteer Lansing Fire Department burn a house to the ground.
Firefighters call the exercise a “live house burn.”

It was a spectacular situation to witness - the disintegration of a building, as clouds of black smoke rolled from windows and tongues of flame consumed a long-standing structure with impossible speed; and plenty of cameras were on hand that morning to capture the event.
More importantly, it was an opportunity to witness friends and neighbors in this small town of Lansing practicing to do the work of everyday heroes.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, October 30 to address a full agenda of items, including the Tobacco Awareness Week Proclamation, setting a time and date for sealed bids for three dump trucks and discussion of the Pioneer Cemetery Commission. There were no public comments.

Prevention Specialist Jennifer Kimber and Tobacco Prevention Specialist Laura Albert with Helping Services for Youth and Families were present with a group of Waukon High School students to address the Supervisors regarding the Proclamation of Tobacco Awareness Week and the Great American Smokeout. Waukon High School student Abe Schwartz read aloud the proclamation detailing the dangers and statistics relating to tobacco use and secondhand smoke and that the proclamation calls upon individuals, businesses and organizations to raise awareness of tobacco issues. The Supervisors declared November 12-18 Tobacco Awareness Week.