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Waukon Trees Forever was recently honored as an Outstanding Community Organization by the Iowa Urban Tree Council. The award presentation was made Thursday, April 6 at the 27th Annual Urban Forestry Awards Luncheon in Des Moines. Pictured above at that award presentation are, left to right, Paul Tauke, State Forester; Dr. Ken and Sharon Olson and Mary and Joe Cunningham, representing Waukon Trees Forever; and Heath Ellis, President of the Iowa Urban Tree Council.

Waukon Trees Forever will hold its annual spring planting Saturday, April 29. Volunteers are asked to gather at the large parking lot at the Wellness Center at 9 a.m. Plans call for planting about 80 trees at several sites around the city. A shovel  and work gloves are about the only tools needed. Work will consist of planting trees and mulching them. Everyone is invited to help with the project.

Contributions from local businesses and individuals have provided a big step forward, and a pathway, literally, for many steps, in preparing the Stone Schoolhouse in Lansing to host visitors this spring in celebration of Lansing's Sesquicentennial. Brennan Construction, Croell Redi-Mix Concrete and Wally Mahr contributed a combination of labor and materials for building a sidewalk and ramp to the main entrance of the schoolhouse to provide for easier access this spring. Submitted photo.
 

The children of former Lansing resident Lynn Lange recently made a $2,500 donation in memory of their mother to the Lansing Lions Club Playground Enhancement Project at the Sports Complex in Lansing. Pictured, left to right, are Travis Meyers, Lansing Playground Honorary Campaign Chairman Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg, Sarah Lange and Cole Lange. Ground breaking for the playground project is anticipated to be taking place in the middle of May. Submitted photo.
 

Mother River is ready to start spring cleaning and Friends of Pool 9 (FOP9) will be there to help, but they can’t do it alone.

Since 2004, FOP9 has sponsored a spring river clean-up day. Since that year, over 130,000 pounds of debris has been collected. This wasn’t done by just a few volunteers.  Over 7,000 volunteer hours, including 890 last year, have gone into this project saving approximately $140,000 in work related costs. Last year alone, 13,000 pounds of accumulated garbage was harvested.

Young and old, fathers, mothers, grandparents and kids are urged to join Friends of Pool 9 Saturday, April 29 in this clean-up endeavor.  Both people and boats are needed. Participants gather at the Lansing VFW building on Front Street in Lansing at 7:30 a.m. for registration, orientation, clean-up assignments and to collect clean-up supplies.  Canvas gloves, garbage bags and water are provided.

by B.J. Tomlinson

The Lansing City Council met in its regular session Monday night, April 17. De Soto, WI resident Lynn David, a water aerobics instructor, addressed the Council regarding the Lansing Swimming Pool. David said 284 people attended the water aerobics program last year and drew participants from several surrounding communities. Lansing Mayor Mike Brennan said that the City is still hopeful that employees can be found so that the pool will open again this year. "So far," Brennan said, "no applications have been received."   Lansing City Clerk Katie Becker said that wages didn't seem to be the issue, as Lansing pays the highest wages for lifeguards in the area.

After having its first two meets of the season postponed, the Waukon girls golf team was finally able to get out on the links for a pair of back-to-back nights of competition, defeating two of three teams the Indians faced. The Lady Indians started their season off on a high note with a 197-241 home triumph over Waverly-Shell Rock Monday, April 10 before shooting a 211 at home Tuesday, April 11 to finish between North Fayette Valley’s 203 and MFL/MarMac’s 260.

The Waukon golf girls were scheduled to take part in their busiest week of the season, hosting Decorah Monday, April 17 and playing at Caledonia, MN Tuesday, April 18 and at Sumner-Fredericksburg Thursday, April 20 before making up a postponed April 3 home date with South Winneshiek Friday, April 21. The golf Tribe will then host both Crestwood, Monday, April 24, and New Hampton, Friday, April 28.

The Kee girls track team worked its way through its most difficult week of the season, both in competition and otherwise. A schedule of three track meets in four nights proved difficult enough, but the Lady Hawks also mixed in their final farewells to a fallen former teammate, last season’s lone senior on the track team Erin Rud. Despite that most difficult week, the Kee track girls battled their way to a second-place finish at the West Central Invitational hosted by Oelwein High School Monday, April 10 before finishing fourth in a limited slate at the Waukon Early Bird Invitational Tuesday, April 11 and then finishing up the week in third place at the MFL/MarMac Invitational Thursday, April 13, setting a couple school records along the way.

The Waukon boys track team battled to near opposite ends of the spectrum this past week, a more complete team yielding much better results for the track Tribe later in the week. The Indians posted a sixth-place finish out of eight teams at the Decorah Invitational Monday, April 10 before battling to a team championship at the New Hampton Invitational Thursday, April 13.

The Indians were next scheduled to return to Decorah Monday, April 17 for the third consecutive week for the Viking Relays before hosting their own Indian Relays Friday, April 21, details of which can be found elsewhere in a shaded box in the print or e-editiopn of The Standard. The track Tribe is then scheduled to compete at the Oelwein Invitational Tuesday, April 25 for its only meet next week.

The Waukon girls track team found home, sweet home this past week in its pair of meets, the track Tribe winning its own Early Bird Invitational Tuesday, April 11 with a whopping 154 team points. The Lady Indians traveled to New Hampton later in the week, Thursday, April 13, to finish fifth.

The Indians were next scheduled to travel to Crestwood Tuesday, April 18 and then to the North Fayette Valley Invitational in West Union Friday, April 21 before preparing for their own Indian Relays home invitational Tuesday, April 25 and then competing at MFL/MarMac Thursday, April 27. Further details of the track Tribe’s own Indian Relays can be found in a shaded box elsewhere in the print or e-edition of The Standard.

A Memorial Service will be held for Inge English Monday, April 24 at 2 p.m. at Northgate Care Center, located at 960 Fourth Street NW in Waukon. Inge was born June 30, 1926 and passed away March 4, 2017.