News Center newsletter

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering a Ceramic Self-Watering Flower Pot class Tuesday, April 9. The adult class will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, 1220 3rd Avenue NW.

Historians and archaeologists believe the earliest examples of glazed ceramics appear in the world as far back as the 8th century. Class participants can learn this ancient tradition and art, how to apply glaze colors, styles and their own unique imprint on pottery through the glazing process.

Participants can be creative and enjoy uncomplicated artmaking with pottery pieces and numerous glaze colors provided. No experience is necessary and all skill levels are welcome to participate. All supplies will be included.

To register online visit www.nicc.edu/waukon or call NICC Waukon Center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.
 

Steve Murray named Volunteer of the Year at Main Street Lansing Annual Meeting ...
During the Main Street Lansing (MSL) annual meeting Tuesday, March 26, MSL Executive Director Andrew Boddicker announced the 2023 Volunteer of the Year is Steve Murray. In his presentation of the award, Boddicker told attendees that “Steve is not able to join us tonight as he tends to much more important matters and takes care of (his wife) Sarah and his family. But that does not stop us from celebrating and recognizing him even at this difficult time. It is also likely that you all are aware that Sarah is a member of our Main Street Lansing Board, as the ex-officio voting board member representing the School District. The Murray family is an integral part of Main Street, and Steve - as Volunteer of the Year - is what I would call, our ‘on-call’ volunteer. There is almost nothing he isn’t willing to do - I’ve yet to hear him complain or say no to a request.

Join Upper Iowa Audubon Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m. for a program on Bluebirds. The program will be held at the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center, Lansing. Brian Preston, director of Dubuque County Conservation, will be the presenter.

The program will include life history, house placement, management and general information about Bluebirds. Everyone is invited to come and learn how to bring Bluebirds to their own backyard. There will also be Bluebird house kits available.

EASTER PEOPLE

Easter arrives at a wonderful time of year. The earth is coming back to life after winter, crocuses are popping up from the thawing ground and we get a sense of new life abounding. Delight and awe are in the air.

In the church Easter season, we celebrate that new life is also coming to us! Christ is risen and he promises to raise us up as well.

Pope John Paul II once wrote: “We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery - the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. ‘We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!’”

Indeed, we are Easter People. Even in the midst of our struggles, we hold fast to our hope in the resurrection. We can experience joy today in changing times because our joy is rooted in God’s unchanging love.

Planter University improves farmer knowledge and profitability with planters

Planting season varies wildly from year to year and technology is always changing. Cool and wet conditions can dramatically delay planting. When soil conditions are remarkably dry, getting seed in the soil at the correct depth is a challenge. But just as each planting season is different, so too are the decisions for optimizing the planting technology.

Farmers and ag industry professionals who spend a day indoors learning to optimize their machinery for conditions in the field are reaping dividends – for their own operations, their communities, and Iowa. When they participate in Planter University, they consider their time well spent and they anticipate greater planting efficiency and farm profitability.

The Waukon girls golf team continues its recent trend of regrowing the program, as a squad that yielded just one golfer two seasons ago grew to four last spring, and now this season has doubled to eight young ladies reporting for early-season preparation. This season’s roster of eight golfers includes the return of all four of last season’s players that also includes the one golfer who made up the entire team during the 2022 season, with none of this season’s players yet a senior.

“Doubling the team size from last year was a nice surprise,” Waukon girls golf coach Kathy McMillan shared. “Half the team returns as letterwinners that have playing experience. I will have six varsity players and there will be allowance for scoring, as a team score is made up of four out of six scores.”

The Waukon boys golf team will bring back half a dozen players with varsity letterwinning experience from a squad that turned in a winning record of 6-4 in dual meet competition last season. Those six varsity veterans include representation from each eligible grade level, including a trio of seniors, one junior and a pair of sophomores.

“I am looking for consistency in their scores this year,” Waukon boys golf coach Tharin Benson said of his returning varsity leaders. “I am looking for leadership at practice, and a willingness to dedicate time to short-game fundamentals. Also, course management decisions should be improved.”

The 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament is down to its final four teams, and half of them seem to have come as a surprise to this year’s entries in The Standard’s Bracket Challenge contest. None of this year’s entries has all four of those remaining teams listed among its winners at this point in the tournament, and just one entry has three of those four teams selected while 40 entries have two of the final four teams.

Dennis (Denny) James Curtin died March 8, 2024. Denny’s celebration of life will be held at Curtin’s Arena, located at 1747 O’Neill Ridge Road, northwest of Waukon, Saturday, April 6, from 2-6 p.m.

There will be a brief prayer service at 2 p.m. Friends and family are invited to join in honoring and celebrating his life as he lived it, with food, music, and drinks.
 

Marilyn A. Bulman, 90, of Waukon died Sunday, March 31, 2024, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 13 at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ (UCC) in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Saturday at the church.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Zion UCC or Veterans Memorial Hospital, both in Waukon.

Marilyn Adele Bulman was born June 9, 1933, at her grandparents’ home in Rossville, the daughter of Lawrence and Kathryn (Wiedenmann) Ricker. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, where she remained a lifelong member. In 1951, Marilyn graduated from Waukon High School and went to work at the Allamakee County Treasurer’s office.