Community News

The Kee High School Speech program advanced all 29 members of this year’s roster to the State Large Group Speech Contest after a very successful day at the District Contest held at Turkey Valley High School Saturday, January 20. The 11 teams competing at that District competition compiled nine 1 ratings and a pair of 2 ratings, including the following: Reader’s Theatre, Solo Mime, Group Mime, Ensemble, three Radio News acts and two of three Improvisational Acting performances all received 1 ratings, with the other Improvisational Acting team and a One Act performance each receiving a 2 rating Saturday. The State Large Group Speech Contest will be held February 4 at Waterloo West High School.

Gundersen Ophthalmologist Efrain M. Cancel, MD, is now seeing patients at the Gundersen Eye Clinic Waukon. Dr. Cancel specializes in the treatment of cataracts, and he plans to perform surgery at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon in the near future.

Following his residency at the University of Puerto Rico and a fellowship at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Cancel began his career in Marshfield, WI in the early 1990s. There, he raised two daughters and says he enjoyed the kindness and hospitality of Midwesterners, which led him to want to remain in the tri-state area when considering new professional challenges in his career.

Dr. Cancel was attracted to Gundersen Health System because of its reputation for having a strong eye department, including its specialty care. More specifically, he said he’s passionate about making quality eye care, especially cataract surgery, accessible to the people of Waukon and the surrounding area.

Brent Parker, pictured above, was sworn in by Waukon Mayor Pat Stone as an officer for the Waukon Police Department at the Monday, January 9 meeting of the Waukon City Council. Parker is a certified officer and comes to the Waukon Police Department from the Decorah Police Department, where he has been an officer since 2015 and has served as assistant police chief since October 2019. Parker was scheduled to start his duties in Waukon Monday, January 16.

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will continue its program series for 2023 with a program about Allamakee County on the Home Front during World War II. The program is scheduled for Thursday, January 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the new Veterans Museum in the former Vet’s Club building at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon.

There is no admission charge, and the facility is wheelchair accessible. The program will be repeated Saturday, January 28 at 10 a.m.

Scrap drives were held in Allamakee County to support the production of war materials and equipment during the war. In 1942, Cote’s Town Theatre put on a free movie for those who donated scrap items. The accompanying photo shows the pile of scrap in front of the theatre. Rationing of food, fuel, rubber, metal, clothing and other vital materials was required.

With its headquarters in Waukon, Mosaic in Northern Iowa has promoted Crystal Kurth as its new Program Manager. Kurth has worked for Mosaic for a total of 15 years, starting back in 2002 when the entity was called Martin Luther Homes and was a part of the merger with Mosaic.

She left Mosaic in 2008 and came back in 2014, remaining there ever since. Prior to her promotion to Program Manager, she has held many positions in her time with Mosaic, including Direct Support Associate, Associate Direct Support Manager, and Program Coordinator/Support Service Specialist.

She has certification in Autism from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. She also holds a strong interest in learning more about Dementia, especially Dementia in those with Intellectual Disabilities. She has attended many classes, training and conferences regarding her qualifications for this role.

The City of Waukon is updating its Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This plan serves to guide the continual improvement of the community’s parks, open space, facilities, and bicycle and pedestrian areas.

As part of that update, the Waukon Park, Recreation and Wellness Department is offering a Parks Master Plan Survey so members of the general public can provide their input into the future of the City of Waukon Parks and Recreation facilities and amenities. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and asks questions regarding park usage, thoughts on current facilities and programs available, and suggestions for improvements or additions to current facilities or programs, among other items.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in a pair of regular sessions within less than a week of one another this past week due to the New Year’s Day holiday being observed on the board’s regular meeting day, Monday, January 2. Coverage of both the board’s Tuesday, January 3 and Monday, January 9 regular sessions appears below.

JANUARY 3
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors began 2023 with its annual reorganizational meeting in regular session Tuesday, January 3 following the Monday, January 2 closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse due to the New Year’s Day holiday observance. Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer called the meeting to order with Dan Byrnes being appointed Board of Supervisors Chairperson and Mark Reiser being appointed Chairperson Pro-Tem for 2023, with Supervisor Dennis Keatley also present at the meeting.

A pair of area U.S. Military Veterans were recently honored with Quilts of Valor presentations in recognition of service to their country. Pictured in the photo above, Vietnam era U.S. Marine Veteran Joe Baxter (left in photo) of rural New Albin stands with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Commander Ralph Nelson after receiving his Quilt of Valor in mid-December from local Quilts of Valor representative Arlis Myhre.

Pictured in the photo below, Paul Horsfall, Sr. of Lansing received his Quilt of Valor December 30 from local Quilts of Valor representative Eileen Smith (standing in photo). Horsfall served his country during the Korean War, from 1953-1955. Submitted photos.
 

Allamakee County’s Corner of Hope Growing Project celebrated its 17th year in 2022. Since its beginning in 2005 and through present day, the group has donated $563,921 to Growing Hope Globally, formerly Foods Resource Bank.

A few years after the project started in 2005, local brothers Jan, Joe and Jerry Sweeney (pictured in the photo above, left to right) have generously allowed the Corner of Hope group to use 20 acres of Sweeney land each year to grow crops, with the money raised going to Growing Hope Globally. For well over a decade, the Sweeney plot has been an integral part of the Corner of Hope Growing Project. The crops have alternated over the years between corn, beans and hay.

Kaytie and Mason Berns of Waukon are the parents of the First Baby of 2023 born at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, WI. Sylvie Berns was born Sunday, January 1 at 3:06 p.m., and she weighed 6 lbs., 13.5 ozs. Photo courtesy of Mayo Clinic Health System.