River Valley

by Alexis Johnson

The Lansing City Council held its first meeting of the new year Monday, January 6. Discussion centered around the consent agenda, building permit approval and appointment of a new fire chief.

The consent agenda consisted of council meeting minutes from December 16, payment of claims, library board minutes from December 17, utility reconciliation from November 2019, and utility reconciliation from December 2019. A motion was made and seconded with minimal discussion to approve the consent agenda.

A motion was made and seconded with unanimous approval of a building permit at 1091 North Front Street with stipulations. Constructed improvements, including the deck, must be 15 feet from the front property line, and the wrap-around deck must adhere to setback rules on all sides.

The Harpers Ferry Booster Club and the Allamakee County Conservation Board will be hosting the Harpers Ferry Youth Ice Fishing Clinic at Nobles Island Boat Access at 645 Hwy. 364, Harpers Ferry Sunday, January 26. Registration for youth aged 15 and under will begin at 11 a.m. and fishing will go until 2 p.m.

Youth participating in the clinic may use their own equipment, but ice fishing equipment will also be available to youth who do not have their own. Food and drink will be available for those participating in the clinic. Prizes will be awarded to participants in each of three age groups.

In case of inclement weather, all cancellations and delays will be posted on the Allamakee County Conservation Board Facebook page the day of the event. For more information on this program or any program offered by the Allamakee County Conservation Board contact the office at 563-538-0403 or follow Allamakee County Conservation on social media.
 

The Welsh Family Christmas was celebrated in Lansing, a tradition since 1920, with next year being the 100th annual celebration. The Welsh Family are descendants of Mary and Patsy Welsh of the Lycurgus area. 385 ornaments decorate the family’s Christmas tree representing each family member. Pictured above at the event, left to right, Maralyn Welsh, Bernard Welsh, Leona Welsh and Essie Welsh. Submitted photo.
 

The Main Street Madness punch card promotion recorded $301,100 in downtown spending in a month’s time, which is an $81,000 increase over last year’s numbers. During the holiday shopping season, Main Street Lansing sponsors “Main Street Madness”, which invites shoppers to fill out punch cards in $5 increments; once a card has $100 worth of purchases recorded, it can be entered to win a variety of cash prizes as well as local gift cards.

The 2019 prize winners are listed below:

The New Albin V.F.W. Auxiliary of the Kenneth Casey Post 5603 held their regular monthly meeting December 16, 2019 at the New Albin Community Center beginning at Noon with a potluck dinner.

At 1 p.m., President Anne Falken called the meeting to order. Roll call was taken with seven members present. The Chaplin prayer and Patriotic prayer were each read.

The Pledge of Allegiance was held followed by the Recognition of Helen Maust. The Secretary’s Report and Treasurer’s Report were each accepted as read. No bills were presented.

The spaghetti supper was reviewed and declared a complete success. General orders were reviewed. The Auxiliary report was reviewed for the District meeting to be held January 11.

The Ferryville Vision and Promotion Board will once again be hosting monthly soup and salad suppers in 2020 from 5-7 p.m. at the Ferryville Community Center, located at the south end of the village. The first Supper for this year will be Thursday, January 9, 2020.

The menu will include 5 or 6 hot and tasty soups, a nice variety of salads, and an assortment of delicious desserts along with water and coffee. A free will offering is available for diners to help raise funds for a new playground set at the village park.

The new playground is being planned for a spring or summer 2020 installation.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend the soup and salad suppers. Watch for further announcements relating to when the supper in February will be held.

If you have questions relating to this project, contact Chris Hendrickson at 608-444-7986.
 

Peoples State Bank’s slogan is “Community Minded… just like You.” Similar to years past, in 2019, Peoples State Bank stayed true to that slogan by donating, sponsoring and volunteering at over 296 different community events, local charities and fundraisers.

Throughout the year, many Peoples State Bank employees volunteered their time at local fundraisers and events such as Eagles Heart & Cancer Telethon, at local school districts during “Teach Children to Save Week”, Relay for Life, County Fairs and many more. New this year, Peoples State Bank has adopted a Highway in Crawford and Grant County in Wisconsin to help with removing trash, recyclables and litter to support the anti-litter and highway beautification programs.

Sunday, December 15, the Sunday school and confirmation classes of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing presented their annual Christmas pageant to the congregation in Lansing. An original production written by Pastor Laura Gentry and her nephew, Michael Phelan, “Where Is This Child?” is a singing, dancing twist on the traditional nativity story.

Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus are in the barn, a set designed and built by Dr. Mike Schweitzer. They are surrounded by farm animals and then joined by shepherds, sheep, angels and magi as the scripture narrative is reenacted. Suddenly, however, a wise woman announces that the baby in the manger is not the Christ child, but instead an adorable imposter.

by Alexis Johnson

The Lansing City Council held its regular meeting Monday, December 16. The discussion centered around the consent agenda, parks report and clerk’s report.

The consent agenda consisted of council meeting minutes from December 2, treasurer’s report for November 2019, and refund of fees for the Red Barn liquor license. A motion was made and seconded with minimal discussion to approve the consent agenda.

A donation from the City of Lansing Parks Board, representing proceeds from the Driftless Half Marathon held earlier this fall, was put toward the Act of Kindness fund associated with the Lansing Police Department.

Resolution #930 transferring funds from the special revenue fund to the general fund for splash pad expenses was approved. A motion was made and seconded to approve resolution #930 with minimal discussion.
 

The flower pots along Main Street in Lansing have transitioned to winter decorations, but there’s plenty of room for personalization. Main Street Lansing would like to invite residents, business owners or organizations to “Adopt a Pot” and decorate it as festively as they desire. The photo above gives an idea of what such a transformation could look like. Those interested should contact Main Street Lansing at director@lansingmatters.com or by phone at 563-538-9229. Submitted photo.