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Members of the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon have assumed the role of organizing this year’s Holiday Parade in Waukon. The event is scheduled for Thursday, December 8, beginning at 7 p.m., in an effort to coordinate with the local Holiday Hop event being planned by Waukon businesses earlier that same evening.

Anyone from the general public, business community, school or any 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 downtown Waukon. All registered entries will be entered in a drawing for prizes, and there will also be a Grand Prize awarded for the most festive float.

by Lissa Blake

Looking back at how he spent his summer, Waukon High School graduate Owen Frieden has a lot to reflect upon. He hiked 2,194.3 miles across 13 states in 149 days, all on the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States. Not only was the long journey the greatest adventure of his life thus far, he says he also made “an unfathomable number of friendships that will last a lifetime.” Frieden shared photos and commentary from much of his epic adventure on his Facebook blog: https://www.facebook.com/WOATH22.

Nearly 60% of registered voters in Allamakee County cast a ballot in the November 8 General Election, resulting in 5,849 votes being recorded by Allamakee County residents. Although that local turn-out was part of this year’s statewide trend of being one of the largest voter participations in recent history for a mid-term election (at slightly less than 55% statewide), area voters also had added incentive with the inclusion of the much more local decision of determining the ownership fate of their local hospital.

Local families share newspaper keepsakes commemorating the service of many Allamakee County Veterans from WWII and Korean War eras

A pair of Waukon families had a similar idea of honoring veterans from the local area when they recently brought in separate items saved from past issues of the local newspaper. Those items, pictured as smaller samples in the images accompanying this article, are viewable in much larger versions elsewhere inside the November 9, 2022 newspaper, along with other honorings of area veterans as Veterans Day approaches this Friday, November 11.

A veteran of the Korean War, Sickles turns 90 this Veterans Day, Nov. 11

by Julie Berg-Raymond

He was named Floyd at birth, but no one calls him that; everyone knows him as Ray. Ray Sickles - native-born to the creeks and woods of Allamakee County; logger; Korean War veteran; much-loved dad - took up painting at 60 years old, after a life of hard work had begun taking its toll on his back.

Three decades later, he’s still at it - having long ago refined his technique, and developing a distinctive style, in the process. “He is not one to sit on the couch,” says his daughter, Deb Grotegut, of Waukon. “He has to have something to do, all the time.”

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will celebrate Veterans Day this year by offering a program to the public in the meeting room of its new museum in the former Vet’s Club building at 105 Allamakee Street n Waukon.

Thursday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m. a video interview with Vietnam War Veteran retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Cherie White of Waukon will be presented. Lt. Col. White was recently interviewed by Chuck Bloxham, and she will be present Thursday to answer questions after the video. Light refreshments will be available. There is no admission charge.

Also, Saturday, November 12 at 10 a.m. the video interview with Lt. Col. White will be presented again for those who are not available to attend Thursday evening. The museum will also be open for tours from 9 a.m. until noon November 12.

The Allamakee County Auditor's Office wants to remind voters of the County's new election website that has up-to-date election information and will have election results posted as they become available following the Tuesday, November 8 General Election.
The site can be reached at the following link: https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/

Tuesday, November 8 is scheduled as the 2022 General Election to determine which candidates will be elected by voters to leadership positions at the national, state and local levels of government, as well as to allow residents an opportunity to express their choice on a couple non-candidate matters featured on this year’s election ballot. A Notice of Election with a listing of candidates, polling sites and other pertinent local election information was printed on Page 28 of the October 19 print edition and e-edition of The Standard. All 10 in-person polling sites throughout Allamakee County will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. the day of the election. All 10 polling sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Sample ballots from each polling site for this year’s election may be viewed at the election website: https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/.

Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism (ACED) has announced Welsh’s Farm & Home in Lansing as the 2022 Cloy Kuhse Positive Impact Award winner. The announcement was made at the ACED Annual Meeting held at Village Creek Bible Camp in rural Lansing Thursday, October 20. ACED Board President Christina Drahos shared the following nomination information with those in attendance:

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The Wolfpack Theater Company has been growing in popularity since its recent beginnings in the Waukon area. The youth-focused outlet for creativity has now found a more permanent home for its rehearsal and performance space in the former music room of the former Waterville School - now the Waterville Community Center.