River Valley

The community of Lansing will welcome a rather unique visitor Monday, August 7, as InnerTuba will make Lansing a performance stop on its current 2023 Mississippi River Tour. United Kingdom native Jon Hodkin is a cyclist and a tuba player who loves to travel, and in 2000 he created the idea of combining all of those loves into a cycling musical tour he calls InnerTuba. Hodkin travels on his custom-made recumbent tricycle pulling a trailer that hauls his tuba (all pictured in the contributed photo above) that he will bring out to play for audiences at various stops along his tour route. According to Hodkin’s website, “InnerTuba is all about extensive travel, playing music and mingling with lots of people”.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking comment on a bank stabilization study at the Sny Magill unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument, near Harpers Ferry. The purpose of this project is to stabilize the shoreline of the Sny Magill unit and reduce damage to the integrity of the Native American burial and ceremonial mounds at Effigy Mounds National Monument (Park).

Opportunities to improve aquatic and floodplain forest habitat are also being investigated. This study will inform future management of areas within the Mississippi River.

The mounds preserved within the Park are a unique and significant cultural resource considered sacred by many Americans, especially the culturally associated tribal nations. Shoreline erosion caused by more frequent and prolonged high-water events uniquely threaten the Sny Magill unit’s mounds.

The Ferryville Tourism Council has announced its third Summer Chautauqua Series program to be held in the Ferryville Village Hall Wednesday, August 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The presenter will be Armund Bartz, the Driftless Area ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Natural Heritage Conservation Program. Treats are provided.

Bartz will be speaking on “Driftless Prairie, Savanna, and Woodlands: A Journey of Discovery”. His talk will take attendees on a journey though southwest Wisconsin, and he will discuss and share what a remnant prairie and associated savanna/woodland habitats really are. His talk will involve plants, reptiles, butterflies, moths and birds that inhabit these areas. Also included will be ways individuals can not only appreciate these specifically diverse areas, but also how they can continue to protect them.

Join the Allamakee County Conservation Board for a guided Mississippi River backwater paddling adventure August 17, starting at 6 p.m. and returning to the landing by sunset at the New Albin Army Road Boat Landing.

Participants are welcome to use their own canoe or kayak but must follow all rules and regulations in accordance with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A limited number of solo and tandem kayaks will be available to use from the Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) provided with paddles and life jackets.

Advanced registration is required for this series of programs. To register or reserve a kayak, call 563-538-0403. Solo participants are encouraged to register, but may be paired with other paddlers in a tandem kayak if using Allamakee County Conservation Board  equipment.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The Lansing City Council held a special meeting Monday, July 10, open to the public, to discuss the possibility of hiring a city manager in Lansing. The purpose of the meeting, as stated by Mayor Melissa Hammell, was to consider a city manager position in terms of what it means for a city to have a manager; the pros and cons of hiring a city manager; and whether it makes sense to hire a city manager in Lansing.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During its regular meeting Monday, July 17, the Lansing City Council approved spending up to $225 for three Iowa Great Places signs to be placed at the entrances to the city, pending State approval for placement. Total cost for the three Iowa Great Places signs is $204.30. Money will come from the remaining $145.74 of the RAGBRAI grant awarded to the Iowa Great Places committee, with the rest being paid for by the City of Lansing.

Lansing was one of three communities to receive designation as an Iowa Great Place, joining Grimes and Polk City as new designees this year. The designation gives the City a path forward for development for arts and culture, recreation, and amenities in Lansing’s future. With the designation, the City will also be able to utilize its standing as a Great Place to receive further funding for projects - in particular, a one-time funding opportunity of up to $500,000.

FreedomBank has announced that it is contributing $5,000 towards the Harpers Ferry Museum project in Harpers Ferry. For more than 120 years, FreedomBank has strongly supported community projects that empower success in rural Iowa.

Spearheaded by the Harpers Ferry Area Heritage Society, the museum will be constructed next to the Oil Springs School within the Martell Heritage Park in Harpers Ferry. Once completed, the museum will cover an area of 9,000 square feet and resemble the original Harper Hotel, built in the late 1880s and run by David and Harriet Harper, whom Harpers Ferry was named for.

“The Harpers Ferry Museum will play a vital role in showcasing the rich history of the Driftless Region, enhancing tourism, and serving as an economic driver for Allamakee County. As a 100% employee-owned community bank, FreedomBank is committed to funding projects that preserve our rural heritage for future generations,” said Kathy Mueller, FreedomBank’s CEO and President.

The City of Lansing has partnered with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) to create a community vision for the future of Main Street. The overall goal of the planning and visioning process is to identify needs, desires and concerns that residents, business owners and visitors have for the Main Street/Highway 9 corridor through Lansing. The end product will be a community-derived vision for the corridor that considers things like traffic safety, environmental impacts, historic preservation, lighting, streetscape amenities and more.

“This planning process will help make sure we are prepared to discuss options with the Iowa Department of Transportation when the time comes to redo Highway 9 through town,” said Lansing Mayor Melissa Hammell. “In the meantime, the plan will help us focus our efforts as a community toward finding funding opportunities for Main Street improvements that will make Lansing an even better place to live and visit.”

River Bluff Daze in Ferryville is scheduled to take place in Ferryville, WI Saturday, July 22. All events are free, including the Antique Tractor Pull, a hike, browsing the farmers market and fireworks. The schedule for this year’s event is as follows:

8:30 a.m. - Join Joanne White for a nature hike on the Sugar Creek Bluff Natural Area. Meet at the Ferryville Boat Landing at 8:30 a.m. and carpool to the trailhead. Hikers will see birds, wildlife and wild flowers on the gradual 1.5-mile round trip to the scenic overlook.  This hike is sponsored by Ferryville Tourism Council.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During its regular meeting Monday, July 3, Mayor Melissa Hammel signed a declaration stating that Friday, July 14 is Star City Film Festival Day in Lansing.