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by Susan Cantine-Maxson

“Follow your dreams” is the motto which Jack Meggers lives by.

For the past few years, Meggers, who is an Iowa native and whose father, Larry Meggers, is a current resident of Lansing, has been pursuing his dream of making a full-length feature film in northeast Iowa. Getting the funding for such a project is difficult. Even a low-budget film with a cost of half a million dollars is almost an insurmountable task. Because of those hurdles, Meggers has begun to follow a slower alternate route to fulfilling that dream of a feature length film.

by Brianne Eilers

The beginning of the 2018-2019 school year is right around the corner and this year the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) will begin a new school year with a new superintendent.

Jay Mathis is no stranger to the Waukon area or the ACSD. He was raised in rural Allamakee County and graduated in 1982 from Waukon High School. His wife, the former Maria Welsh, is also a 1982 WHS graduate and they both have family still living in the area.

Mathis spent the first 13 years of his career in education teaching math and coaching football and track. His first teaching/coaching job was with Garner-Hayfield schools in central Iowa. He then went on to teach and coach for the Decorah school district.

by Lissa Blake

There is seemingly no end to the number of things Marcella (Kolsrud) Selberg and Norma (Sorenson) Barr have in common. Perhaps that is why they’ve remained friends for nearly all of their lives.

They were both baptized, confirmed and married at the Waterville Lutheran Church. They both attended Waterville Elementary and High School, participating in girls’ glee club, band and sports together. Both were raised in homes where Norwegian was spoken regularly.

And, as of June of this year, they now both reside at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon, where - much like their days growing up - they now keep up with each other on a daily basis.

FAMILY FRIENDS
Norma was born on the Fourth of July, 1924. “The doctor wasn’t available, so my two grandmothers delivered me,” said Norma.

Marcella was also born at home, March 20, 1925, with a doctor attending.

The third annual Iowa 99 County Bible Reading Marathon took place throughout the state of Iowa this summer following a proclamation signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds February 14 of this year. Organized in Allamakee County by Mary Keatley and Kristi Hager, local residents took part in the Bible Reading Marathon on the lawn of the Allamakee County Courthouse over the course of its four days Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12.

“We wish to make this a countywide effort bringing together all Christians and interested persons within Allamakee County,” local organizers shared prior to the event. “All ages are welcome.” Pictured at the podium, left to right, Drake Reisinger and Tara Reisinger, with a group of area church members in attendance during the 2018 Bible Reading Marathon. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

The National Eagle Center presented information about bald eagles Saturday, August 11 at Lansing Fish Days. A live juvenile bald eagle was part of the presentation that took place on the Festival Grounds. The National Bald Eagle Center is a non-profit interpretive center located in Wabasha, MN that connects people with nature, history and cultures. Photo by Deb Welsh.
 

Friday, August 3 was a busy day at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon, as both the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus and the annual Waukon Corn Days celebration took place that evening. Two shows of the circus performance sponsored by the Waukon Park, Recreation and Wellness Department to benefit its youth program offerings both experienced full crowds, as depicted by the long line emerging from the circus tent pictured above. A steadily sizable crowd also graced the food stand areas of the fairgrounds (pictured below) for the sweet corn meal, with an abundance of other activities available for all ages to help celebrate the annual Corn Days event. Addison Lickiss (pictured below), eight-year-old daughter of Les and Becky Lickiss of Waukon, was crowned this year’s Little Miss Corn Days. Additional photos from Corn Days and the circus appear on Page 2A inside this week’s print edition and e-edition of The Standard. Standard photos by Joe Moses.

Volunteers invited to sign up to read during four-day event

February 14 of this year, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed the 99 County Bible Reading Marathon Proclamation encouraging all Iowans to participate in the occasion again this year. Allamakee County will be taking part in that annual event from August 9 at 8 a.m. through August 12 at 6 p.m., around the clock, 24 hours a day, until the entire Bible is read. This year’s local event will take place on the lawn of the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon.

The Allamakee County Bible Reading Marathon is seeking community volunteers to help read the Bible at the Allamakee County Courthouse over the course of these four days in August. Time slots of 15 minutes each are available, however, volunteers are more than welcome to sign up for multiple slots if they wish to read for a longer period of time or would like to read on multiple days or at different times throughout the day.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, August 6 to address a full agenda of items, including the consideration of signing a Site Lease Agreement and Tower Lease Agreement with Interstate Power and Light Company, the Second Reading of Amendment 3 to Zoning Ordinance L pertaining to exceptions to towers located in the Bluffland Protection District setback area, and discussion of the Continuation of Operation Plan (COOP) relating to disaster planning and County offices.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst’s office will hold traveling office hours in August in all 99 counties in Iowa. Regional directors will be available to assist Iowans with problems or questions about eligibility involving issues like social security, veterans’ benefits, military affairs, passports, immigration issues and other federal programs. Senator Ernst will not be at the traveling office hours locations.

One of those regional directors will be in Allamakee County Wednesday, August 15 from 12-1 p.m. in the Large Study Room of Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, located at 401 First Avenue NW. Anyone who is unable to attend the traveling office hours and is seeking assistance with federal agencies is asked to visit Ernst.Senate.Gov to contact one of the offices listed on the site or submit a casework request.
 

The Bob and Irene Stock family of Waukon was awarded the Bernie Heffern Memorial 4-H Family Award before the 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction at the 2018 Allamakee County Fair Sunday, July 22 by the Bob and Bernie Heffern family. The award was created by the Heffern family in memory of Bernie Heffern, who passed away in 2008 and was very passionate about all areas of 4-H and its importance in the lives of youth and their families. She and her husband, Bob, were inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame in 2007 for their lifelong dedication to 4-H. Each year during fair week, the Allamakee County Fair Board observes families and selects a family who emulates the Heffern family attitude of helping others, working well with each other, and going above and beyond for the fair. The Hefferns hope that creating this award and honoring a family each year will help to develop the kind of passion and dedication Bernie Heffern showed for the 4-H program.