Community News

Voters in the City of Waukon returned to the polls Tuesday, December 5 to ultimately decide which of two candidates would be elected to the Waukon City Council At-Large seat initially contested in this year’s City/School election November 7. Andrew Sires, the incumbent candidate in that race, and one of two challengers on that November 7 ballot, Nicholas Engrav, faced off in a run-off election held December 5, with Engrav receiving 193 votes and Sires collecting 100 votes to give Engrav the election win.

The run-off election was required following Sires and Engrav each joining additional challenger Jean Brink in receiving approximately one-third of the votes cast in that November 7 election. With Waukon City Code requiring that a candidate receive a 50%-plus one majority of the vote in order to win the election, the top two vote getters in such a multiple-candidate situation then square off against one another in a run-off election to determine the winner.

Saturday, December 16 at 10 a.m., the Allamakee County Veterans Museum will honor World War II veterans by presenting a video program in the Veterans Museum located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon.

A video interview filmed in 2006 by staff from the Five Sullivans Museum in Waterloo with U.S. Navy veteran Calvin Snitker will be played. Snitker served in the Navy as a storekeeper in the Pacific Theatre during WWII.

Family members have been invited to attend, and the public is also invited. There is no admission or membership charge. The facility is handicapped accessible.

The Veterans Museum will repeat any of its veteran interview videos for those who were unable to attend the original presentation, either by appointment or any Saturday morning when no new programing is scheduled.
 

November 14, Corner of Hope celebrated another successful year with its annual Harvest Celebration/Appreciation Dinner. In spite of often extreme growing conditions this year, northeast Iowa was blessed with another prosperous growing season.

Harvest on the Sweeney land was recently completed. Special thanks goes to Adam Quandahl for all his work with harvesting and trucking. The committee would like to especially recognize Jerry, Joe and Jan Sweeney for their many years of participation as land owners. The Sweeney brothers have been affiliated with the Corner of Hope since just a few years after its inception in 2005, and continue to be good stewards of the land. Pictured above (left to right) is Jan Sweeney with fellow Corner of Hope member Dennis Byrnes.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, December 11 to address a full agenda of matters including the Canvass of the December 5 Waukon City Council At-Large Run-Off Election Results, consideration of an extension request for the County Facade Improvement Grant Program, and an update and membership dues request by Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Mark Reiser present.

Sunday, December 17, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing will be hosting a worship celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of the ordination of their pastor, the Reverend Laura Gentry. She began serving their congregation when she was called in 2001.

Pastor Gentry’s ordination into the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America took place at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Guttenberg in December of 1998. After earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in the area of worship and the arts at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA and being approved for ordination by her candidacy committee in Montana, her first call came from American Lutheran Church in Burbank, CA. Rather than have the ordination in California, she chose to hold it at her grandmother’s church in Iowa so that extended family could attend.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, December 4 to address a full agenda of matters including changing city council meeting dates in January, hiring a police officer and discussion of funding for the City Facade Improvement Grant Program.

Mayor Arvid Hatlan called the meeting to order. There was no public comment during that alloted time with the meeting moving into Department Reports.

Robey Memorial Library Director Cate St. Clair encouraged children and families to participate in the Main Street Story Walk which continues in December. St. Claire noted that copies of the book “Winter is Here” by Kevin Henkes are available for free at the library to children that complete the Main Street Story Walk, with this being made possible through a donation by the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation.

written by Ellen Modersohn and submitted by Northeast Iowa RSVP

On a mild day in early November Jerrine Osenga sprinkled some Smooth Blue Aster seeds into the Decorah Prairie Butterfly Garden on the city’s west side. She had harvested them from another city park.

“We can always use more asters,” she said. A butterfly garden needs diversity of plants and colors, and blue can be a rare hue among wildflowers.

Jerrine, known as Jerri, has been looking out for the well-being of the garden for the past dozen years. She is one of many volunteers over the past 23 years who have indulged their passion for prairie plants to keep this Upper Iowa River-side acreage thriving.

This year’s Holiday Parade in Waukon has been scheduled for Saturday, December 9, beginning at 6 p.m. Anyone from the general public, business community, or any school or community organization is invited to decorate any vehicle, float, side-by-side or other creative avenue with lights and participate in the parade as it travels through Waukon by a different route this year.

Registered entries will be eligible to win a prize in one of the following three categories: Most Effective Use of Lights; Best Religious Theme; or Best Decorated Animal Entry. It is asked that no parade entries use a live Santa Claus, as he will be making his own appearance in this year’s parade.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, November 27 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of the 2024 Holiday Schedule for County Offices, discussion of collective bargaining relating to union negotiations, and consideration of ending the probationary period and approving a wage increase for an employee in the County Auditor’s office.

The meeting was called to order by Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present. There was no Public Comment during the time allotted for that agenda item.

Robey Memorial Library and The Oneota Valley Literary Foundation have partnered to host Main Street Story Walk in November and December in Waukon featuring the children’s story “Winter is here” by Kevin Henkes. Families are encouraged to read this story as they stroll the downtown area of Waukon. Six selected businesses have a portion of the story posted in the front window of their establishment for viewing from the sidewalk. Each stop along the story walk will direct readers to the next location. Selected businesses for this latest Main Street Story Walk are all located on West Main Street at the following locations also labeled above: 1. KNEI Radio Station; 2. Teslow’s Formal Wear; 3. Waukon State Bank; 4. Main Feature Theater, labeled above as Wolfpack Theater Company; 5. Howards Home Furnishings; and 6. Wax by Amber. Submitted image.