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ABOVE: Fourteen of 18 events received I ratings at Individual District Speech Competition in Oelwein this past Saturday, March 5. Pictured is Zach Rethwisch (II Poetry), Mike Houlihan (I Improv.), Asyah Moore (I Literary), Elissa Guider (II Prose), Tonia Weber (I Literary), Emily Libbey (I Prose), Halsey Darling (I Public Address), Jacob Monat (I Radio News and I Spontaneous) and Laura Thomas (I Poetry and II Improv).

His given name was Elvis, but I don't think I ever heard anyone call him that; I don't think anyone would have dared to. He answered to Happy and his prevailing mood was just that, happy.

The Lansing City Council met in regular session Monday, March 7 with a full room a citizens who had their chance to voice opinions later in the meeting.



The first order of business was approving the clerk and treasurer reports, which were approved before the council moved on to the public hearing the the Fiscal Year 2006 budget.

OLD STONE SCHOOL

The following excerpts are exactly as published in that particular issue of the Lansing papers.

75 Years Ago

March 5, 1930

Harpers Ferry

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Meyer returned Tuesday of last week from Escanaba, Mich., where Frank had been supervising work on the Ore Docks, making a very good record. He is enjoying a vacation with pay before resuming his work as general bridge foreman. His duties at present will be on the Dubuque division.

The Waukon girls basketball team suffered an 83-76 overtime loss Tuesday in quarterfinal action of the Class 3A state tournament. The top-rated Indians fell to 14th-ranked MOC-Floyd Valley to end a 52-game win streak that spanned the last two seasons. More details will be found in the March 16 edition of The Standard.

The heads have been counted and the numbers are in. Iowa FFA (Future Farmers of America) membership is at a 21-year high with 12,005 members in 230 high schools across Iowa. This is the highest membership number for the Iowa FFA Association since the 1983-84 school year when membership was set at 11,999. "The increase of our membership is a reflection of the dedication of our agriculture teachers and the appeal of leadership programs pertaining to all facets of the agriculture industry," said Iowa FFA Advisor Dale Gruis.

Local angus breeders, Byrnes Bros. and Richard Bieber & Sons of Waukon, have been recognized nationally by the American Angus Association for having registered Angus cows included in the Association's 2005 Pathfinder Report. Byrnes Bros. was recognized for having eight recognized cows, and Richard Bieber & Sons was recognized for having one such Angus.

Only 2,055 of the more than 34,000 American Angus Association members are represented in this year's report, according to John Crouch, executive vice president of the Association with headquarters in St. Joseph, MO.

Agriculture is a large part of American business, and an equally large part of daily life. Generally, people take for granted how much we rely on farms, livestock and food animals -- and how much work it takes to get you the products you so desire.

If you're curious about some of the statistics involved in the agriculture industry, want to quiz your friends, or provide an interesting topic of conversation with your children, check out these fun agriculture-related numbers:

• 800 - Number of kernels in an average ear of corn

To celebrate National Ag Week, the Allamakee County Farm Bureau is sponsoring a coloring contest for all 3rd and 4th grade students in the county. Agricutural theme coloring sheets will be distributed to area schools on March 14. They will also be available at the Farm Bureau office for home schooled students. A grand prize of ice cream cones and a game "Life on the Farm" will be awarded to the classroom with the best overall entries. A cash prize will be awarded for an individual winner at each school. Winners will be determined on or about March 23.

The “Farm Machinery Management and Economics” seminar previously scheduled for March 8 at the Allamakee County Farm Bureau building has been rescheduled for March 23 from 1 to 3 pm in Waukon.

Machinery management decisions are an important part of the farm business. Sorting out all of the options for acquiring the use of newer machinery can be a challenge. Should a producer own, rent seasonally, lease or share ownership of a single machine or a line of machinery? How can a group of people own machinery together and make it work? What are your current machinery costs?