The Anderson Busness Family Reunion will be held Sunday, August 11 at the restored barn of Robert and Eunice Kolsrud located at 1275 Gjefle Drive, Waukon. All family members are invited for a potluck dinner to be served at 12:30 p.m. which will include broasted chicken, with plates, cups, utensils and beverages provided.
Those attending are asked to bring a vegetable, salad or dessert to share. Local family members are requested to invite immediate family members residing outside the area.
A short program will follow dinner and will provide an opportunity to share information to update the family history. Those attending should bring a favorite memory or story of an ancestor to share.
The 40-year class reunion for the Waukon High School Class of 1979 is scheduled for Saturday, August 3. The festivities will begin at 2 p.m. with a visit to Empty Nest Winery owned by classmate Dave Kruger and his wife, Pam. The winery is located at 1352 Apple Road, Waukon.
Social hour will be from 5-6 p.m. at Green Valley Getaway, 78 16th Avenue NW, Waukon. The reunion program will begin at 6 p.m., also at Green Valley Getaway. Classmates are welcome to join the festivities for part or all of the day, even after the meal. Several mailed invitations were returned because of out-of-date addresses, so classmates are asked to spread the word.
Those attending are reminded to mail their per person payment for participating to Cheri (Busness) Turner at 303 Second Street NW, Waukon, IA 52172. Those who have further questions may contact Cheri Turner via email at c.turner1160@gmail.com or by phone at 563-568-5357.
The Viroqua High School Class of 1969 50-year Reunion will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, August 10 at Gassers in Viroqua, WI. Classmates interested in attending should contact Chris Hendrickson at chrisser51@gmail.com or by calling 608-444-7986.
This will be an informal event with food and a bar with an assortment of beverages. Individuals who respond will be provided additional information prior to the event. Anyone with contact information about members of the Class of 1969 is asked to pass this reunion information along to them. All assistance is appreciated.
This letter is in response to Mayor Pat Stone’s column in the July 24 issue of The Standard.
As a councilman for Waukon, I have been involved in the monitoring of the developments related to the economic situation with Veterans Memorial Hospital since I took my seat just over a year ago. The hospital is in the midst of a several year financial downturn due to many different factors.
VMH’s financial struggles are not foreign to critical access hospitals. VMH has outperformed other critical access hospitals of similar size and type. That level of hospital is averaging -10% outcomes on their budgets.
Fortunately, the majority of the council (Hatlan, Rausch and Ellingson) has shown a strong commitment to support VMH, its board, and staff through these times of struggle.
As many of you know, I am a city councilman in Waukon, and am very passionate about our community. I spend hours preparing for meetings in an effort to make the best decision on the issues.
It is never easy taking an unpopular stance on any issue, but the one involving the City issuing a warrant for a second renewal of a $750,000 loan was especially difficult. I have neighbors, friends and relatives employed there, all of who are committed to providing us the best care. I want to see the hospital survive.
I have never uttered the words “The hospital must close.”
I’ve been asked why I’m the only one to not vote in favor of the warrant. As a CPA, I have dealt with financial issues daily for my entire career. I believe that committing large sums of money for the third time is not the right financial decision, with no plan in place to provide the best opportunity to survive.
Rarely, in any given situation, is there only one side to a story. “Facts” are often skewed by emotion, history, or simple miscommunication. In light of recent publicity regarding Veterans Memorial Hospital, we would like to offer another point of view.
VMH is not just numbers, cost reports, or profit/loss margins. While these things are important to address, we are so much more than that. VMH has been, and will remain, part of the fabric of this community. It is staffed by dedicated individuals who have, in many instances, made this facility, and the patients we serve, our life’s work. Together we represent hundreds of years of combined experience caring for your loved ones. We have done so on a shoestring budget, so we are very aware of the dollars and cents of being a small rural hospital.
I found it interesting and somewhat ironic that in his July 17 letter to the editor, Lowell Engle described proposals by several Democratic presidential candidates for single-payer health care (Medicare) and reducing student debt as “handouts.” If he had paid attention, he would have learned that the costs of these programs are paid for.
What is not paid for is the huge tax break given to relatively few wealthy people and corporations in the 2018 Tax Bill, creating historic budget deficits and adding over a trillion dollars to our debt. I call that a handout. What happened to the party of fiscal responsibility?
Mr. Engle’s attempt to portray the Democratic Party as not really democratic, but pushing towards “socialism and communism,” is simply a scare tactic to distract us from the fact that the Republican Party has been sabotaged and discredited by those who are driven by profit and power.
by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season. No MCM activities on CRP acres.
June 3 - August 23: CRP Continuous Signup 52
June 17 - Sept. 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
August 1:Last day to file a COC nomination form
Dairy Margin Coverage
Signup for new Dairy Margin Coverage program began June 17 and runs through September 20, 2019. Coverage is retroactive to January.
Coverage levels range from $4 to $9.50 per cwt, in $0.50 increments. Coverage percentage of the dairy operation’s production history ranges from 5 percent to 95 percent, in 5 percent increments. You have the option to receive a 25% discount on your annual premiums if you lock in for five years. You cannot change your coverage if you lock in.
Producers who were prevented from planting conventional crops this past spring may have a head start on going organic
The historically wet spring of 2019 prevented many conventional and organic farmers in Iowa and across the Midwest from planting corn and soybeans.
However, those who ended up planting a cover crop on their prevented planting acres may have an advantage if they want to transition to organic.
“The cover crop year will provide a good opportunity as your first year in the three years of organic transition (T-1; organic certification in 2021),” said Kathleen Delate, professor and extension organic specialist in horticulture and agronomy with Iowa State University.
The extension Farm Financial Planning Program has resources that can help farmers with their numbers
Knowing your numbers is key to the profitability of any farm operation, and whether you’re struggling to make ends meet, or simply looking to improve or do something differently, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has an experienced group of associates and specialists who can help.
The Farm Financial Planning Program with ISU Extension and Outreach offers producers one-on-one financial counseling, a computerized analysis of the farm business, and referrals to other extension programs and outside services that may be useful.
Mark Olsen, one of six trained associates who help administer the program across the state, said more than half of the referrals he gets are from farmers who are struggling financially, especially in this time of tight profit margins.
