River Valley

by B.J. Tomlinson

A busy and noisy day is in store for everyone in Ferryville, WI Saturday, July 26 during the annual River Bluff Days celebration. The day begins at 9 a.m. with Market in the Park featuring Amish goods, produce and a variety of products in Sugar Creek Park.
Also at 9 a.m., many antique tractors will be arriving at the Ferryville Community Center to register for the antique tractor pull. At noon, the 8th Annual Antique Tractor Pull begins for all to enjoy. To register for the Antique Tractor Pull, go to www.ferryvilletractor.com. The Antique Tractor Pull is hosted and organized by the Ferryville Antique Tractor Association. Raffle tickets are on sale now and drawings for a 55-inch Toshiba LCD TV, Rugar 30 06 Rifle with Bushnell Scope, and cash prizes of $250, $100, $75 & $25 in the afternoon at the event.

A summer hike to Sugar Creek Bluff is a new addition this year to the annual River Bluff Daze celebration in Ferryville, WI July 26.  This hike will be co-sponsored with Mississippi Valley Conservancy as part of the Linked to the Land series and is sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System-Fransciscan Healthcare of LaCrosse, WI. Participants should meet at the Ferryville Boat Landing on the north end of town. Access is from Market Street at the south end of the Cheapo Depot building. Treats and instructions will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. and then everyone will carpool to the trailhead off North Buck Creek Road.

Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library will be presenting “Our Irish Heritage,” part of the library’s “Lansing’s Roots” series, Thursday, July 17 beginning at 7 p.m. Locally raised historian and author Hugh Conway will share stories about growing up on the farm and his Irish heritage. Conway grew up on a ridge-top farm in Lafayette Township near the Wexford. He contributes a monthly column to The Standard entitled “Wexford Wanderings.”
A program planned for August 14 will focus on the myths and questions about what happened to Chief Black Hawk after the Battle of Bad Axe north of Lansing.

Due to high water and safety concerns, the Friends of Pool 9 Board of Directors has decided to cancel the annual Mississippi River Adventure Day (MRAD) this year. However, the Board has planned an alternative experience for the kids and adult chaperones who signed up for the MRAD event.
Friends of Pool 9 will be offering a trip to the Dubuque River History Museum Tuesday, July 15, all expenses paid, including the charter bus, entrance fees, and lunch for the children and their parents.
The group plans to meet the Sports Complex in Lansing at 8 a.m. to board the charter bus. The trip to Dubuque will take about two hours. After a tour of the museum and lunch, the group will get back on the bus and return to Lansing at around 4 p.m.
Hopefully the river will be more friendly for the Mississippi River Adventure Day next year.

by B.J. Tomlinson

One of the wettest months of June ever recorded in Iowa is still impacting area rivers in July, as the main channel of the Mississippi River at Lansing received very little boat traffic on what normally would be a very busy river weekend during the recent Fourth of July holiday. The photo above taken Friday, July 4 gives some indication of how high the river levels have risen, as the sandbars located due east of the City of Lansing Marina (shown in the photo foreground) and typically very populated during the Fourth of July were nowhere to be found during this past holiday weekend. Although no flooding of the Mississippi River has been reported at Lansing, the National Weather Service reports that the river did reach a crest of nearly 16.5' on the Fourth of July, about six inches shy of the river's minor flooding stage at Lansing.

Day camps being offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Allamakee County could provide a way for those kids looking for summer activity to hang out with friends, learn new things and experience new opportunities.
Allamakee County summer day camps provide a learning experience in a safe environment with professional staff. Camp curriculum draw on the knowledge base of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the 4-H program with a century of experience in positive youth development.
Day camps have a small registration fee due one week before camp. Camp participants will need to bring a sack lunch, water bottle, a hat, bug spray and wear casual comfortable clothes and sunscreen. Space is limited, so camp participants are encouraged to register early.

“We need more little people to apply for this great day on the river,” said Freinds of Pool 9 President Bruce ReVoir. There are still openings for kids to have a day of adventure and learning from professionals during the Mississippi River Adventure Day (MRAD) sponsored by Friends of Pool 9. The day of the event is July 15 and all costs for the day are paid by Friends of Pool 9. Kids (ages 5-13) and parents will meet at the Lansing baseball diamond at 8 a.m. for check-in and instructions. They will board one of the Mississippi Explorer vessels and be transported to the beach area north of Lansing. Planned activities (based on age level) include visiting an eagle nest site, pollywogging for clams, collecting river invertebrates, seining for fish, canoeing and searching for buried treasures (these last two are planned for the 9-13 age group only).  Professionals from area agencies will be leading the activities. Lunch will be provided for all kids and parents at the beach.

by B.J. Tomlinson