News Center newsletter

The 10th Hour Middle School summer program in the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) had many adventures during the month of June. The first week was filled with information from Beth Shafer as she presented the students with experiences of being a pilot and ended with a visit to the Waukon Airport, as pictured in the photo at center. The students climbed aboard two different planes belonging to local pilots Jim Wadsworth and Richard Loven, who taught the students “all there is to know about flying”.

The program’s first field trip was to the “Go Free Escape Room” in Cedar Rapids where the students had to solve mysteries of the missing Ancient Egyptian Amulet. The group continued with the Egyptian theme throughout the rest of the month by making mummies, a sarcophagus, pyramids, hieroglyphics, a death mask and painted Egyptian Gods.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) has been participating in the Free Summer Food Service Program again this year, and its final offering for this year of those free breakfast and lunch meals will begin Monday, August 5. Menus for those final August dates accompany this article (both printed at right). Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all children ages one through this past spring’s graduating seniors at no charge and are the same for all children, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis at the sites and times as follows:

• Waukon Middle School Cafeteria: Mondays-Fridays, August 5-16. Breakfast will be served from 8-9 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering an “Intro to Welding” class series which will meet each Saturday in September, September 7, 14, 21 and 28, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Waukon High School.

With the skills learned in this 16-hour class, those attending will understand safe welding practices, become familiar with welding equipment, use basic measuring tools, and learn to weld from different positions. Once they have learned those basic skills, they’ll have dedicated time to do a welding project of their choice - anything from a farm or home project to an art piece - with steel that they, themselves, provide.

Project size is limited and must be approved by the instructor at the first class. The registration deadline is August 23.

The Harpers Ferry Fireflies traveled to Lawrence, KS for the 2019 Granny Basketball National Tournament the weekend of July 20. Sixteen teams entered the tournament, including the Sizzlers and Late Bloomers from Cedar Rapids, the Classic Roadrunners and Lady Redbirds from Des Moines, Manor Care Cuties from Dubuque, the Gray Tornadoes and Grayhawkers from Lawrence, KS, the Sunflowers/Meadowlarks from Olathe, KS, the Crushers from DeRidder, LA, the Specials from Oklahoma City, OK, the Twisters from Del City, OK, the Show Me Shooters from Jefferson City, MO, the Fire Ants from Georgetown, TX, the Old Glories from Harker Heights, TX and the Tonics from Louisburg, KS.

There will be  a cross country camp Monday through Friday, August 5-9 for boys and girls entering grades 7-12 in the Allamakee Community School District. As always, there is no fee for the camp, which will start at 6 p.m. at the Waukon High School cross country course.

Boys and girls entering seventh grade will need to have their completed physical form turned in to the junior high office, or they must bring them to camp, before they will be allowed to participate. All other grades can use their physical exam from the last school year for camp. Participants should bring a completed registration form to the first day of camp, August 5.
 

The Waukon High School and Middle School football coaching staffs will be hosting the 2019 Waukon Indian Middle School Football Camp August 13-15. The camp, run by the Waukon football coaching staffs with help from high school players, is a non-contact camp aimed at teaching the fundamentals of football offensive and defensive play.

Participants should plan to attend camp in shorts and a t-shirt, and should bring football cleats. Camp will take place at the middle school practice football field west of the Waukon High School parking lot.

After packing a full lifetime of living into 52 short years, Kevin Joel Haas passed away peacefully at his home in Caledonia, MN surrounded by his family July 28, 2019. Funeral services were held Friday, August 2 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with Pastor Steven Meyer officiating.

Kevin was born February 4, 1967 in Iowa City to Earl and Beverly (Scheffert) Haas. He grew up in Waukon and graduated from Waukon Senior High School in 1985. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon. He never missed a day of Sunday School and even received an award for that achievement. Having spent so much time in church during his childhood, he was able to use his weekends for many other endeavors as an adult.

Margaret A. Reisner, 90, of Waukon died Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at Western Home Communities-Nation Cottage in Cedar Falls. Memorial services will be held Monday, August 5 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Inurnment will be at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Ft. Atkinson. Friends may call one hour before services Monday at the church.

Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. Cards and memorials can be sent to her daughter, Sue Armbrecht, 4120 Daina Drive, Cedar Falls, IA 50613.

Margaret Ann Reisner was born October 13, 1928 in Decorah, the daughter of Gregory and Clara (Busness) Becker. She graduated from Calmar High School, received her Teaching Certificate from UNI in 1948, and received her BA degree in Elementary Education in 1973 from Upper Iowa University in Fayette.

Edward Helgeson, age 81, of Decorah died Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at his home in Decorah. Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah Monday, July 29 with Rev. Donald Hertges officiating. Interment was at St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery, Decorah.

Edward Elmer Helgeson was born August 14, 1937, the son of Elmer and Mary (Burroughs) Helgeson near Dorchester. He attended country school in Pleasant Township where his mother, Mary, was the teacher. He graduated from Decorah High School.

He was married to Janice Nesset and together they had five children, Sharyl, Joe, Jeff, John and Jim. They later divorced. He married Theresa Howe May 28, 1988 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Ed worked at Calmar Manufacturing for many years and had various other jobs before that. He enjoyed fishing, wood working in his shop at home, antique cars and spending time with his friends and family.

Morgan Van Ruler and Austin Troendle, both of Waukon, have each been awarded a $3,500 scholarship from the Iowa Hospital Association Education and Research Foundation (IHERF,) which is supported by the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA).

Van Ruler is currently studying nursing at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI, and Troendle will soon be completing his doctorate degree in Physical Therapy at Clarke University in Dubuque.

IHA established the IHERF Health Care Careers Scholarship Program in 2004 to help address the ongoing shortage of health care professionals and encourage young Iowans to establish or continue their careers with Iowa hospitals. The first scholarships were awarded in 2005 and now more than 450 students have benefited from the program.