Community News

by Dwight Jones

Larry Stott, Waukon's East Elementary School sixth grade Science and Math teacher, is the 2011 recipient of the Brass Bluegill Award. Stott has established an outstanding local program that exemplifies the goals of Fish Iowa! Each year the Department of Natural Resource’s Aquatic Education Program honors an individual for his or her efforts in helping Iowa’s youth become skilled anglers and advocates of fishing and natural resources conservation.

The Allamakee County Fair Board is seeking applicants for the 2011 Allamakee County Fair Queen contest, with this year's fair running July 20-24.
The contest will run similarly to that of the Iowa State Fair Queen Contest. Each girl will dress appropriately and either give a presentation on highlights of her Allamakee County Fair experience or perform a talent, in addition to being involved in various events sponsored by the Fair Board.

The family and friends of Terrell Baumler, son of Kenny and Jan Baumler of Waukon, will be hosting a Celebration Walk Saturday, June 18 at the Waukon Wellness Center in honor of the pre-teenager’s 10-year battle with cancer. The walk will take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Center, and in special honor of the event, members of Brenda’s School of Dance are making green tutus to wear for the event celebrating their dance classmate’s successful but ongoing battle.

HAWC Partnerships for Children, Allamakee CPC and Community Circle of Care are sponsoring a Mental Health First Aid training scheduled for July 14-15 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. The training will be held at the Robey Memorial Library located at 401 First Avenue NW in Waukon. This training is free and it is open to the public.

Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) is warning area businesses that a company named Hometown Productions is sending out letters and calling local businesses soliciting them to advertise in a map of the City of Waukon and Allamakee County. This company is stating that Allamakee County Economic Development/Waukon Economic Development Corporation/Waukon Chamber of Commerce is creating this map.

Neither rainy weather nor a 26.2-mile trek were daunting enough to keep sisters Laurie Martin of Waukon and Mary Schell of Champaign, IL from taking part in the We Walk! Marathon event held on the Lake Wobegon Regional Trail between Melrose and St. Joseph, MN Saturday, May 21. The sister tandem completed the 26.2-mile walking-only marathon in just over seven and one-half hours.

Allamakee County Emergency Management (ACEM) is exploring the option of starting a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) in Allamakee County. Informational meetings are currently being conducted throughout the next two weeks in Waukon, Postville, Lansing, and Harpers Ferry.
"Essentially, this is a team of citizens that want to help before, during, and after a disaster," ACEM Coordinator Chris Dahlstrom explained. "We are telling them to take care of your home and family, take care of any work requirements and then if you want to help, come and join us."

by Brianne Eilers

Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health, in partnership with Hillcrest Wellness Center of Dubuque, has been granted funding to plan and implement a new crisis stabilization pilot project in northeast Iowa. According to Executive Director Robert Thacker, the goal of the project is to reduce involuntary court commitments for mental health and substance abuse crisis in rural areas of the state and reduce the associated trauma to the individuals in crisis.