Photos above and below provide evidence and memories of the trip to Europe taken by local resident Jean Hagen 80 years ago when she was a junior in high school. Hagen, then Jean Raymond, won the trip through a scholarship opportunity through the Maytag Corporation in her hometown of Newton. Pictured above are stickers she collected on her suitcase during the journey, and in the photo below are letters she wrote her mother during the trip, along with other memorabilia and a notebook she wrote in, Hagen still having all of these items from her journey in 1937. Photos by Brianne Eilers.
by Brianne Eilers
Members of the Thursday Club were recently taken on a trip down memory lane by area resident Jean Hagen as she recounted her trip to Europe that took place between July 6 and September 1, 1937. Jean grew up in Newton, which at that time was home to the Maytag Corporation that produced laundry appliances. Her father had died unexpectedly due to complications from an accident when Jean was young, so it was just Jean, her mother and her sister growing up.
A scholarship was offered by Fred Maytag, Jr., son of the founder of the Maytag Corporation, to a high school junior, offering a selected student an opportunity to travel to Europe and then give presentations on their experience when they returned to the United States. Jean was the recipient of said scholarship in 1937.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, May 8 to address a full agenda of items, including the discussion and consideration of a Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) ordinance pertaining to vendors outside of city limits, recognizing May 8-13 as Economic Development Week and an update for County Social Services (CSS).
During Public Comments, Allamakee County ATV/UTV Club President Chip Lamb addressed the Supervisors regarding the County ATV/UTV Ordinance. Lamb provided three examples from other counties and discussed the ATV/UTV Club's request for the ability to access the nearest gravel road via County blacktop and the recent legislative changes allowing the crossing of State roads. Dennis Blocker of the ATV/UTV Club discussed the need for access to the Driftless Education and Visitors Center and the ability to enter and exit Lansing by ATV.
Cadillac Caring Services, LLC, a new business venture by Waukon native Peggy Sivesind providing private driver and companion travel services, recently received a First Dollar Visit from the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. Pictured above at the First Dollar presentation are, left to right, Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors member Dan Headington, Waukon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stephanie Dugan, Cadillac Caring Services, LLC founder and owner Peggy Sivesind, and Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors members Sherrie Hunstad and Tyler Halverson. Submitted photo.
An idea that Waukon native Peggy Sivesind first thought of about 20 years ago while venturing out into the working world was recently able to be put in drive, literally, following her return to her hometown. Now that idea, Cadillac Caring Services, LLC, has Sivesind driving around in style, and taking others along for the ride - almost anywhere they want to go.
"I first came up with this idea over 20 years ago, but as I moved back to my hometown with a smaller population, I saw such a strong need for this type of service," Sivesind explained of the personal driver and travel companion services she offers. "Also, I need to do something that feeds my soul."
The Northeast Iowa Drug Task Force, in its quest to make area communities a safer and drug free place, wanted to make the public aware of its latest endeavor. With the assistance of numerous volunteers, the Northeast Iowa Drug Task Force participated in the National Prescription Drop Off Day Event Saturday, April 29.
Participation in that Saturday, April 29 event yielded 830 pounds of prescription medications. The purpose of these events is to keep medications out of the hands of people who may misuse or abuse them, especially youth. Prescription drug abuse is a growing epidemic in America; it is one of the fastest growing threats to youth today.
The following agencies participated and are members of the Northeast Iowa Drug Task Force:
In February of this year, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon began switching over its electronic medical records and financial records to AthenaHealth. VMH Administrator Mike Myers noted that during the most recent board of trustees meeting, a financial report for the month of March was not available to share due to some initial "hiccups" in the process of switching over those records.
Myers noted that the hospital did have someone coming in to help sort out the issue and get things back on track to be able to generate reports. The hospital is also looking at putting in a time attendance system to merge with AthenaHealth to try and streamline payroll.
The Ferryville Tourism Council and the Mississippi Valley Conservancy are hosting the annual International Spring Migration Day Hike at Sugar Creek Bluff Natural Area Saturday, May 13. Hikers are invited to gather at the Ferryville Village Hall, along the Great River Road, Hwy. 35, at the south end of the Village of Ferryville between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Treats, handouts and a sign-in will be available at the village hall, and then the group will carpool to the trailhead for the 8 a.m. hike.
This hike is a celebration of the Bird City Wisconsin program. The International Spring Migration Day aspect of the hike recognizes that the warblers, orioles, tanagers and other neo tropical migrants have traveled for weeks from their winter homes in Central America. Some will stay in the local area along the Mississippi River Flyway during the summer months and nest here, and others will continue to travel further north to nest and rear their young.
“Rummage Along the River” is a 70-mile garage sale extravaganza that winds along Highway 35, Wisconsin’s Great River Road. The event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Stoddard, Genoa, the Bad Axe, De Soto, Ferryville and Lynxville are the river towns, and shoppers can also swing up County E to Highway 27 and Seneca and Mt. Sterling.
New for 2017 is the website for information on sales, which can be found at www.rummagealongtheriver.com. A map of the sales can also be found there to be printed off.
The Highway 82 "dike walkers" crew from De Soto, WI completed another difficult but successful cleaning of the rock embankments along the highway. This portion of the Wisconsin highway has been adopted by Friends of Pool 9 and is cleaned every year by the group. Submitted photo.
Jerry Boardman (a.k.a. the "buoy man") pulls four buoys at once to a Coast Guard Day Marker for pick-up during the annual Friends of Pool 9 2017 river clean-up held Saturday, April 29. on the Mississippi River. He and Don Lathrop pulled out a record 18 buoys during this year's clean-up effort. Submitted photo.
submitted by Friends of Pool 9
More than 100 volunteers gathered to clean the Mississippi River during the annual Friends of Pool 9 River Clean-Up Day Saturday, April 29. It proved to be a somewhat cooler and more uncomfortable day (especially compared to the previous weekend) with temperatures on the river around 40 degrees and a brisk east wind blowing.
Volunteers had begun work on the river the week before with the Heytman crew gathering their debris and vacated docks at the landing. Jerry Boardman and Don Lathrop pulled a record 18 red and green buoys from the backwater, and others had also dropped off river debris at the Lansing location on the Brennan riverfront property in preparation.
The Northeast Iowa Choral Directors Association Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir was held Tuesday, April 25 at the Williams Performing Arts Center in Oelwein. The concert took place at 7 p.m. and was open to the public. Mr. Aaron Hansen and Mrs. Luanne Rogers were the guest directors for the two choirs. Thirty-six area schools and churches participated, involving a total of 251 students. Mrs. Sarah Schacherer, PreK-6 general music teacher for the Allamakee Community School District, was honored to take the following singers, pictured above, to the event: Left to right - Fifth graders Keira Miller, Olivia Bossom and Natalie Byrnes, sixth graders Paige Hansmeier and Grace Solberg, and fifth graders Justin Murphy, Caleb Perkins and Rowen Althof. Submitted photo.
Community came together once again at East Elementary Kids Club in Waukon, this time to put on a Bike Rodeo for students. Ashley Christensen of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, Andrew Blair of Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative, Karen Cooper, Traci Byrnes and Barb Shull from the local RAGBRAI® Ride Right Committee, and Tami Gebel, Stef Perkins and Nicki Smedsrud from the Parent Group PSST (Parents Supporting Students and Teachers) all participated in making it an enjoyable and educational event. Hardees in Waukon donated cookie coupons to participants, and students from Waukon Middle School also joined the Kids Club group for the day. Students learned the proper way to approach another bicyclist, pass and ride an obstacle course. They were also able to make smoothies with the Bicycle Blender.
