Community News

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 6 to discuss a full agenda of items including the Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2018 City Budget, the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) and the Fiscal Year 2016 Audit conducted by Hacker, Nelson & Co. P.C.

Mayor Duane DeWalle called the meeting to order with the approval of the agenda and minutes from February 21, 2017. The Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2018 City Annual Budget was opened without written or verbal comment and approved by the Council. During the Public Comments portion of the meeting, Jim Allison of Waukon discussed the need for a street light in his neighborhood near Fourth Avenue and Fifth Street SW.

The 4-H program provides youth opportunities to impact their personal lives, community, country and world, objectives also spoken through the 4-H Pledge. The regional 4-H citizenship group met Sunday, February 19 to hear directly from a 4-H alumnus who has impacted a multitude of people through his work in the analytical division of intelligence to assist operations through the United States Defense Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The group welcomed Lowell Engle, retired contractor with the CIA and Crypt Analyst with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Lowell grew up as a 4-H member in Bremer County. He was recruited as a college student into the intelligence field and worked 42 years in 48 countries for the Defense Department before retiring in 1991 to return back to an Iowa life of farming. Shortly after, he was contracted again to set up an operations center and found himself working for several more years.

The Northeast Iowa Council, Boy Scouts of America recognized 46 scouts who earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2016 at a brunch at the Grand River Center in Dubuque Sunday, February 19, where keynote speaker was U.S. Army Major Clayton Degenhardt. Scouts from Waukon's Troop 64 recognized with the Class of 2016 Eagle Scouts are pictured above with Scoutmaster John Troendle (far left) and include, left to right, Jacob Dougherty, Adam Hansen, Dolan Jones, Tyler O'Neill and Kyle Gordon. The Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and Law, service and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads and manages.

Paul Cienfuegos, a nationally known community rights educator, will lead a discussion with northeast Iowans interested in protecting the health and beauty of the region at a gathering Tuesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at Fiesta Vallarta in Waukon.

“Anyone interested in learning more about what we can do to protect our rights to a healthy community are welcome to gather at 6:30 p.m. at Fiesta Vallarta. Formal discussion will begin at 7 p.m.,” said event co-organizer Mary Klauke Abbas. “Cienfuegos has been a leading educator and organizer in the Community Rights approach to dismantling corporate power in many successful local endeavors across the nation. He can explain how corporations have come to claim the protections of the Constitution for themselves, often to the detriment of local people, and how we, the people of a local community, can protect ourselves from corporate power.”

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Tuesday, February 21 as a result of the President's Day holiday falling on its usual meeting night of Monday. The Council discussed a full agenda of items, including the repair or replacement of City Hall windows, the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) and the review of Town & Country Sanitation's new contract options.

A Public Hearing was opened for an Amendment to the TIF District, which City Attorney Jim Garrett clarified as being an amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan to include the proposed Waukon Police Station facility, not to exceed $500,000. There were no written or verbal comments from the public and the hearing was closed.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Allamakee County received a $2,000 Working Here Fund grant for a new 4-H food stand proposed for construction at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund. The food stand will offer meal options for fair attendees and will give the 4-H youth an opportunity to communicate with the community and raise funds to support 4-H programs. Pictured above at the grant presentation are Allamakee 4-H County Council Co-President Erika Johnson, ISU Extension and Outreach Allamakee County Youth Coordinator Morgan Bjerke, Farm Credit Service Representative and Allamakee County native Janet Adam, and Allamakee 4-H County Council Co-President Miranda Reinhardt.

The Waukon Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its Annual Banquet this Friday, February 24 at the Waukon Banquet Center. The Chamber will be awarding nominees from the community for Business of the Year and Person of the Year honors. Awards will also be distributed to honor businesses and organizations for their Years of Service to the community for those celebrating a five-year increment anniversary.

The doors will open for the event at 5:30 p.m., with awards being distributed at 6:30 p.m. and the meal to follow. This year’s banquet will be catered by Schulte's BBQ & Catering and they will be serving charcoal cooked beef and pork loin, along with all the sides.
Anyone with further questions about the event should contact Waukon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stephanie Dugan at 563-568-4110 or by email at waukoncc@mchsi.com.
 

At the February 6, 2017 Waukon City Council meeting, representatives from Alliant Energy were present to answer questions and address concerns relating to the installation of green utility/transformer boxes  in the boulevard in front of customers' homes or in yards, as necessary. Alliant Energy's representatives indicated that this would be done at no charge to customers and would improve service reliability.

Justin Foss, Senior Marketing and Communications Partner with Alliant Energy, recently provided additional information and clarification on this project. Foss indicated that Alliant Energy repairs and replaces a portion of its power grid on a yearly basis and advised that sections of Waukon have been targeted for that transition this year due to the amount of trees within the city.

Southcrest Manor II in Waukon is managed by Allamakee Housing. Health services are provided by Northgate Care Center, who recognized all the tenants of the facility who are 90 years of age and older at a Valentine’s Day celebration at Southcrest Manor II. Pictured above are: Front row - Left to right: Julie Peters, Jean O’Hare and Esther Ward. Back row: Marjorie Held and Betty Christensen. Submitted photo.
 

The company known as ITC Midwest (International Transmission Company), with over 7,000 miles of transmission lines in the Midwest states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, plays a major role in the economy of northeast Iowa. Thursday, January 26, ITC made a substantial donation to the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center being constructed in Lansing. Pictured above, left to right, Allamakee County Conservation Foundation campaign co-chair John Verdon, Allamakee County Conservation Assistant Director Jarrod Olson and Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett accept a $3,000 donation check for the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center from ITC regional representatives Lori Broghammer and Dan Hagen.