The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, August 19 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital in Waukon. Masks will be required to be worn.
This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
The Pfizer COVID vaccine will be offered Wednesday, August 18, from 9-11:30 a.m. in the Waukon High School gymnasium. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for all ages 12 and over. Parental/guardian consent is required for all those under 18 taking the immunization.
COVID-19 can have serious, life threatening complications and there is no way to know how it will affect anyone. Getting COVID-19 may offer some protection, known as natural immunity, but the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. The COVID-19 vaccine, which is readily available locally, creates an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness.
Walk-ins are welcome at this COVID-19 vaccine clinic August 18. For more information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Allamakee Public Health at 563-568-5660.
The 62nd Bulman reunion met July 21, 2021 after a year’s sabbatical. Pastor Paul Burgess from Mt. Hope Church started the festivities with a meal time prayer at the Eitzen Community Center. Among the fifty people in attendance were the organizers, Grace Bulman and Deb Harguth. Freewill donations were taken to fund the event.
Winners of the car show were Jerry and Machelle Bulman with their beautiful 1969 Mustang, second place was Scott Bulman with a First Generation Falcon, and third place was LeeAnne Bulman with a 1964 Valiant Signet 200. The following door prizes were given: Most Effort to Attend, Jim Bulman, Waukon; Largest Family in Attendance, Matt Bulman, Minnesota Lake; Oldest, Elaine Meyer; Northwood; Youngest, Sarah Bulman, Minnesota Lake.
The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus entertained large crowds in Waukon Thursday and Friday, August 12-13. Sponsored by Waukon Park & Recreation, the circus put on a pair of evening shows each day. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
Hollywood meets Main Street in Waukon, delivering a sobering message ... Veteran actor, director and producer Daniel Baldwin, one of the famous Baldwin brothers of movie and television fame, is pictured above (far right) at the S&D Cafe in Waukon with two of his daughters, Finley and Avis (left to right in photo center), along with Waukon resident and actress, producer, director and singer Katie O’Regan (far left), creator of the Spring Grove-Caledonia Film Festival and founder of Sacred Noise Society, Inc. Visiting the Midwest as the special guest of the second annual Spring Grove-Caledonia Film Festival held July 23-25 in the Spring Grove and Caledonia, MN area, Baldwin also spoke at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon Sunday, July 25 following the 10 a.m. Mass, speaking on the impact of the opioid crisis and other drug addiction, sharing his own experience with rehabilitation and talking about the documentary film he created based on that experience and that of a family friend whose battle with addiction proved fatal. The documentary, “My Promise to P.J.”, won the award for Best Documentary at the film festival. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
by Julie Berg-Raymond
Daniel Baldwin has a mission - and it’s one that speaks directly to an issue of immense concern in the rural Midwest, and the country-at-large. Opioid addiction is a crisis that, according to “The Opioid Crisis in Rural and Small Town America,” by Shannon M. Monnat and Khary K. Rigg, has in recent years seen the most dramatic increase in opioid deaths in the rural Midwest.
The long-time actor, director and producer - one of the four “Baldwin brothers,” along with Stephen, William and Alec, all actors – spoke after the 10 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon Sunday, July 25, while in the area as a special guest of the Spring Grove-Caledonia Film Festival. Baldwin’s multiple award-winning documentary, “My Promise to P.J.,” one of the festival’s featured films, won its award for “Best Documentary.”
Annual inspection of the Iowa 9 (Black Hawk) Bridge over the Mississippi River in Lansing will require lane closures during daylight hours for approximately the next two weeks, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) District 2 Office. Single-late traffic on the bridge will be controlled with flaggers during this project, which began Monday, August 16 and will take place during daylight hours.
The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.
A lost dog story filled with HEART... The dog pictured at right was lost by a family from Illinois when they were camping over the Fourth of July holiday weekend at Old Sixteen Campground in southern Allamakee County. After unsuccessful efforts by the family to try and bring their dog home, local HEART (Helping Every Animal Rescue Team) volunteer Laurie Howes set up the live trap pictured below that eventually captured the dog and allowed for it to be reunited with its family. Submitted photos.
by Brianne Eilers
For pet owners, one of the worst feelings in the world is when their fur-baby goes missing. It can be even scarier if they get lost in an area that they aren’t familiar with, such as on a vacation or a camping trip.
Over the Fourth of July holiday, one family experienced that, but luckily efforts from a local animal rescue volunteer group were able to give this story a happy ending by reuniting a lost dog with its family.
HEART (Helping Every Animal Rescue Team) volunteer Laurie Howes is an animal lover and a self-described “crazy dog lady.” She has Shiba Inus for pets and also has worked with a Shiba Inu rescue based out of Illinois. A few years ago, she saw a float for HEART in a local parade and contacted them, becoming involved with the organization.
Visit939Iowa makes tour stops in Allamakee County communities ... University of Nebraska at Omaha students Austin Schneider (yellow t-shirt) and Seth Varner (red t-shirt) made stops in several Allamakee County communities Thursday, August 5 as part of their Visit939Iowa statewide tour of incorporated towns within the state. Within their statewide tour, Varner and Schneider make sure they stop at all of the Freedom Rocks throughout the state, as pictured above in the photo taken by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses at the Allamakee County Freedom Rock located in the Waukon City Park. As pictured in the surrounding photos shared by the traveling pair, their Thursday visit also included New Albin, Waterville, Harpers Ferry and Lansing. Additional photos and a brief history-based synopsis of what they learned about each community they visited can all be viewed on their Visit939Iowa Facebook page.
by Joe Moses
Several Allamakee County communities were early August stops for Visit939Iowa, a statewide tour by University of Nebraska at Omaha students Seth Varner and Austin Schneider. The college pair made stops in Waukon, Waterville, Lansing, New Albin and Harpers Ferry Thursday, August 5 as part of their statewide journey.
Last year, Varner and Schneider traveled throughout Nebraska on what was known as the Visit531Nebraska tour with stops at all 531 incorporated towns and communities over a three-month period during that summer. As part of the Nebraska tour, photos and town-specific details were shared on social media as Varner and Schneider continued their travels across the state, with the creation of a self-published book as a goal. Their book, “Visit531 Nebraska: Our Journey to Every Incorporated Town in the State”, documents their travels and shares photos and fun facts from each community and is available through their website.
Kids helping kids, through Carol’s Closet ... Earlier this summer, the school age children at Sue’s Daycare in Waukon hosted a cupcake and lemonade stand (pictured above) outside the daycare owned and operated by Sue Guyer. Although the overall intention was to just have fun, the youngsters ended up raising $137, so the kids decided they would use the money to give back to the community. The following week the daycare went to Dollar General in Waukon and bought packs of diapers to donate to Carol’s Closet (pictured below) for those in need. Located on Spring Avenue in downtown Waukon, Carol’s Closet is a place to donate new or gently used kids items for newborns to size 16 to be used by anyone in the community that needs a helping hand. Submitted photos.
by David M. Johnson
During the height of the pandemic the public began to experience shortages in items necessary for day-to-day living, and in goods and services available but seemingly out of reach. Communities, private parties, local, state and the federal government tried to fill the void when retail outlets could not respond to the demands to the public’s wants and needs.
This scenario amplified the importance of charities and the many non-profit organizations that already existed in the public domain. At the local level, the non-profit seemed to be better equipped to fill the void that national organizations and the government could not. One such local entity that has that special niche that meets the needs of those who may be a little short on cash due to some unfortunate reason or another is Carol’s Closet.
Despite ultimately fielding one of its youngest teams in recent memory, the Waukon baseball team put together one of its best overall seasons in the past decade during its 2021 campaign. At times, with as many as three each of sophomores and freshmen in its line-up, the diamond Tribe’s 15-16 season record included the program’s most wins in a season and the Indians’ first postseason venture into a district tournament championship game since the 2011 Waukon baseball team played its way to the Class 3A State Tournament.
