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by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, December 6 to address a full agenda of items including the consideration of two participation agreements relating to opioid litigation, the designation of Allamakee County as a Home Base Iowa County and setting a date and time for a Public Hearing for the Ordinance describing voting precinct boundaries.

During Public Comment, Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) discussed recent and upcoming events within the county including the Lighted Holiday Parade scheduled for Monday, December 6 in Waukon. Reinke provided an update relating to a childcare survey, housing in Waukon and community development in Postville. She also discussed continued communication with Iowa House Representative Anne Osmundson relating to aluminum can redemption issues faced within the county.

by Brianne Eilers

Recent visitors to Oakland Cemetery in Waukon may have noticed a change in the way the cemetery looks thanks to the dedication and hard work of Waukon residents Larry and Shirley Sharp. This year alone, the Sharps have cleaned and given new life to 731 headstones at the cemetery.

Shirley estimated they cleaned around 82 stones last year, and the couple didn’t know how many they have done altogether since they began doing this. The Sharps began dabbling in cleaning up old headstones about five years ago, starting with family grave markers.

“We noticed my dad’s stone was turning black,” Shirley said, and they wanted to know what they could do to fix that. Larry and Shirley contacted Stacey Gossling of Decorah, and learned how to properly clean headstones from her. The Sharps took their newfound knowledge and cleaned up the headstones of both Shirley’s and Larry’s relatives in cemeteries located in Iowa and Minnesota.

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will observe Pearl Harbor Day Tuesday, December 7 by offering a program to the public in the Program Room of its new museum in the former Vet’s Club building in Waukon.

Tuesday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m. a video documentary will be presented about the Japanese air raid on the U.S. Naval and Air Bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Islands, which marked the entry of the United States into the Second World War.

The Pearl Harbor documentary will be preceded by a video that museum staff are calling “The last summer of peace in Waukon before the War.” It includes movie footage filmed in downtown Waukon in the summers of 1940-1941 by the Cote family for entertainment viewing in their newly opened Town Theatre on Main Street in Waukon.

by Stephanie Kelley

For 133 years, the bell from a little white church in Waterville rang out on Sunday mornings. It rang for every wedding and every funeral. It rang for every celebration and every holiday. And then, in 2010, it stopped. The little white church closed the doors and stood silent.

Across the Midwest, churches have anchored their communities. Served those in need. Baptized and buried generations of families. Housed social gatherings, and, once a week, brought entire communities together to the sound of church bells. The church was the spark that kept the town alive and a part of its identity. One could find fellowship and a whole lot of potluck within its walls.

by Lissa Blake

A wonderful first season. That’s what New Albin Improvement (NAIL) member Betsy Whitlatch had to say about the success of the New Albin Splash Pad and additional improvements made to the city park. “This was our first full summer and we heard some really great reviews,” she said.

Whitlatch said adding a new shade shelter to the park area really made it a more welcoming space for people of all ages. “That was a huge addition to the area. We saw lots of kids and families there all summer,” said Whitlatch. Whitlatch said this summer saw higher usage of the basketball courts in the park, and even though the splash pad has been winterized and is closed for the winter, the playground is still seeing some heavy use.

by Stephanie Kelley

Fiber optic internet is fast. Really fast. Using a download speed calculator, it means that what takes dial-up internet over 331 days, downloads with fiber in 34 seconds. That’s one movie in HD (high-definition). That’s 4.0 GB (gigabytes) of data. It’s easy to get confused when talking about the internet. Isn’t it all just WiFi? Actually, it’s not. WiFi, or wireless internet, is simply another type of internet, like dial-up, like fiber optics. Except that wireless travels through air with high energy radio waves, dial-up sends electrons through copper wire, and fiber optic internet is light traveling through glass.

The 30th annual Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Christmas Fantasy will be held this weekend. The theme will be “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which is fitting for an outdoor Fantasy.

A drive-through of lighted displays will be out in front of the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon for anyone wanting to drive through or walk through evenings during the event, which will be held Thursday-Monday, November 18-22. The grounds will be open from 5-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday nights and from 4-7 p.m. Monday night. The format of the event was changed again this year to keep the event COVID-safe.

Silent Auction items will be displayed inside the Pavilion for anyone who would like to walk through the display of numerous items. Bidding for all the Silent Auction items will be done entirely online this year. Photos with descriptions of each item will be entered into the online auction website, which is hosted by Sweeney Auction Service.

by David M. Johnson

Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting a Veterans Day event Thursday, November 11 at Lid’s in Waukon, beginning at 6 p.m. The event will honor 20 local veterans for their service. Those who have additional questions may contact Jerry Halverson at 563-568-5275.

The Waukon Patriot Quilters will be presenting quilts to several selected local veterans this Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11 at 1 p.m. at the Sweeney Shelter by the Allamakee County Freedom Rock at the Waukon City Park. The public is invited to attend the event and honor their service.