Ronnie and Nancy (Pufahl) Adam of rural Monona will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary July 30. The couple was married at the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon Saturday, July 30, 1960 by Rev. Tjaden.
They are the parents of three sons, Reggie (Robin), Craig (Renae) and Rod. They have four grandchildren including Tiffany (Ted), Spencer, Corey and Emily (Cody), and two great-grandchildren, Avery and Tade.
In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to 660 Big Foot Road, Monona, IA 52159.
Todd and Brianne Leikvold of Waukon announce the birth of their daughter, Irelynn Lee Leikvold, born July 9, 2020 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 7 lbs. 8 ozs. and measured 22 inches. She joins siblings, Gannon (5), Kellen (4) and Piper (2).
Grandparents are Brian and Karen Burke of Dorchester and Lyle and Cindy Leikvold of Waukon. Great-grandparents are Fran Fahey and LeOtia Flage, both of Waukon.
Brandon and Carly O’Neill of Harpers Ferry announce the birth of their son, Hank Patrick O’Neill, born July 11, 2020 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 8 lbs. 12 ozs. and measured 21-1/4 inches. He joins sisters, Maren (4) and Blaire (18 months).
Grandparents are Pat and Sally O’Neill of Harpers Ferry and Rob and Nita Grangaard of Waterville. Great-grandparents are Eleanor and the late Steve O’Neill, Shelby and the late Richard Weber, Orrin and Nancy Grangaard and the late Bob and Bernie Heffern.
I would like to share some facts and information with the public about the Freedom Rock.
It is my understanding that Ardie Kuhse commissioned the artist (Bubba Sorensen) to do a Freedom Rock for “us” here in Allamakee County. Ardie submitted a lot of the requirements needed to start the Freedom Rock project. She says she started this project back in 2016.
With that being said, only a few choice people heard about it until recently when its deadline is fast approaching. She mentioned previously about putting it in her husband’s hometown but was persuaded out of that and into putting it in the county seat, which is Waukon. She has a place picked out at our city park. She noted there was a lot of parking, restrooms, picnic areas along with space to develop and enhance the scope (landscaping) of the tourism project.
Do you have or know someone in a nursing home? Are they allowing any type of visits?
I agree that we need to take COVID-19 seriously. In the beginning, it was necessary to lock down nursing homes. However, we cannot lock people up for five months, plus how much longer and merely say, “We’re doing this for your safety.”
Long-term isolation is detrimental to everyone, especially the elderly. The elderly are at a high risk for physical and mental decline if forced to live in isolation away from those who are most important to them.
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season – No MCM work on CRP acres
May 26 - August 28: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Signup
July 15: Crop Certification
September 30: PLC Yield Update
Nominations Open for the 2020 County Committee Elections
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages all eligible farmers, ranchers, and FSA program participants to take part in the Allamakee County Committee election nomination process. The 2020 election is in LAA-2 which includes producers in Ludlow, Jefferson, Post, Franklin, Linton, and Fairview townships.
FSA’s county committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.
Wally Mahr, an organic farmer near Dorchester, fabricated the seeder, pictured above and below, for the interseeding of crops to prevent erosion and improve soil health. Submitted photos.
Submitted by Eric Novey, Project Coordinator, SWCD
A local organic farmer is reducing erosion and improving soil health on cropland he farms near Dorchester. He tried interseeding into growing corn for the first time this year.
Wally Mahr said he hopes to reduce erosion, suppress weeds, and improve his soil health by interseeding. Mahr got the idea to try interseeding into growing corn from attending meetings with a group of local organic farmers. With the help of some online research he fabricated his own seeder.
It was constructed from a used Lilliston rotary cultivator he purchased in western Minnesota for $800. It required about $3,000 in maintenance to update its worn bearings. Then he located a used Gandy air seeder box for $3,500. After adding a drive wheel, it was ready for use.
Following the first two weeks of July that combined for a double-digit increase in confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 - with 15 new cases reported from July 1-13, Allamakee County was originally reported by the State of Iowa as having just one new case confirmed during this past week, July 14-20, on the State’s daily website update at www.coronavirus.iowa.gov.
However, a late Monday, July 20 update from the Allamakee County Public Health Department reported notification of another new case being confirmed that day. Prior to that Monday, July 20 update by Allamakee County Public Health, the single new confirmed case for the previous week was reported Thursday, July 16 and was a midpoint blemish between four days prior and four days following where no new confirmed cases had been reported for Allamakee County.
Allamakee County Freedom Rock now in place ... A large boulder was placed by crews from Bruening Rock Products early Friday morning, July 17 in the Waukon City Park to serve as the canvas for Allamakee County’s Freedom Rock to be painted by famed artist Ray “Bubba” Sorenson in mid-August. After several years of organizing and the last couple years spent searching for a suitable rock, this large piece of Iowa’s geographic history soon to honor Allamakee County Veterans’ history was found in a Mason City quarry and hauled to its new home in Allamakee County by Caledonia Haulers, with driver Ken Mark of Waukon also donating his time to haul the rock. The rock will become part of Sorenson’s Freedom Rock Tour in all 99 Iowa counties that serves to both honor America’s Veterans and also promote tourism in Iowa, with plans to further enhance the area surrounding the rock with suitable landscaping and other aspects honoring Allamakee County Veterans and promoting additional area attractions. Noticeable in the background of the above photo, one of the most honorable aspects of the Allamakee County Freedom Rock location is its proximity to Oakland Cemetery just across the State Highway 9/76 entrance into Waukon, where many such area veterans these Freedom Rocks are designed to honor now lie in rest following their contributions to this nation’s freedoms, and where the Waukon Memorial Day program is held each year. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
“Canvas” for Iowa artist Bubba Sorenson arrives at Waukon City Park, painting to begin in August
After years of waiting, this year marks Allamakee County’s turn to get its Freedom Rock as part of an overall honoring and tourism idea formulated by Iowa artist Ray Sorenson.
Back in 1999, Ray Sorensen (better known as Bubba) painted his first Freedom Rock in Menlo, which is located in Adair County in Iowa. He was encouraged to continue with the project, which really took off after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Sorenson decided to paint 99 Freedom Rocks across the state of Iowa - one for each county. As he was traveling from county to county painting the rocks, he came up with the idea to work with the State of Iowa to create a tourism draw with the rocks by promoting the “Freedom Rock” Tour.
Thursday evening, July 16, leaders from the Waukon community and Allamakee County were invited by Hy-Vee and Dollar Fresh officials to a “sneak-peek” ribbon cutting event at the new Dollar Fresh store that held its grand opening for the public the very next morning, Friday, July 17 in the former Shopko store location in southwest Waukon. Pictured above at that ribbon cutting are a number of those community and county leaders standing with Dollar Fresh Waukon store manager Matt Kundert as he cuts the ribbon, along with Hy-Vee District Director Jeremy Low and members of the Waukon store’s management team.
