River Valley

by Macie Hill

The regular meeting of the Lansing City Council was held Monday, June 19. Discussion circled around MSA representatives addressing the City's radium issue in its water supply, Main Street well inspection, a new hiring for a city lawn mower position, fencing put up in front of the train tracks for RAGBRAI®, an ATV ordinance update, and a public hearing scheduled for the July 3 meeting.

MSA Professional Service representatives attended the meeting to meet all of the council members and let them know that they are interested in preparing the city's radium preliminary engineering report. The town of Farley in Iowa is one of MSA's clients which is having a similar situation that Lansing is having with radium. The project that MSA is proposing to take on would be about a three-year process with three parts, including design, bidding and construction.

The Ferryville Tourism Council is sponsoring the first of three summer bonfire programs Wednesday, June 28 at 8 p.m. at the south end of Sugar Creek Park in Ferryville, WI. Ric Zarwell will be the speaker for a program entitled, “Birdwatching in the U.S., from an Expert like John James Audubon to an Active, Maybe Obsessed Local Man.”

Zarwell was born and raised in New Albin. He has been a lifelong birder and has created, along with his wife, Betty, the River and Bluffs Birding Festival in the Lansing area. They have traveled to 44 nations and all seven continents to view birds native to those areas. Zarwell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources, both from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He leads birding trips and conducts monitoring of bird species in various habitats.

Fundraising campaign within $15,000 of its goal

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Lansing Lions Club hosted community members of all ages Sunday, June 11 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new playground equipment to be placed in the city park just south of the ball diamond within the Lansing Sports Complex on the east edge of town. Sunday, June 11 had been designated as National Children's Day, a seemingly fitting time to break ground on a new playground project designed to benefit local children and those visiting the Lansing area.
Efforts have been underway since August of 2016 to raise almost $68,000 to fund the project, with $15,000 remaining to be raised. If funds are complete, the installation of the riverboat-themed playground equipment would take place right after Labor Day this year.

by B.J. Tomlinson and Susan Cantine-Maxson

Wisconsin and Iowa officials had initially estimated that the Wisconsin Highway 82 connection between Iowa and Wisconsin might be closed for several weeks for repairs after a portion of the highway near the Wisconsin side of the river washed out suddenly in the early morning hours of May 30, ultimately claiming the life of 59-year-old Lansing resident Jim Walleser. The washout happened just shy of two miles east of Lansing, creating a 70-foot long crater in the eastbound lane of the highway as it approached what is known as Henderson Bridge that spans Henderson Slough of the Mississippi River.

Stunned residents of the area have been asking how this tragic event occurred and wonder if it could happen again.

Children will have opportunity to turn shovel of dirt at groundbreaking event

June 11, the second Sunday in June, is designated as National Children’s Day. The Lansing Lions are concerned about the health and development of the children in the local area and look at National Children's Day as "a day we revive our commitment to our children and the children of our community. We, as adults, are responsible for their future."

With that mission in mind, the Lansing Lions thought National Children's Day would be the ideal time to host a dedication and groundbreaking ceremony for its playground enhancement project. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Lions Shelter on South Front Street in Lansing.

New registrations accepted until June 11

Friends of Pool 9 volunteers will once again be offering a day of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn-like adventures when they host their annual Mississippi River Adventure Day Tuesday, July 11 at the Blackhawk Park Pavilion near De Soto, WI. The event is open to youth ages eight to 16 and will take place from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Those age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult, with no more than two students per adult.

Participants will learn to log roll, kayak or canoe the backwaters, bass fish, swim, fly fish and enjoy a picnic lunch on the scenic Mississippi River. All activities are free of charge.

by Macie Hill

Monday, June 5 the Lansing City Council met in its regular session. Discussion circled around an ATV ordinance, hiring new city lawn mowers, dust control, cutting down a tree at Mount Hosmer, and information about the Lansing Swimming Pool.

The Allamakee ATV Club attended the meeting inquiring as to whether or not the City of Lansing will be getting a new ATV ordinance. All council members present agreed that the council needs more time to discuss all of the options in order to make a decision. The ATV club will be back for the July 3 meeting for an answer.

Discussion was held in regard to the need to hire an individual to mow lawn for the City. Four new applications were received and a decision to hire someone will be made in the near future.

June 15 program will feature presentation on Captain Andrew Talcott and surveying of the Iowa-Minnesota border in 1852

Don Borcherding of Rochester, MN will be reenacting surveyor Captain Andrew Talcott (1797-1883) at the June 15 session of the Sesquicentennial programming being held at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library throughout this year. Captain Talcott  surveyed the Iowa-Minnesota boarder in 1852.

In his reenactment as Captain Talcott, Borcherding will be answering the following questions:

District Director Jayne Armstrong of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Iowa District Office is reminding Iowa small businesses of the June 6 deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by severe weather and flash flooding in Winneshiek County that occurred August 23-24, 2016.

According to Armstrong, small non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. “Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the applicant suffered any property damage,” Armstrong said.

Repairs being made June 5-9 will impact local travel, as well as water quality and availability

In a letter from Mayor Josh Dreps, residents of the City of New Albin were advised that Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9 the City of New Albin will be performing sewer main line repairs and replacing two main water valves at the intersection of Highway 26 and Ross Avenue. The letter advised residents on street closures as well as alerts in both water quality and availability at times during the weeklong project.

The letter stated both lanes of traffic on Highway 26 will be closed during excavation and repairs, and that the City of New Albin has been working with the Department of Transportation in preparing for the Highway 26 closure to provide detoured routes around the project.