Community News

An Operation Christmas Child Party will be held Friday, November 5 at the Farmers and Merchants Savings Bank Community room from 12:30 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to bring new items to be packed in shoe boxes and to help fill the boxes.
Individuals, as well as local church groups or organizations, are invited to participate at any level by donating gifts of volunteer time, praying for the outreach, bringing shoeboxes to the party, bringing items to be packed in the boxes, or sponsoring the shipping of a box with a monetary gift.

by Brianne Eilers

Waukon Lion’s Club President Peggy Iles recently presented funds to area schools in support of their art and milk programs. A check was recently donated to East and West Elementary Schools Principal Ann Hart to use for the afternoon milk program for the students in the lower grades.
There are many students who have been unable to get milk during the afternoon. This is the second year the Lions have helped with funds so all children who want to receive a carton of milk in the afternoon will be able to do so.

Plans are being made for the fifth annual Lighted Holiday Parade in downtown Waukon, scheduled for Monday, November 22, beginning at 6 p.m. The event coincides with extended Monday night business hours of Waukon retailers.
The theme for this year’s parade, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” complements the traditional Christmas Fantasy hosted by Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation each year in Waukon, and will be featured throughout the parade. All entries must be lighted and cannot involve a live version of Santa Claus.

Caring people across the U.S. and a dozen other nations are gearing up for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). Last year, more than eight million shoe boxes were filled with toys and small gifts for delivery to needy boys and girls around the world. Each box enables a child and often an entire family to receive welcome gifts as well as a Gospel message.

by Dwight Jones

Take an ordinary shoe box, wrap it with colorful Christmas paper, fill it with toys and other presents, and the end result is a gift for a child in need of hope and joy. Operation Christmas Child brings these gifts to over 100 countries around the world. Children in desperate situations who are refugees from war, survivors of a natural disaster, or victims of extreme poverty will receive them. The simple gift can show them they are not forgotten while bringing hope and joy.

Rehearsals are underway for the Allamakee Community Players production of the “Bride of Frankenstein Goes Malibu”, a comedy by Tim Kelly. Dr. Frankenstein has moved his household to sunny California, where he hopes to live undetected while searching for the perfect surfer. His seclusion isn’t easy, though, because it is complicated by detectives and visitors from Transylvania filled with all sorts of interesting characters that “funny” describes perfectly. And future generations are not always an improvement.

Major Eric Haler, United States Air Force, is deployed to Gardez, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For the next year, he will be embedded with the Afghanistan National Police, mentoring them on logistic operations.

The third annual Big Pumpkin Contest was held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Sunday, September 27. Top entries in the many contests taking place during the event are listed below:

Big Pumpkin Contest
1. Arne Beneke - 637 lbs.
2. Larry Straate - 636 lbs.
3. Nannette Larson - 603 lbs.
4. Chris Schultz - 603 lbs.
5. Verdine Berns - 472 lbs.
6. Brad Bloxham - 369 lbs.
7. Gary Jones - 283 lbs.
8. Kevin Bublitz - 152 lbs.