Seven years ago the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative launched the “start somewhere” walk as an opportunity to engage Iowans to join us in making Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. Since 2011, hundreds of thousands of Iowans have walked on the first Wednesday of October and we’ve seen a growing increase in making Iowa communities more walkable. Communities are adopting complete street policies, hiring staff dedicated to incorporating walking, biking and transit in transportation plans and launching walking school buses so kids can walk or bike safely to school.
This year the Healthiest State is reminding Iowans to care for their own health by walking every day by kicking off the Walk more-Connect more campaign in partnership with Walk more-Connect more-NE Iowa.
On October 4 we are challenging Iowans to “get your walk on” so it’s appropriate that we would kick off the challenge with the Corn Days Family Fun Walk/Run in Waukon!
I’m sure that Waukon is full of individual stories about RAGBRAI weekend. Here’s one more:
Because this weekend also included the Waukon Men’s Golf Tournament starting early Saturday morning and we had six participants staying at our house, we had not volunteered to work at RAGBRAI. A lady knocked at our door early Friday afternoon. She was driving the route as her husband, age 72 and participating in his 23rd ride, was scheduled to stay in the library with 45 others. She asked if she could pay us to let him have a shower.
We were happy to take them both in and provide air mattresses for them on our porch. They were a delightful couple from Clinton and joined our group for dinner and breakfast. They left us with a thank you note and $40.
It seems that a 62-year-old cousin, whom I had never met, was also biking across the state. She is a lawyer in international relations, living in Washington D.C. She also joined us for dinner.
Friday, July 28 most of us were fortunate to experience the phenomenon of RAGBRAI. Some were part of the core group that took a leadership role on a planning committee, some hosted folks in their yards or homes, and close to 500 of you stepped forward to volunteer in some capacity Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday of RAGBRAI Waukon.
Add on to that all the good citizens of Allamakee County who helped their church or non-profit with dinners large enough to feed the RAGBRAI masses and we have nothing short of a total community effort to welcome and house these bicycle enthusiasts. I don’t think any of us thought that many people could ride into our lives and back out in just 24 hours.
What is it about owls? The animal has suddenly become one of the hardest working marketing images in the U.S. Owl images on TV sell eyeglasses, cold medicine and are now trip advisors.
Don’t get me wrong. I get the wise old owl thing of big eyes and the rotating heads. I especially enjoy seeing those rare white owls we are fortunate enough to see occasionally in this area. It was awesome to have seen a snowy owl a couple years ago near Effigy Mounds.
However, here’s the owl’s real claim to fame: they can fly virtually silently and eat about 80 pounds of mice per year! As a cat fan, I have thought about that as my feline friends thunder through our house pretending to see a mouse, which is usually a figment of their own imagination.
Gary and Ramona Ward of Waukon will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary August 19. They have four daughters, including Tracy (Dave) Ryan, Denise Ward, Sheryl (Rick) Way and Janice (Jason) Bloxham. The couple also has eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Cards and well wishes may be sent to 606 Second St. SW Apt. D-13, Waukon, IA 52172. The couple requests no gifts.
James and Debra (Cetin) Rixen of Waukon are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. They were married August 20, 1977 at Mater Christi Catholic Church in North Riverside, IL.
Their children include Molly (Jarod) Haberichter of New Hampton, Jordan (Erin) Rixen of Bennet, NE and Jonathan (Jenny) Rixen of St. Paul, MN. Their grandchildren include Kayden and Korine Haberichter, Flynn, Fletcher and Elin Rixen, and Cael, Kiera and Isla Rixen.
In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to: 250 Fourth Street SE, Waukon, IA 52172. The couple requests no gifts.
Mike and Gwen Lloyd of Harpers Ferry wish to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their daughter, Liz Lloyd, originally of Harpers Ferry, to Nick Anderson, originally of Waterloo. The wedding is scheduled for August 19 at St. Raphael’s Cathedral in Dubuque with a reception to follow at Turner Hall in Galena, IL. The couple plans to honeymoon in Europe.
The bride-to-be is a 2005 graduate of Waukon High School and a 2009 graduate of Coe College. She is employed at BerganKDV in Cedar Rapids.
Bonnie and the late Ted Anderson of Waterloo are parents of the groom-to-be. He is a 1999 graduate of Columbus High School and a 2004 graduate of the University of Iowa Paramedic Training Program, and he is currently employed as a Fire Fighter/Paramedic with the City of Waterloo.
Scott Enyart and Kelly and Carl Wille of Waukon, parents of the bride-to-be; Gabriella Roth, daughter of the couple; and Michael and Diane Roth of Waukon, parents of the groom-to-be, wish to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of Jordyn Enyart and Michael Roth, Jr. of Waukon. The wedding ceremony is scheduled for August 19, 2017 at the Waterville Lutheran Church with a reception at the Waukon Banquet Center at 5:30 p.m. and a dance to begin at 8:30 p.m.
The bride-to-be is employed by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office as a Dispatcher and Jailer. The groom-to-be is employed as a Correctional Officer for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in Boscobel, WI.
Rusty and Michael Stram of Monona announce the birth of their son, Bear Charles Stram, born August 2, 2017 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 8 lbs. 8 ozs. and measured 22 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins siblings, Sawyer (6) and Forrest (1).
Grandparents are Calvin and Linda Corlett of McGregor. Great-grandparents are Don and Janet Stram of Prairie du Chien, WI.
