Viewpoints

This new feature piece, entitled “Waukon Economic Development Ponderings,” is being offered to highlight the intricacies within the Waukon community that may or may not be self-evident but do play a role in the existence and enhancement of the community. The column content will be submitted by Waukon Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Development Coordinator Ardie Kuhse for publication on a consistent basis within The Standard.

I was reminded again a week ago when an out of town visitor stopped by the office to gather some local information. Upon leaving she turned to me and said, “You have a pretty downtown”. I thanked her and as I thought about it, I stood and took a long, hard look downtown.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I take eight medications each day. Some of the prescribed drugs replace, for various reasons, other drugs I have taken over the past 23 years.

I try to keep up with current things. I read a couple daily papers and listen to a couple radio and television news shows each day. But I must have missed something.

I cannot imagine why the Iowa Legislature is being asked to “approve” the use of medical cannabis. I sincerely doubt if the Iowa legislature was asked to approve any of the dozen or more drugs I have taken. I guess I assumed that the way a drug got on the market includes all or some combination of laboratory research, perhaps animal testing, field testing, Center for Disease Control or Food and Drug Administration approval, drug company sales agents or medical association information being made available to prescribers, and notice to pharmacies.

“Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of your redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven you.
–– Ephesians 4: 29-32

If you are like me you maybe can’t wait for November 8th to come and go so that we can move on, no matter the outcome.  But in the meantime, it’s important to remember that while public discussion of political issues has the potential to bring out the best in us by surfacing creative new ideas or developing effective problem-solving strategies more often than not in our public dialogue about the issues of the day, the opposite seems to be happening.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that Shakespeare wrote (I am paraphrasing because I am too lazy to look it up) something to the effect that expectations often prove wrong, most often when most certain.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette each Saturday calls on half a dozen “experts” to predict the winners of some football games and the final score. With one exception, the experts are sports writers, which qualifies them as experts. I know, because I was one for 17 years. (Pause for chuckle).

The morning of the Iowa-Minnesota game, all but one of them picked Minnesota. The one who did not was the only female and only non-expert.

So the Bard was proven right once again.

Thing is, I tended to agree with the majority.

I remember a friend of mine telling me several years ago that their children were not going to celebrate Halloween. He was sure that dressing up in scary costumes and going door to door demanding treats to prevent having tricks played on the homeowner was an obvious form of satanic worship, or at least a way of enticing children to the dark forces of this world.

My children did go trick-or-treating despite the warning of my friend and as of yet have not shown signs of abandoning their faith. In fact it has made for some interesting insight into the early opposition to Christianity.

Each year as I greet the many trick-or-treaters, I consider how each costume reminds me of those stretched truths and some outright lies about Christians in the early days of the church. Some monsters like demons or the Devil are very strait forward in what they represent, but then there are those other so-called monsters.

To the Editor:

Our downtown Waukon street crosswalks have a new addition!

The pedestrian crossing signs that were recently placed into the street crosswalks are already making a difference. Cars are stopping for pedestrians, which is required by Iowa Code 321.327 Pedestrians’ Right of Way.

It’s time for those who are driving at the full speed limit, as they approach a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, to think again and stop.

The pedestrian crossing sign is the reminder that drivers are required to stop and yield to the pedestrian in the marked crosswalk. A person convicted of a violation of this code is guilty of a simple misdemeanor.

Many thanks to those in our city who have taken a long-awaited, positive step towards giving Waukon a chance to become a pedestrian friendly community.

Maura Jones
Waukon

To the Editor:

If you are a citizen of the United States, the United States is your home. Therefore, if a nation is home to its citizens, what goes for the nation ultimately goes for the homes where citizens live and all property they own.

The United States has been known as the melting pot, a nation where people from other nations are welcome. People from elsewhere are weleome to come and visit. They are welcome to come and live provided they abide by the guidelines that have been set and eventually learn the language of the land. In all reality, if they do not abide by these guidelines and learn the language of the land, this nation is not their nation or home. They need to return to their nation or enter by way of the guidelines that have been set in order to stay and call this nation their home.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I was disappointed to learn that the Iowa-Northwestern football game was televised on a sports channel that I do not receive.

So, I listened to radio, and as the game wore on, I was thankful that I did not have to witness the inept Iowa team as it lost.

In fact, I had the TV tuned to the Ryder Cup golf event, because it was entertaining even with the sound turned off. Reading the papers the next morning, I guess I should be thankful I had the sound muted, because the fans up there in Minnesota apparently behaved very badly toward the European visitors. I witnessed a little of that as I watched the U.S. team win back the cup Sunday afternoon.

Since Tiger Woods in particular, but a little bit with Arnie Palmer before that, it has become obvious that a lot of people who follow the pro tour are not golf fans, but sports fans.

To the Editor:

Well, I almost “met my Maker” yesterday in downtown Waukon.

I parked my vehicle in front of Waukon State Bank, walked on the sidewalk to the corner, intending to cross Main Street to Hartig Drug. After taking a few steps on the painted crosswalk, a dark gray pickup truck came speeding from the west and nearly knocked me off my feet.

Our eyes met so I know he saw me. He actually should have slowed up long before getting to the crosswalk because he turned south on West Street directly east of the bank building.

On the crosswalk was a bright yellow pedestrian crossing sign, which should be noticeable to drivers. I was always taught that pedestrians crossing on a crosswalk have the right-of-way.

Obviously, this driver doesn’t know this law. Perhaps he should check with the Iowa DOT or maybe the County Treasurer’s office for information on this issue.

To the Editor:

I’m struggling this election season to keep a positive spirit. Politicians have decided campaigns are won by trashing one’s opponent rather than practical proposals.

This seems less so for local contests where we know the candidates personally. For me, that seems a happier place to focus my patriotism. However, even here I get brochures with one side depicting a candidate in glorious smiling Technicolor, flags waving in the background. On the opposite side, the opponent’s picture in sour macabre smudged grays complete with nasty warnings.

If you get one of those campaign advertisements, beware. If you believe either side, you are being manipulated. Often such brochures are produced by a state party or some political action special interest group. This might urge you to vote the maligned candidate as having the most integrity.