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The Allamakee County Dairy Days Parade is being held this Friday, June 18 in Postville in conjunction with the community’s Hometown Celebration Parade and in honor of the 100th year of the Big Four Fair. The parade will begin at 7 p.m. and will run from Lull’s Park to the Big Four Fairgrounds. For entry and other parade information, contact Postville City Hall at 563-864-7454.

The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation (DOT) are holding a public hearing and requesting public input for a proposed replacement of the Iowa 9/Wisconsin 82 (Black Hawk) bridge in Lansing over the Mississippi River.

In order to accommodate the new bridge being planned, approximately 5.9 acres of easement and fee title is needed from the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which is owned and managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The Iowa Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) intends to make a de minimis impact finding in accordance with 23 CFR 774 as the project is not expected to adversely affect the activities, features and attributes of the refuge. The Iowa DOT would like to gather public feedback on the environmental documentation, preferred alternative and potential impacts related to the planned improvements.

Retired Allamakee Community School District music instructor Frank Knoll took part in the “Taps Across America” nationwide remembrance event Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 by playing Taps at the Allamakee County Freedom Rock in the Waukon City Park at the designated time of 3 p.m. This National Moment of Remembrance is an annual event that asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States. This project calls on musicians across the country to sound Taps  at 3 p.m. from an appropriate location.

Festival events include prayer service at St. Patrick’s Church in Waukon with guest speaker Daniel Baldwin

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Sacred Noise Society, Inc., founded by Katie O’Regan of Waukon, has announced plans for the Spring Grove-Caledonia Film Festival scheduled for July 23-25, including an event in the Waukon area.

Featuring two plays, 42 movies, a parade and an award ceremony, the festival welcomes this year’s special guest of honor Daniel Baldwin, last year’s guest of honor Ed Asner and (via Zoom) Alec Baldwin – along with several other filmmakers who will be participating in live talk-backs after their films’ screenings.

Newly appointed Allamakee County Treasurer Jennifer O’Neill (center of photo) raises her right hand while placing her left hand on a Bible held by her husband, Cory (far right), as she is sworn into office by retired Iowa Judicial District 1A District Court Judge John Bauercamper (far left) Tuesday, June 1. O’Neill was sworn into the position after being appointed to the office by the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors earlier that morning, replacing retiring Allamakee County Treasurer Lori Hesse (standing between the O’Neills), who has served as County Treasurer for the past 26 years and is retiring due to health considerations. Having worked in the Allamakee County Treasurer’s Office for the past 17 years and serving as First Deputy Treasurer, O’Neill will now complete Hesse’s current term in office, which expires at the end of year 2022 and will be up for election in November of 2022.

The Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board has scheduled its 2021 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet for Saturday, June 12 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m. and the awards program starts at 8 p.m. Production and other awards are presented that evening and the Allamakee County Dairy Princess will be crowned.

The Allamakee County Dairy Days Parade is being held Friday, June 18 in Postville in conjunction with the community’s Hometown Celebration Parade and in honor of the 100th year of the Big Four Fair. The parade will begin at 7 p.m. and will run from Lull’s Park to the Big Four Fairgrounds. For entry and other parade information, contact Postville City Hall at 563-864-7454.

At its Monday, May 3 regular meeting, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt a new comprehensive plan for the County, called “All in Allamakee”, or the “All-In Plan” for short. The plan’s origins lie in 2018, when Allamakee County contracted with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) to develop a completely new plan and vision for the County - the previous plan having been completed in 2002. UERPC Senior Transportation Planner Aaron Detter, AICP was project manager for the new planning effort.

The 2021 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet is scheduled to be held Saturday, June 12 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m. with the program starting at 8 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

The event is traditionally held in March each year, but the Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board decided to wait and see what developed with the COVID-19 pandemic this year, with vaccinations and lower positive case numbers leading to the decision to hold the in-person event in June. The banquet was called off entirely last year as the pandemic reared its head locally just before the event’s scheduled March date.

Roll of Honor display seeks photos of local veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty

Remodeling of the former Vets Club Building on Allamakee Street in Waukon will be completed this summer for use as a Veterans Museum. Designing and setting up of displays and exhibits will follow as time and resources permit.

Help is needed in preserving the memories and stories of Allamakee County’s military veterans from all conflicts and service. One special project is to collect photos of all county service members who died in the line of duty for use in a Roll of Honor display.

Anyone who has any photos, stories, letters, documents, posters, maps, uniforms, equipment or memorabilia to share or donate should contact Jim Garrett at 563-568-7606, John Bauercamper at 563-568-7526 or johnbauercamper@gmail.com, or the Allamakee Historical Society at P.O. Box 95, Waukon, IA 52172.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE IN WAUKON - MONDAY, MAY 31
• Memorial Day Parade will line up at 9:15 a.m. and begins at 9:45 a.m. in front of Allamakee County Courthouse on Allamakee Street and travels south down Rossville Road to Oakland Cemetery (weather permitting)
• Memorial Day Observance Program follows parade, approximately 10 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery (at Waukon Banquet Center in the event of rain):
• Invocation - Pastor Bryan Mincks, Iron Ridge Church
• National Anthem - Bailey Sherman
• Pledge of Allegiance - Children volunteers
• General Logan’s Orders - Ethan Hooten
• Band Selection - Waukon High School Band
• Memorial Wreath Laying - Lindsey & Ella Lund and Grace Murphy
• POW/MIA Recognition - Moment of Silence
• Mrs. Poppy - Lisa Hagen
• Miss Poppy - Katherine and Hannah Hagen
• God Bless America - Waukon High School Band