Community News

by Brianne Eilers

The month of November ended with a small profit of $2,641 at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon. According to statistics shared at the hospital's recent Board of Trustees meeting, acute patient days were down 10.4% and skilled days were up 27.1% at the hospital.

“After December, I would guess that it will be the first time in the history of this place that we have more skilled (patient) days than acute (patient) days,” VMH Administrator Mike Myers said.

He noted that statewide and nationwide, inpatient volumes are dropping. “You have to be really sick to be in (the hospital), and they (hospital staff) work really hard to get you out,” he added.

The Waukon Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from community residents for awards to be distributed at the Chamber's annual meeting scheduled for Friday, February 24. Those awards include Years of Service, Business of the Year and Person of the Year honors within the Waukon community. The Chamber will bestow those honors upon more than one individual/group or local business fitting the following award criteria:

Years of Service Awards
Businesses celebrating an anniversary of five-year increments (five, 10, 15, 20 years, etc.) in 2017 will be recognized with Years of Service Awards.

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) is now accepting grant applications for 2017. The application is completely online and will be available at the Foundation’s website, www.dbqfoundation.org/accf. Applications are due February 1 at midnight.

Nonprofit organizations can apply for grants from the ACCF for projects or programs that address significant community issues and benefit a broad spectrum of the community. Projects must be in Allamakee County.

The ACCF awards grants in the areas of Health and Human Services; Education; Neighborhoods and Community Development; Environment; Children, Youth and Families; and Arts and Culture, including historic preservation. Preference is given to projects that:

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) will be hosting two First Day Hikes January 1 of the New Year, at Yellow River State Forest at 10 a.m. and at Pikes Peak State Park at 1 p.m. Hikers are asked to meet at the Forest Headquarters at 729 State Forest Road, Harpers Ferry at 10 a.m. or at the main shelter of Pikes Peak State Park at 1 p.m.

Participants are reminded to dress appropriately for the weather and conditions. If needed, snowshoes and trekking poles will be provided free of charge, but participants may bring their own.

First Day Hikes are a nationwide initiative held in state and local parks. In 2016 nearly 28,000 hikers hiked 66,000 miles January 1 in an effort to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. The hike will be led on designated trails by experienced staff of the Iowa DNR and the ACCB. No hiking experience is necessary and families are encouraged to attend.

In Allamakee County five people are superheroes to a local youth. This January, Helping Services for Youth & Families is celebrating those champions and inviting others to become a hero, during National Mentoring Month.

Mentoring has a positive impact on youth, but many youth are without this type of role model. Nine million kids in America say they are growing up without adults whom they can turn to. In this area, 22 youth are currently waiting for a mentor.

Research shows that mentored youth are more apt to learn more, earn more and live healthier lives. Mentored youth have a greater chance of avoiding negative influences, such as substance abuse, bullying, or dropping out of school.

by Lissa Blake

To call Sue Kiesau of Waukon a Christmas enthusiast would be a serious understatement.

Stepping into her home this time of year is like visiting a holiday museum, with walls covered with hundreds of Santas and other Christmas treasures.

Kiesau’s holiday enthusiasm is contagious, and she spreads the joy each year by welcoming visitors into her home for coffee, homemade holiday treats and, of course, a tour of her 300-plus Santa collection, which she has been amassing for more than 30 years.

“I’ve always loved Christmas,” said Kiesau at her home on Northgate Drive. “I’ve always loved to decorate for holidays. Perhaps I got that from my mom.”

The Lansing Park and Recreation Board has accepted a proposal from the Lansing Lions Club to enhance the playground on South Front Street near the Sports Complex in Lansing. Last year, the Park and Recreation Board removed a large piece of playground equipment which was deemed to be unsafe for children from that location.

The Lions Club has developed a plan to add new equipment for five- to 12-year-old children that is safe, handicap accessible and educational. The proposed equipment will have a theme which relates to the area. The plan also includes a bicycle rack, sidewalks, and benches for parents to use as they observe their children playing or ice skating.

A significant part of the plan is a fundraising campaign. The project has a budget of $60,000. Grants are being applied for; however, the campaign needs to raise at least $15,000 from the local community to achieve its goal.

The Knights of Columbus, Council 1570 of Waukon, recently presented two checks from funds donated to the annual Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive. Thanks to the many businesses that allow the KC Tootsie Roll canisters to be placed in their business, to the many people who have donated, and to the KC members donating their time, the Knights of Columbus Council was able to present checks to Mosaic and to TASC. Mosaic provides residential services to adults with intellectual disabilities. TASC provides residential services, vocational/employment and day services for individuals from Allamakee and surrounding counties. Pictured above accepting the check for TASC is Sheila Schulte, and pictured below accepting the check for Mosaic is Nicole Leiran. Checks are being presented in each photo by Grand Knight Bob Larkin. Submitted photos.
 

What was intended to simply add a bit of fun to the holiday season as a humorous seasonal decoration has also resulted in a display of helpful spirit from passersby, according to Bill and Kelly Delaney, who put up this display at their home along Eighth Avenue NW in Waukon. Since they put up the display of what appears to be an unfortunate decorator (merely a stuffed and accessorized pair of coveralls) who has slipped off his ladder and is hanging from the home's roof edge, the Delaneys say "countless people" have pulled their vehicles over and rushed across their yard to try and aid the dangling decorator, only to find that there is no real emergency. "We hope everyone is finding our house humorous and no one has been offended," they say, further wondering if they should hang a note thanking people for caring and for their willingness to help. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

A northeast Iowa woman says a lucky feeling led her to a big lottery prize this past week. Wendy Norton of Waukon claimed the 23rd of 72 prizes of $10,000 available in the lottery’s “$250,000 Riches” scratch game. She said she bought her winning ticket at Kwik Star, located at 101 Rossville Road in Waukon.

Norton said she’s an occasional lottery player but she thought she’d try her luck on the $250,000 Riches scratch game because her son-in-law had just won $100 playing it.

“I was driving home the next day, feeling a little lucky, and thought, ‘I’m going to go get me one of those,’” Norton told lottery employees Wednesday, December 7 as she claimed her prize at the lottery’s regional office in Cedar Rapids.