Community News

Iowa House of Representatives District 56 member Kristi Hager of Waukon met with Veterans from Allamakee County this past week. The group was visiting the Capitol to talk with legislators about veterans issues during Veterans Day on The Hill, Wednesday, January 18, in Des Moines. Pictured above are Representative Hager (far left in back row) and veterans from Allamakee County. Submitted photo.
 

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, January 23 to address various topics. Among those topics were updates and funding requests from county libraries, the Northeast Iowa Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC).

During the Public Comments portion of the meeting, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker discussed the route announcement from the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) that will include an overnight stop in Waukon and the event concluding with a stop in Lansing in late July of this year. Snitker commented that regionally there will be a lot going on with Nordic Fest taking place in Decorah and RAGBRAI traveling through Allamakee County that same weekend.

Robey Memorial Library offers Brown Bag ‘n’ Books: a story time for adults, the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1 p.m.

Patrons are encouraged to bring a lunch and enjoy listening to selected passages from several titles.  Readings will begin at 12:15 p.m. in the lower level Community Room. Selections include fiction and non-fiction titles.

The next scheduled Brown Bag ‘n’ Books program is Wednesday, February 1 at 12 p.m. (readings begin at 12:15 p.m.). Contact Robey Memorial Library with any questions at 563-568-4424 or robeymemorial@waukon.lib.ia.us.
 

For the past 27 consecutive years the doctors and staff of Waukon Dental and Family Dentistry Associates of Monona (the past 23 years at Dental Associates of Prairie du Chien) have been hosting their annual "Have a Heart" Day to provide free dental care to area youth most in need. Area residents are encouraged to participate in this year's "Have a Heart" Day scheduled for Saturday, February 11.

This event is scheduled during the Valentine's season as a community service project to provide services to those in need. The local healthcare providers appreciate the strong support they receive, so, in turn, the doctors look forward to this event each year.

Pie buffet, pie eating and pie judging contests part of the fun

The 2017 Northeast Iowa Pie Championships are scheduled to be held Sunday, January 29 in the community room of Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank in Waukon. The event is in its third year and is being held as a fundraising measure to benefit Veterans of America at the local level.

Activities will begin at 11 a.m., when interested individuals can bring in a pie of their own creation to have judged until 12:30 p.m. The event will also feature a "Pie Buffet" at 1 p.m. where people can pay a $5 fee - $3 for veterans and children - to sample as many of the pies as they wish.

A "Celebrity" Pie Eating Contest will take place at 2 p.m., with local "celebrities" battling for supremacy. The past two champions, Sandy Halverson of S&D Cafe in Waukon from 2015 and Erik Kelly of KNEI Radio from last year, will be back to try and lay claim to another title.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, January 16 to discuss a full agenda of items, including AFLAC Insurance coverage for City employees, a Storm Water Utility Fee and Trenchless Storm Sewer work. There were no public comments heard or written.

Under Departmental Reports, Water and Sewer Superintendent Bob Campbell discussed some problems with an electric panel at the pump house and recommended that an engineer may be needed to create a retrofitted repair in this case, due to the age of this panel and difficulty in finding replacement parts.

The Airport Hangar agenda item was moved up for discussion with Airport Board member Jim Wadsworth present. Wadsworth provided a recommendation that new hangars at the airport should be uniform in building style to improve the airport's appearance. Wadsworth discussed several ideas and policies for improving the airport.

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will host a Table Game Event Saturday, January 21 with games suitable for the whole family. The event will be held from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in the lower level Community Room of the library.

Participants can register for door prizes and play (or learn to play) beginner-friendly, non-competitive, casual table games. A variety of table games are available for ages preschool through adult, including: Apples to Apples, Backgammon, Candy Land, Checkers, Chess, Connect 4, Dixit, Elephant’s Trunk, Exploding Kittens, Gotcha!, Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, Takenoko, Zombie Dice and more.

Participants can also bring their own table game and their own snacks. Children age eight and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult. This is a free program for all ages to enjoy with family, friends or fellow game enthusiasts.

Austin Brink of Waukon had a photograph he entered in the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) "Capture the Heart of America" Photo Contest win the People's Choice Award. Brink's photo, "The Old Wind Mill" (pictured at right), was awarded that honor after receiving the most "likes" by members of the public voting through the SSNHA Facebook page.
Brink's photo was taken in rural Waukon and was entered in the American Farmscapes category of the photo contest. He was awarded a $50 prize in recognition of the honor.

For the first time in its history, there was a tie for Best of Show in the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) Capture the Heart of America Photo Contest. Greg Punelli of Des Moines, with the photo "Show Time," and Willard Sharp of Madrid, with the photo "Moon Lit," tied for Best of Show, with Punelli being awarded Best of Show honors following online voting.

Despite temperatures well below freezing in the single-digit range for the first week of the New Year, a small natural spring that emerged at the corner of West Street and First Avenue SW in Waukon (at the corner of the Waukon State Bank main bank parking lot behind Waukon Greenhouse) following this past year's heavy rains continued to flow, alarming some citizens while causing others to reminisce. City of Waukon Water Superintendent Bob Campbell advised the Waukon City Council at a recent meeting that the high water table remaining after this past year's series of heavy rain events has resulted in the naturally-occurring underground spring finding its way back to the surface. Campbell advised that he had once been told by the Howe brothers who were once caretakers of the Waukon State Bank that the spring location had once served as a watering hole for area horses before the days of motorized vehicles and further development within the Waukon community.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met Tuesday, January 3 in the first regular session of 2017, delayed a day due to observance of the New Year holiday. Among the agenda items discussed were appointments of various City positions and employees, establishing an Airport Capital Improvements Fund and discussion and review of estimates for new City Hall windows.

No comments were made during the Public Comments portion of the meeting. Under Departmental Reports, Water and Sewer Superintendent Bob Campbell discussed the increase in seepage and water flow during rainfalls due to older manhole covers installed in the 1980s. Campbell indicated that there are six to eight manhole covers that may need to be addressed or included with other projects in the future.