“Awesome Rides” calendar created to benefit EACSD ... Ray Burroughs (right in above photo) of Waukon, a 1973 graduate of Kee High School, has created a fundraising calendar that encompasses both his fondness for classic vehicles and his high school alma mater. “Awesome Rides” (the cover of which is pictured below) is now available for purchase at several area locations, with all proceeds benefiting activities in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District. Burroughs is pictured above purchasing the first copy of the calendar from Eastern Allamakee Community School District Superintendent and Kee High School Principal Sarah Murray. Submitted images.
A Christmas gift received last year by 1973 Kee High School graduate Ray Burroughs of Waukon has inspired a similar project that he hopes will keep on giving.
After receiving a photo calendar created by his son, Jesse, as a Christmas gift this past December, Burroughs has taken that idea and is trying to make it into a gift of his own that will continue to give to the high school he graduated from 50 years ago. That idea has produced the first edition of “Awesome Rides,” a photo calendar now available for purchase that will not only benefit the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) but also features classic vehicles owned by residents within or individuals otherwise associated with the school district.
“There have been a lot of fundraisers that come and go over the year, but I was thinking this is something that you not only have for the calendar year, but the photos are something you can keep even longer,” Burroughs said.
Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative (ACEC) held its 85th annual meeting Monday, September 11 in a drive-through format with another great year of attendance. The board of directors and employees appreciate all members who voted for their board directors and attended the drive-through.
Each member had the opportunity to vote, receive a complimentary gift and take home a hot to-go meal. Cooperative members who voted by mail or during the annual meeting drive-through returned incumbents Michael Gibbs of Waterville and Cindy Heffern of Harpers Ferry to represent District A.
In District C, incumbent Greg Formanek of Farmersburg was also re-elected.
The board of directors will next elect board officers during its September 25 board meeting.
The Lansing City Council held a special meeting Monday, September 11 to discuss the institution of a tax abatement ordinance in Lansing. Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andrew Boddicker offered a presentation to the council that included general information about the meaning and functions of tax abatements, explained how instituting a tax abatement ordinance would benefit Lansing, and described a series of potential abatement levels the City could consider in the writing of the ordinance.
Life can be challenging. It’s helpful to hear how people have overcome or learned to live with their challenges. That’s the idea behind the “When Relationships Change” program offered free to the public.
The program is scheduled for Thursday, September 28 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing. Emily Rathbone of Waukon will share her inspiring story of battling and defeating addiction, including a stay in prison, and how she is using her experience to help others.
Social hour will begin at 4:30 p.m. with a meal at 5 p.m. immediately followed by Rathbone’s presentation. All are welcome to attend the program. Attendees do not need to be a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church to attend.
Commander Dan Hanson of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the U.S. Post Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 announces the kick-off of this year’s VFW’s Voice of Democracy Scholarship competition. Local high school students have the opportunity to compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and a trip to Washington, D.C.
Prizes and scholarships are awarded at the Post, District, State and National level. All State first-place winners receive a four-day trip to Washington, D.C., to tour the city, be honored by the VFW and its Auxiliary and receive their portion of $171,000 in national awards, the top scholarship being $35,000.
Students must record a three-to-five minute audio essay on a flash drive and submit the recording, typed essay and completed entry form to their local VFW Post by October 31 of this year. The 2023 theme selected is “What are the greatest attributes of our Democracy?”
The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) School Board met for its regular monthly meeting Monday night, September 18. Board member Scott Melcher was absent. The board approved the revised meeting agenda, with the addition of item “G”: Utility Tractor Trade-In under New Business.
Under the Consent Agenda, the following personnel matters were approved (pending a satisfactory background check): staff for Kids Club; an increase in hours for Nancy Snitker; and Jay Schneider as a bus driver.
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering Fall/Halloween Cookie Decorating classes Tuesday, October 24. The youth (Halloween Cookie Decorating) class will run from 3:45-4:45 p.m., and the adult (Fall Cookie Decorating) class will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 3rd Avenue NW.
Those who want to decorate some fun Fall/Halloween cookies will receive some direction, a few tips and a bit of practice with a pastry bag. The class will be taught by Katie Ruff.
The deadline for paid registration is October 17. To register online visit www.nicc.edu/waukon or call NICC Waukon center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.
Junior Dairy Skillathon top finishers ... Among the top finishers in the Iowa State University Extension Junior Dairy Skillathon at the Iowa State Fair were a pair of Allamakee County teams. Pictured above among the top five teams in that competition is the first-place team of Sophia Palmer and Norah Palmer, as well as the second-place team of Landon Guese and Kiele Eberling. Also competing in the Senior Dairy Skillathon but not pictured is Ethan Palmer, who teamed up with Natalie Hamlett of Fayette County to finish third in that competition. Submitted photo.
Swine Skillathon top finishers ... Among the top finishers in the Iowa State University Extension Swine Skillathon at the Iowa State Fair were a pair of Allamakee County teams. Pictured above among the top 10 teams in that competition is the third-place team of Wyatt Baxter and Trudy Baxter, who teamed up with Nolan Gaul of Clayton County, as well as the 10th-place team of Marcus Gebel and Alaina Gebel, who teamed up with Brady Lensing of Chickasaw County. Submitted photo.
This year, 247 youth from 49 Iowa counties participated in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach skillathons for dairy, meat goat, sheep and swine at the Iowa State Fair, which was held in mid-August in Des Moines. The dairy skillathon was August 9, swine and sheep skillathons took place August 13 and a goat skillathon was August 16.
Each skillathon team was comprised of no more than three individuals and the competition included five stations where youth worked together to solve problems and identify dairy, goat, swine or sheep production components. Participants identified feed samples, breeds and meat cuts while answering questions about genetics, nutrients, quality assurance, handling and welfare.
Popping up a pass ... Kee volleyball senior Riley Troendle bumps up a pass in the Hawks’ three-set home sweep of Postville in Upper Iowa Conference play Tuesday, September 12. Troendle popped up 10 digs, served up one ace and pounded out three kills in the match. Photo by Danielle Potter. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
The Kee volleyball team recorded its first two match wins of this season, with both of those victories coming against a Postville squad still in search of its first victory this fall. The first of those triumphs came in Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) dual match play Tuesday, September 12 in sweeping fashion of three sets at home. A repeat of that feat came Saturday, September 16 at the Waukon Tournament, where another Hawk victory over Postville was their lone win in four matches that also included match losses in two sets to eventual tournament pool champion Crestwood, MFL/MarMac and North Crawford, WI.
Kee’s net squad is next scheduled to host Turkey Valley Tuesday, September 19 before traveling to Calmar to take on South Winneshiek Thursday, September 21. The Hawks will then pull another week of double duty, traveling to North Fayette Valley Tuesday, September 26 before hosting Central Elkader Thursday, September 28.
Hammering out a highlight ... Waukon volleyball senior Kloe Hemmersbach smacks an attack past a Riceville block attempt in the Indians’ three-set win over the Wildcats at the Waukon Invitational Saturday, September 16. Hemmersbach swatted out three kills and dug up a pair of saves in the match. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
In its only competition of the week, the Waukon volleyball team played host to its annual Waukon Invitational Tournament Saturday, September 16. The tournament of nine total teams has typically been played in an early session of three pools of three teams in round-robin fashion, with the teams then being placed in a late session bracketed tournament according to their pool play results to play out to final placewinnings.
This season’s tournament, however, would only feature two pools of round-robin play, as limited availability of officials did not allow for the regular tournament format to be played out. Those two pools were split up between one four-team pool that played in an early-morning session of round-robin matches, with the tournament’s five other teams playing in their own round-robin pool later that morning into the afternoon.
