Community News

by Brianne Eilers

Allamakee County 4-H’ers embarked on a new challenge recently. The 4-H Food Challenge was held April 21 at the Allamakee County Farm Bureau Building in Waukon.  “The 4-H Food Challenge was created to encourage 4-H’ers to explore multiple baking and cooking options, learn menu planning, and place setting skills,” stated Kris Fahey, Allamakee County 4-H Youth Coordinator. “In the past, 4-H’ers have been limited to exhibiting food items at the fair that do not require refrigeration. Now, the 4-H Food Challenge event opens the door to more baking and cooking opportunities.”

The Open House Galleria Event held at the newly-remodeled Mosaic office at 12 East Main Street in Waukon Thursday, March 29 was deemed a great success and fun for many local residents, staff and clients. Mosaic is a non-profit agency that delivers various services for residents with intellectual disabilities, and has operated in the northeast Iowa area for more than 25 years. In addition to the newly-remodeled office space, the Open House also featured an art galleria that displayed the work and various art projects (pictured) of Mosaic clients and staff over the years. Submitted photo.

Robey Memorial Library Expansion Project Capital Campaign Co-Chairs Ken Olson, MD and Will Ament have announced that gifts and pledges to the fundraising campaign have topped the one million dollar mark. “We really want to thank everyone in the Robey Memorial Library service area who has made a pledge and gift to this campaign,” said Ament. “Your generosity has now raised over $1 million, which is over 70% of our campaign minimum goal of $1.4 million.

Library patrons have anytime, anywhere access to a dynamic collection of digital audio books and eBooks through the library service NEIBORS, the North Eastern Iowa Bridge to Online Resource Sharing.
Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will be offering two NEIBORS Training sessions Thursday, April 26, at either 10:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. Area patrons are invited to learn how to check-out audio books and eBooks on their own eBook device, audio device or smartphone using their Robey Memorial Library card.

Volunteers and community leaders in Waukon are preparing to plant trees that will provide more shade, save energy and beautify the community through the statewide Trees Forever effort, along with Black Hills Energy's Power of Trees program and the Branching Out program by Alliant Energy.
The Waukon Trees Forever Chapter was awarded a $2,000 grant from the Power of Trees program and a $2,500 grant from the Branching Out program to plant trees in Waukon. That annual tree planting event is scheduled for April 28 (see additional information in shaded box accompanying this article).

Plans are currently underway for Waukon High School's 2012 Prom to be held April 28. Anyone interested in helping with the Post Prom celebration this year is asked to call Gail Prestemon at 563-568-3451 or 563-535-7448, or Karen Stamper at 563-568-6172.

Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors President Dave Herold has announced the hiring of the Chamber’s new full-time Executive Director, Stephanie Dugan. “The Chamber Board is very excited to have Stephanie as our new Director,” Herold said. “She brings a lot of enthusiasm and new ideas to the position. She’s very vibrant and eager to do the job.”
A meet-and-greet event has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 2 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Chamber Office, 101 West Main Street in Waukon, so that area residents can get acquainted with Dugan.

Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) hosted a meeting at the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank in Waukon Tuesday, March 20 to share information about efforts to promote the Driftless Area Scenic Byway and to seek input from Byway communities located along the 100-mile route.

The Big Pumpkin Contest will be celebrating its fifth season this fall and is scheduled to take place September 30 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. Entry deadline for those wishing to participate in the contest has been set for May 15. There are limited seeds available for this year's contest, and the registration fee to enter a pumpkin in the contest also includes two meal tickets for the event.
Further details about this year's contest, as well as the Pork Loin Cook-Off and Pumpkin Bake-Off competitions, will be released at a later date.