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Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
 
As I picked up my youngest from her last day of school a few weeks ago at Growing Bear, one of the other moms that was there to pick up her child came up to me as I signed out my baby from preschool and said,
“Girl, these babies have grown so much over this last year…and have you lost weight?!”

Now this woman like most could easily see the growth of any of the kids in that school since the start of the year, but she could not have known how hard I have been working to achieve my own fitness goals. And she most certainly couldn’t have known how much simply noticing would mean to me.

And yet, she said something none the less.

I laughed and said, “Well if strangers are noticing, I must be doing something right.”

And this is where the story took a turn…

To the Editor:

Perhaps fellow readers can tell me what is really good for what? Is catnip really okay for cats? Does Juicy Fruit gum really kill moles? Does baking soda water and honey really help to fight cancer? How much sleep should you really get at night?

There are probably more than a million suggestions and recommendations out there without really any proof for them. Lets face it, what self-respecting scientist is going to put a camera in a mole hole to determine if the Juicy Fruit really killed a hungry mole?

What really bothers me is when folks present fix-it facts that are accompanied by an attitude of attitude like, “Oh really, you didn’t you know?” Maybe these are now being referred to as ‘alternative facts’.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• May 15 – August 1: Primary Nesting Season
• July 15 – 2017 Crop Reports (FSA 578)   
• July 1 – Sept. 30: Sign up for the 2018 MPP Dairy Program
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

Crop Reporting
The Allamakee County FSA office welcomes all county farmers to come in and report their 2017 crops.  Certifying your crops is a requirement for many FSA programs. This includes all spring planted crops and land uses. Forages and pastures were to be reported last fall, and if you missed that deadline, we will be asking for that report now and collecting a late fee. 100% of the farm must be reported to be eligible for programs. Please report what is planted on your farm by the deadline of July 15.

Fayette County 4-H’ers at the Growing Greener 4-H Greenhouse and the Steinlage family at Flolo Farms will host soil health expert and conservation agronomist Ray Archuleta for two field days- one focused on youth activities and another geared toward professional farmers.

Ray Archuleta is known around the world for his analysis of soils under different tillage systems and his promotion of healthy soils and conservation tillage systems, and is known affectionately by farmers around the world as “Ray the Soils Guy.” He has 25 years of experience with the USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service across the United States, and has lectured internationally.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey encourages Iowa hay and straw producers to register or update their listing on the Iowa Hay and Straw Directory.  The directory lists Iowa producers with hay and straw for sale, as well as organizations and businesses associated with promoting and marketing quality hay and straw.

“The directory has been a great tool for both buyers and sellers and we hope farmers will take the time to review and update their information so that it remains a valuable resource,” Northey said.  “This directory can serve as a critical link for those producing hay and those looking to buy, so we encourage Iowans to take advantage of this free directory.”

The listing is available to interested buyers throughout the nation, however only sellers from within Iowa can be included on the list.

JT Olson returning to native Allamakee County to share story June 29 at Old East Paint Creek

by Kelli Boylen
freelance writer

Jeff (JT) Olson knows what it is to be an orphan.

He clearly remembers the day his parents died. He was 12 year old, and his parents had been away for their 16th wedding anniversary. He was excited to be reunited with his brothers, sisters and parents.

He then learned his parents, Othello and Lora Mae Olson, had been killed in a car accident on their way back to their rural Harpers Ferry home on the Lansing-Harpers Road.

He also remembers the family members who took care of him and his four siblings, John, Jim, Julie and Jerene. A widowed aunt took care of the three oldest children so they could finish out the school year at Waukon Junior High, and then all five children moved to Brookfield, WI with their aunt and uncle, Ralph and Marie Ann Seifert.

Waukon RAGBRAI hosting Town Meeting June 28; All are encouraged to attend

The Waukon RAGBRAI Committees will be hosting a Town Meeting Wednesday, June 28 from 6-7 p.m. at Iron Ridge Church, located at 512 Ninth Street SW in Waukon. Residents and others interested from all communities in the Allamakee County area, including the pass-through and final destination towns, are invited to attend the meeting.

More specific details will be presented about RAGBRAI's overnight stay in Waukon, including information about road closures and layout of the entertainment and other venues in downtown Waukon. Additional information will address volunteer and rider hosting opportunities, as well as funding and other logistical information. Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to ask questions in regard to RAGBRAI and its July 28-29 visit to Allamakee County.

Lori Egan, a nurse from Waukon, has announced her candidacy to represent the Iowa House of Representatives 56th District, which includes all of Allamakee County and parts of Clayton County.

“I’m running for the Iowa House because Clayton and Allamakee counties are being forgotten by the politicians in Des Moines,” Egan said. “As a 30-year resident of Waukon and a nurse, I'm concerned about the future of working families and our community. I’m running because economic opportunity should not be limited to those in Des Moines. We need living wage jobs with benefits right here in Clayton and Allamakee counties. We need health care that is affordable and accessible and we need an education system that provides our kids with the skills they’ll need to land a good job."

Egan is currently the Health Programs Director at the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC). Previously she served as a nurse with the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, WI.

Allamakee County Farm Bureau (ACFB) recently held a food drive to help stock the Allamakee County Food Shelf. Collection bins were placed at Quillin’s and Fareway grocery stores in Waukon. At the end of the drive, 80 pounds of food was collected. ACFB also donated one dollar for every pound of food collected. Pictured above, ACFB Vice President Lars Palmer (left) delivered the food to the Allamakee County Food Shelf, where Food Shelf Co-Director Wayne Burk (right) was on hand to accept the donation. Submitted photo.
 

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, June 19 to address a variety of matters, including the Spring Avenue spring leak, Aveka noise and smell concerns and Hairball’s pyrotechnics display during the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®).

During Public Comments, Jesse Delaney of 403 Seventh Avenue SE in Waukon addressed the Council regarding the paving of his street. Delaney commented that his home is one of the few, if not only, homes on a gravel  road within city limits. Delaney expressed interest in improving and paving his driveway and connecting it to a paved street in front of his property. The Council agreed to research and consider the matter.