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Friends of Yellow River State Forest is sponsoring a “First Day” Hike at the Paint Creek Unit at 9 a.m. Sunday, January 1. Everyone is also welcome to hike the designated First Day Hike trail on their own anytime Saturday, December 31 or Sunday, January 1 to win prizes.

The trail chosen this year for the “First Day” Hike starts at the Forester’s Office at 729 State Forest Road, Harpers Ferry. The hike (outlined with yellow dashes in the map above) is about three miles long and features beautiful forests, a visit to the Yellow River State Forest Fire Tower, and a photo opportunity with Bigfoot. The trail starts out uphill, but after that, is level and then goes back down from the ridge. Most people would consider it a moderate hike.

A holiday voice recital featuring area musicians, some of whom have graced this area in the past with their talents and others who continue to do so, will be held this Friday evening, December 30 at 7 p.m. at Zalmona Presbyterian Church, located at 371 State Highway 9, Waukon.

The performance will feature the following vocalists: Kristen Wunderlich, Kari Iverson, Nicole Winke-Gentes, Erika Wachholz, Cory Wikan, Daryl Hansmeier, Corey Larson, Aaron Gentes and Andrew Last. The ensemble will be accompanied by Luther College collaborative pianist Nicholas Shaneyfelt.

A free will offering will be taken at the performance. Coffee and treats will be served in the church hall following the performance.

The items below summarize the top news stories that appeared in The Standard during the first six months of 2022, January-June.

by Brianne Grimstad

The month of November ended on a very high financial note at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon. “We had one of our best gross patient revenue months ever,” VMH Administrator Michael Coyle noted.

The hospital ended the month with a gross patient revenue of $4,451,829, compared to $3,556,036 last November, an increase of $895,793. “We were so busy in November, and December is busy as well,” Coyle said.

The hospital ended the month with a profit of $76,611, compared to $25,257 in November 2021, an increase of $51,354. The largest expenses were salaries and supplies, which is normal. There were a few other contracts that were higher than last year, but Coyle said the revenue supports that.

In dairy judging, youth evaluate classes of dairy cows and heifers and then defend their placings through oral reasoning. Youth learn the dairy cow unified scorecard and major breakdowns, anatomy of the dairy cow, along with dairy judging terminology.

Allamakee County had 11 4-H’ers represented at the State 4-H Dairy Judging contest held at the Iowa State Fair in August of this year. They made up multiple teams, including one Junior Division team, one Senior Division team and one combined county team in the Junior Division.

Graham crackers, frosting and Clover Kids made the perfect combination to make “gingerbread houses” during a recent Allamakee County 4-H Clover Kids session. Youth were able to use their imagination to design their own creation. They learned it took patience, lots of frosting and some re-designing to make the houses stand by themselves.  Candy was supplied to decorate with, which added another challenge if the candy was too heavy for their structure. After completion, most of the houses ended up as a snack. For more information about 4-H and upcoming activities contact the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office at 563-568-6345 or http://www.extension.iastate.edu/allamakee/. Submitted photos.
 

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

At the regular monthly meeting of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors Monday, December 19,  Dr. Sarah Updegraff Murray was selected to replace current EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier, who will be retiring at the end of this current school year. The board approved a Standard Superintendent Contract for a three-year term in the amount of $140,000 annually, effective July 1, 2023.

Dr. Murray is the current Kee High School/Middle School Principal and will also retain that position in addition to assuming Superintendent duties for the district. Dr. Crozier is a shared Superintendent with the MFL/MarMac Community School District, but Dr. Murray will not be assuming that shared role, instead remaining solely within the Eastern Allamakee Community School District as both Superintendent and in her current principal positions.

Grace Howe, a 2019 graduate of Waukon High School who is graduating this month from Iowa State University in Ames, has been named a recipient of the Award for Academic Achievement from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Student Council. This award recognizes a student for their cumulative grade point average (GPA), scholarships received, honors received at Iowa State, as well as the number of semesters on the Dean’s List.

Award recipients were recognized on College of Agriculture and Life Sciences social media channels, in communication to college alumni, and at the college Convocation event held Friday, December 16.

The following article, reprinted with permission from its author, summarizes Grace Howe’s college experience and the benefits she received from that experience:

Multiple internships pave the way for future career

Saturday, December 3, members of the Waukon Middle School and Waukon High School bands participated in the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association (NEIBA) District Honor Bands. The students rehearsed all day and presented a concert to the public that evening. Middle school band members participating are pictured in the photo above and included, left to right, Trent Schullo - euphonium, Tate Ellingson - French horn and Trinity Protsman - flute. High school band members who were selected are pictured in the photo below and included, left to right, Logan Lubahn - tuba, Moriah Downing - clarinet, Bailey Sherman - flute and Cody Huinker - trombone. The students are instructed by Middle School Band Director Tim Lund and High School Band Director JoAnn Sherman. Submitted photos.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During the Lansing City Council’s regular meeting Monday, December 19, Michelle Barness from Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) and Corey Snitker, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator, conducted a public meeting on the Allamakee County Hazard Mitigation Plan.
In their presentation, “hazard mitigation” was defined as 1) “actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural or manmade hazards and their effects; and 2) “breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.” The emphasis, they noted, is on “taking action now - before the next disaster.”