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Waukon Park & Recreation will be offering a tennis program again this summer, teaming up with instructors Aidan Hunter and Brendan Hunter to provide this opportunity. The program is for girls and boys ages seven to 17. The focus will be to help the kids gain a better understanding of the sport along with learning basic tennis technique and form.

The classes will be divided by age groups as follows:
• 7 & 8 year olds (5:00-5:50 p.m.)
• 9 & 10 year olds (6:00-6:50 p.m.)
• 11-17 year olds (7:00-7:50 p.m.)

The tennis program will be held Monday and Tuesday evenings (at the times listed above) at the Waukon Tennis Courts (across from the Waukon Wellness Center) starting July 25, and will run for three weeks. Program dates are July 25, July 26, August 1, August 2, August 8 and August 9. In the event of rain, a make-up date will be determined at that time.

Randy Alan Schlacke, 64, of Prescott Valley, AZ was pronounced dead at his home April 24, 2022. A celebration of life service and reception will be held Saturday, September 24 at 11 a.m. at the Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon. Interment will be prior to sunset at the Waterville Lutheran Cemetery in Waterville.

He was born at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana July 14, 1957 to Ronald V. Schlacke of Waterville and Alice G. (Wacker) Schlacke of Waukon. He has one older sister and one younger brother.

Randy enjoyed working as a carpenter and was experienced in all phases of construction throughout his career. He completed a Specialized Associate Degree program from Hamilton Technical College, Davenport in Electronics Engineering Technology and he graduated from Falcon High School in Peyton, CO.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson In 1995, New Albin celebrated its centennial of the first 100 years of existence. Calculations may leave some wondering how 150 years are now being celebrated, just 27 years later. The answer lies in when the countdown begins. The Centennial in 1995 commemorated the incorporation of the town of New Albin in 1895, but the upcoming 150th year celebration goes back to the origins of the town when it was first platted in 1872 as the railroad came to the area. This is only fitting since a lot of activity and building took place before the town became officially incorporated. The northernmost town in Iowa, New Albin, has evolved through several growth spurts. It once had a 20-bed hospital and an airport, plus numerous professional and retail establishments. THE PAST Before the town existed, the area was home to many Native American tribes including the Sac, Fox, Sioux and Winnebago.

Robert L. Lacewell, 90, of Waukon passed away Monday, July 11, 2022 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Memorial services were held Friday, July 15 at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Robert Lee Lacewell was born October 4, 1931 in Sidonia, TN, the son of John and Bessie (Davis) Lacewell. When Robert was five years old, his family moved to Chicago, IL, and he attended grade school and graduated from high school in the Chicagoland area; here he also met his future wife and lifelong partner, Joy Pennell. From 1951-1954, Robert served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged.

He enjoyed fishing on the Mississippi River and wintering in Texas with Joy. He also cherished his time with his friends at the S&D Café morning coffee club.

July 19 coronation event and Youth Showcase will kick off the 169th Allamakee County Fair
 

Five Allamakee County young ladies are vying for the title of 2022 Allamakee County Fair Queen. Those five candidates for this year’s crown include Maycie Curtin, Mckenzie Kaeser and Claire Opperman, all students at Waukon High School, and Rhianna Jones and Cheyanne Troendle, both students at Kee High School in Lansing.

Each candidate participated in an individual and group interview held Wednesday, July 6 at Veterans Memorial Hospital where they were judged on their professionalism, personality and poise. The Fair Queen Coronation will be held Tuesday, July 19 at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion following the Youth Showcase that starts at 7 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to the public.

Photos and biographies of the candidates seeking this year’s Allamakee County Fair Queen crown are printed here:

Maycie Curtin

A free online college planning tool that helps families estimate the total cost of a college education has been redesigned to make it simpler to use.

The College Funding Forecaster allows students to input estimated costs, expected financial aid, savings and earnings to project total out-of-pocket expenses and potential student loan amounts for four to six years, the time it typically takes to earn an undergraduate degree, at the college or university of their choice.

Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Liquidity Corporation, a nonprofit organization which offers college financing products as Iowa Student Loan Education Lending, provides the mobile friendly College Funding Forecaster free at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Forecaster.

For families that will have a new college freshman next year, this is a great time to look for scholarships that will help offset the cost of an education. Scholarships are considered “gift aid,” meaning that they do not need to be repaid later. Some are one-time awards that can be used while a family’s college savings continues to grow; others are renewable as long as the student remains eligible.

While we hear a lot about athletic scholarships or awards for high academic achievement, no student should overlook the possibility of earning some scholarships. Many different types of organizations offer scholarships, so casting a wide net will help students locate the opportunities they are most eligible for.

Intimate Strangers: The Amazing Hidden World of Microorganisms is the July program at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Steve Knabel  worked 10 years at the Dubuque packing plant as their microbiologist and went on to get his masters and PHD from Iowa State in food science and microbiology. Steve spent 30 years at Penn State as a professor working in the area of food born pathogens. He also has knowledge of viruses, like COVID-19 and hospital acquired infections. He is an expert in safe food handing and home food preservation. Bring your questions and ask the expert. Contact the library at 563-538-4693 for further information.
 

by Abigail Waters

Over the last few years, a trend of increasing participation in goat, swine and dairy showing exhibits has made the Allamakee County Fair Board take a good look at the facilities at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds and think about what improvements the board could make for the future.

That assessment has resulted in the construction of a new, larger all-species livestock show barn through a “Building New Traditions” campaign that has taken place throughout this past year. That new show barn is currently being completed in time for use during this year’s Allamakee County Fair in just a couple weeks.

The Allamakee County 4-H Council is sponsoring a school supply drive to benefit the Allamakee County Relief Office at the 2022 Allamakee County Fair. The council encourages all 4-H clubs and community members to participate by purchasing school supplies and donating them to this drive.

There will be a special community service booth in the 4-H exhibit building to display the donations during the Fair. Donations can be made anytime throughout the Fair, which is scheduled for July 20-24.

For further information about the Allamakee County 4-H Program, contact Marissa Foels, Allamakee County Youth Coordinator at the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach office in Waukon at 563-568-6345.