News Center newsletter

To the Editor:

Washington D.C. is so rotten you can almost smell the stench here in Iowa. Our tax money spent on a slush fund to settle sexual harassment claims. It looks as if that fund that has paid out tens of millions of dollars in settlements over the last 20 years comes from the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, which was sponsored by our very own Chuck Grassley.

How about the Johnson law forbidding clergy from giving their view on certain laws or they would lose their tax exemption? How about all the perks and retirement benefits they have voted for themselves? How about all the congressmen that didn’t support term limits and a balanced budget? How about when they removed or forbid the Bible, 10 Commandments or any Christian symbol? That’s when the devil walked into our schools and our country has been on a downhill slide ever since.

To the Editor:

I attended the December 7 school board meeting held at the Waterville school library  and must share a few comments and observations.  The meeting was well attended. It was much more information based than previous and presented facts needed in this critical decision. And I personally want to commend Mrs. Nordheim for her candor and professional approach to the evening.

I left with more concerns. We were advised there are no short-term or long-range plans to guide the school board in determining the future of the school district and, specifically, the Waterville building. We learned the water is fine. We learned there are no capital repairs that must be completed in the near future. What we did not learn is what is so pressing.

To the Editor:

Congratulations to the 2017 Waukon football team, and we thank you for the beautiful trophy and for the many Friday nights you entertained your fans. You made all of us very proud of how you played the game. You were always playing together.

You set the bar pretty high for next year’s team. We are sure they can meet the challenges and we will all be there to cheer you on. Again, thanks for a good season.

Your fans from Elon,
Arlyn “Butch” and Lois Fossum
Waterville
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon is pleased to announce it has been named a 2017 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the 95th percentile or above of performance in Patient Experience/Inpatient Services.

The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a nationally-recognized symbol of achievement in health care. Presented annually, the award honors clients who consistently sustained performance in the top five percent of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period during the course of one year.

Ness Pumping and Porta Potty Rentals of Waukon hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 7 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection. Despite the cool rainy weather that day, a large number turned out for the event. Breast Cancer survivors were asked to sign a pink porta potty sporting the breast cancer ribbon, t-shirts were distributed and refreshments served.

Saturday, November 25, the Ness family awarded the proceeds raised from that walk to the hospital to be used towards the purchase of the new 3D mammography machine recently installed at the hospital. The $1,200 donation will help Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon finance the newly-installed 3D mammography machine at its facility.

Veterans Memorial Hospital dietitians will be offering a new eight-week weight loss class beginning in January that will teach the healthy lifestyle choices needed to lose the weight for good.  The key to permanent weight loss is to adopt new daily choices that, with consistent repetition, become habits. That is why the hospital offers the Healthy Lifestyles Weight Loss Class, which is open to anyone in the area communities of any age. The class will be offered Mondays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. starting January 15 running through March 5.

A free, introductory class will be held Monday, January 8 starting at 5:30 p.m. Anyone can hear more about the program and see if they wish to sign up for the eight-week program, beginning the following Monday.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, January 8. The classes will continue for two more consecutive Monday evenings, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more about. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions.  Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care. Tours of the OB Department are available with each session as well.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Diana Ward by Dave and Laurie Martin, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Scott and Jill Manning, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Penny Wheeler, Steve and Becky Welper, Karen Kerndt, Bernard Welsh, Mike and Linda Ferring, Ken and Diane Butikofer, Ken and Shirley O’Hara, Brad and Erin Berns, Dan and Sharon Cunningham, Russ and Mary Jo Meyer, Mary Kay Anderson and Mae Jean Bakke.

Memorials were also received in memory of Deloris Topel by Gladwin and Darlene Anderson and Dave and Laurie Martin, in memory of Cindy Ward Skags by Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, in memory of Clark Snitker by Jim and Bev Larson-Needham and Robert and Kristi Campbell, and in memory of Lisa Schreiber by Mary Anne Otting.

The Waukon High School Class of 1961 will meet this Friday, December 15 at 11:30 a.m. at Gus & Tony’s Pizza and Steakhouse in Waukon. All classmates are invited.
 

Jason and Amy Leidahl of Denver announce the birth of their daughter, Grace Monica Leidahl, born November 28, 2017 at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. She weighed 7 lbs. 4 ozs. and measured 20-1/2 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins brothers, Kyler (6) and Dawson (3).

Grandparents are Steve and Jane Johanningmeier of Waterville and Danny and Carla Leidahl of Decorah. Great-grandparents are Maloy Johanningmeier of Monona and Wayne and Mary Lou Leidahl of Waukon.