River Valley

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Jeff Morris of Lansing has been growing giant pumpkins for eight years. He started when a buddy from South Dakota suggested it to him. He passed on some of his winning expertise to 15 people who met at the Main Street Lansing office Wednesday, March 30.
This fall during the last weekend in September, Main Street Lansing will sponsor the Giant Pumpkin Festival previously sponsored by TASC in Waukon. TASC contacted the Lansing group last year, asking them to take over the celebration.
The first step in preparation for that contest is to plant some pumpkins. As those in attendance at the meeting soon discovered, the process is not as simple as sticking a seed in the ground if they want the plant to produce a pumpkin that could be over 1,000 pounds.

Many boaters and other river users may have noticed construction equipment once again in the Harpers Slough area, across from Lynxville, WI. Island construction continues this year in Pool 9 (River Miles 650-653) by Newt Marine Service of Dubuque.
Hydraulic dredging has gotten underway. For safety, river users are urged to stay away from construction activities, equipment and the hydraulic dredge pipe.
This $12 million project is located within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, McGregor District. The project is funded through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Upper Mississippi River Restoration - Environmental Management Program, and was planned and designed cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources.

by B.J. Tomlinson

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

In 2007, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing began observing “Holy Hilarity” on the Sunday following Easter. This is a humorous observance of the resurrection of Christ. This year the congregation will be having a special celebration of the ten-year anniversary of that event. This year’s celebration will be held this Sunday, April 3 at 9 a.m.
Paula Rathbun, one of the organizers of this year’s event, stated, “Everybody needs to try it sometime. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll come back to a happy church. During Holy Hilarity Sunday you will laugh until your soul is full. We will sing a lot to praise God on high and it’s a time to pray for those in need. In addition to our regular offering, people are encouraged to make donations to Helping Services of Northeast Iowa to show our support for those who are in need.”

Elaine (Myhre) Hegg, author of “Death in a One-Room Country School,” will be at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library this Thursday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. to share her story. The book is about the murder of Inga Magnusson, who was the school teacher at Bergen School District #6 in rural Allamakee County, just one mile from the settlement of Bee.
The book relays how the 23-year-old school teacher was beaten to death by Earl Throst in the basement of the remote schoolhouse. He claimed they had been dating and that she broke off the relationship. Area residents are invited to attend and find out the rest of the story.

The Kee High School Music and Drama Departments will be presenting the musical "Legally Blonde" the second weekend in April. The production is presented through Music Theatre International, with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, a book by Heather Hach, and based on the novel by Amanda Brown. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, April 8 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at the Kee High School gymnasium. Admission will be taken at the door the date of each production.
Cast and crew members for "Legally Blonde" are pictured above and include the following:

New Albin Community Education is bringing Joan Becker to New Albin for a speaking engagement Friday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the New Albin Community Center. Becker is the mother of Mark Becker, who was convicted of shooting legendary Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas to death in 2009, and she has since become an advocate and public speaker for individuals with mental illness.
Becker has also authored a book, “Sentenced to Life: The Mark Becker Story - Mental Illness, Tragedy, and Transformation” (Credo House Publishers-2015). Becker’s book reveals how her personal family experience has served as the catalyst for her to focus on opening doors and promoting change in the current mental health system. She speaks regularly to colleges, churches, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) groups, high schools, communities, and mental health service providers.

Residents reminded that no burning is allowed on City streets

by B.J. Tomlinson

TASC and Main Street Lansing announce that the 2016 Driftless Area Big Pumpkin Contest will take place September 25 of this year in Lansing. After being held at the TASC facility in Waukon for the past several years, the Big Pumpkin Contest will move to Lansing to facilitate a new organizational alliance with Main Street Lansing and to make changes to the overall focus of the event.
“We are excited to work with TASC to bring the event to Lansing and create a new fall harvest festival. We will invite the entire driftless area to celebrate the bounty of our area,” said Craig White, Main Street Lansing Director.
Main Street Lansing guarantees at least a $500 prize for the biggest pumpkin. “We will work from now until the day of the contest to increase that prize money with sponsors from around the area,” said White.