Charles T. Bresnahan, 76, of Spring Grove, MN died Monday, May 15, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Memorial services were held Thursday, May 18 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be held at a later date at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled the arrangements.
Charles Theodore Bresnahan was born October 3, 1946 in Waukon, the son of Lawrence and Leonita (Haas) Bresnahan. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon and graduated from St. Patrick’s High School. Charlie went to work at Heimer’s Super Valu grocery store in the meat department. He then drove truck for his grandpa at Bresnahan Construction, for Fred Carlson and Riehm Construction.
Charlie married Deb Johnson and they had two children together: Jacob and Jodie. They later divorced. Charlie then met Karen Kruse and they have been together for the past 32 years.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Discussing mental health and/or acknowledging you or someone you know may have a problem can be a difficult subject to talk about and even harder to understand. In order to try to better recognize mental health issues, The Standard is printing this five-part series throughout the month to look at the many ways mental illness affects the local community.
Part One of the five-part series told the story of a 19-year-old local college student who suffers from severe anxiety and depression that has used medication and therapy to get well. Part Two told the story of a lifelong Waukon resident who battled mental illness much of his life and unfortunately succumbed to it by taking his own life.
Waukon native Daryl Hansmeier has received word that he has been selected to perform at the world famous Carnegie Hall in New York City Monday evening, June 12. In an email received from Craig Arnold, president of Manhattan Concert Productions, Hansmeier has been offered a contract to perform as a member in Carnegie’s production of the Dan Forrest work “Requiem for the Living.”
Hansmeier’s long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Jennaya J. Robison, who currently serves as director of choral activities/studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will be conducting the work. The ensemble will begin rehearsals Saturday, June 10 in New York City and will rehearse through the performance time which is set for Monday evening, June 12 at 8 p.m. EST, or 7 p.m. CST.
Brings career of 34 years to a close ... Jim Janett, longtime director of the Allamakee County Conservation Board, stands next to the welcome sign at his retirement open house held in late April at the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center in Lansing. Janett was the original director of the Allamakee County Conservation Board since its inception in 1989, his retirement bringing to a close a career of 34 years. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.
The changing of the guard ... Jim Janett, original director of the Allamakee County Conservation Board since its inception in 1989, stands with new director Ross Geerdes at the retirement open house held for Janett in late April at the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center in Lansing, marking an end to Janett’s 34-year career in that position and the transition of Geerdes from his original position of naturalist with the Allamakee County Conservation Board. “He’s a dynamic individual, and he’s going to bring a lot of energy,” Janett said of Geerdes. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.
by Julie Berg-Raymond
When Jim Janett retired from the Allamakee County Conservation Department last month, he left an organization of which he’d been a part almost since its inception.
While county conservation boards have existed in Iowa since 1956 - a year after the 56th General Assembly passed the “County Conservation Law,” which created a conservation-outdoor recreation program - it wasn’t until 1989 that Allamakee County was added as the state’s 99th, and last, county conservation board. The Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) was established in January of that year, and Janett started working part-time for them in September.
Plans in place, just in case ... The train derailment pictured above from June 2022 along the Mississippi River just south of Lansing is one in a recent series of derailments in the local and national news that has Allamakee County residents wondering about what local plans might be in response to such incidents. Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker and other local and railroad authorities work to continually enhance the County’s established response plan to an incident such as this, or worse. Standard photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.
by Ellen Modersohn
Train derailments in East Palestine, OH in February and in De Soto, WI earlier this month have many Allamakee County residents wondering what would happen if there were a toxic spill or fire resulting from a rail accident here. Tracks used by Canadian Pacific (CP) run along the Mississippi River on the county’s eastern border and cross its southwestern corner at Postville.
CP merged in December 2022 with the Kansas City Southern railroad and Corey Snitker, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator, expects the volume of trains along the eastern tracks in the county to double, to an average of 14 trains per day.
The Allamakee County Historical Society is hosting its second Allamakee County Rural School Reunion during a three-day event scheduled to be held during the Memorial Day weekend next week. The reunion will be held in an open house format, including Friday and Saturday, May 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, and Sunday, May 28 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the newly remodeled Genealogy Research Center located in the lower level of the new Allamakee County Veterans Museum at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon. Those attending the reunion are asked to use the back parking lot entrance to the former Vet’s Club building which accesses the building’s lower level. Signs will be posted, and that back entrance provides handicap accessibility to the reunion location.
The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will be offering its next public program at its museum located at 105 Allamakee Street, Waukon this Thursday, May 18, beginning at 1 p.m. There is no charge for admission and no membership requirements to attend the program presentation.
The late Dr. Frank Norden left his optometrist practice in Waukon in 1942 to join the U.S. Navy. Initially, he was assigned to medical duty, but he volunteered to go to sea and was assigned to a tugboat, the USS Sakaweston YTB-289, and he was later appointed its captain. He returned to Waukon in 1946 after discharge from naval service and resumed his optometrist practice.
His daughters, Kristen and Margaret, will share their recollections of his naval service. The program will also include a video tour of a typical WWII era military tugboat.
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, May 15 to address a full agenda of matters including a Public Hearing Amending the Current City Budget, discussion of the process to fill the mayor vacancy, and discussion of changing the July 2023 City Council meeting dates.
Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Johnson called the meeting to order with approval of the meeting agenda to include the removal of one item relating to the Partial Pay Request of Retainage for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Project. Johnson noted this matter would be addressed at a later date.
Waukon High School graduating senior Katerina Kovarik was recently honored as a member of the 2023 “Best of the Class”. KWWL and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) recognized valedictorians or top graduating seniors from across eastern Iowa at a celebration held Saturday, April 29 at the McLeod Center on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls. Kovarik is pictured in the center of the above photo with (left to right) KWWL Sports Director Rick Coleman, news anchors Collin Dorsey and Ron Steele, and Chief Meteorologist Mark Schnackenberg.
The Waukon Lions Club hosted the annual Waukon High School Honors Banquet at the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon Wednesday, April 26. The top 15% academically of the 2023 Waukon High School graduating class were honored. The evening included a meal served by the Presbyterian Women and an inspirational talk by guest speaker Erica (Langland) Nosbisch, a 2003 Waukon High School graduate and the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center Director. The graduates told the audience of their future plans and were presented certificates and medallions by Waukon High School Principal Jennifer Garin, Guidance Counselor Amy Wasson and Allamakee Community School District Superintendent of Schools Jay Mathis.
