MOSTLY CLOUDY AND COOL TODAY.
MAQUOKETA RECORDED ITS FIRST SNOW FALL THIS PAST WEEK...ABOUT 2 INCHES.

I MISSED IT BECAUSE I WAS WITH KMAQ BUS AT BRANSON. NANCY AND I HOSTED THE 4-DAY TRIP THAT ENDED AT ABOUT 6 FRIDAY NIGHT. IT WAS A NICE TRIP AND WE HAD NO PROBLEMS.
SAW SOME GOOD SHOWS AND HAD A LOT OF GOOD FOOD. BRANSON WAS BUSY, BUT DOWN FROM THE PREVIOUS 2 WEEKS.
DON AND CARMILLA WITT OF DEWITT CELEBRATED THEIR 61ST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ON THE TRIP. WARREN AND ROSEANN ROBERTS WENT WITH US.
BOTH NOW RETIRED, HE FROM TEACHING AND SHE FROM BEAUTY SHOPPE. DALE AND ETTA KOON WERE ALONG AGAIN AND HAD A GOOD TIME. ARLA EDWARDS AND HER FRIEND FROM BELLEVUE WERE ON THE 3RD TRIP THIS YEAR WITH US.
ARLENE MCCUTCHEON ENJOYED HER FIRST TRIP TO BRANSON AND THERE WERE A FEW OTHERS FROM MAQUOKETA.

THE MAQUOKETA BOYS ARE 0 AND 2 IN BASKETBALL, LOOSING TO CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON TUESDAY NIGHT AND TO DUBUQUE SENIOR AT HOME FRIDAY NIGHT. THE GIRLS DID NOT PLAY THIS WEEK AND THE WRESTLERS LOST
TWICE THURSDAY NIGHT....TO CLINTON AND NORTH SCOTT AND BOTH TEAM SCORES WERE VERY CLOSE.

NOT A LOT OF NEWS WHILE WE WERE GONE. MIRIAM "MIM"(MELVOLD) BROWN, WHO HAS BEEN THE HEAD OF THE MAQUOKETA HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS WAS FIRED BY HER BOARD BECAUSE SHE TOLD THE BOARD SHE HAD TAKEN ABOUT $50,000 OF THE AUTHORITY'S FUNDS THE PAST FISCAL YEAR DATING BACK TO 2002.

NO LOCAL DEATHS DURING THE WEEK.

THE MAQUOKETA OPTIMIST CLUB IS SELLING CHRISTMAS TREES AGAIN IN THE MCDONALD'S PARKING LOT. YOUR CHOICE, $25 A TREE.

THE NEW CONVENIENCE STORE IS GOING UP FAST BEHIND THE NEW FAMILY DOLLAR STORE...IT WILL ALSO HAVE A SINGLE BAY DRIVE-THRU CAR WASH.

LAST NIGHT WAS JUDY BOWLING'S LAST NIGHT AT THE LOFT WITH FREE CAKE FOR EVERYONE.

KEN MOORE IS BUILDING A LARGE BUILDING ON EAST PLATT, NEXT TO THE DEPOT. THE FRONT WILL HAVE A SMALL ANTIQUE STORE. BEHIND IT WILL BE A COUPLE OFFICES AND TO THE REAR, STORAGE BUILDINGS. HE ALSO NOW OWNS THE 4-UNIT APARTMENT HOUSE JUST TO THE EAST. I HEARD THAT HE HAS NEARLY 250 RENTAL APARTMENTS IN THE AREA.

A NEW STREET IS GRADED AT THE NORTH EDGE OF MAQUOKETA, ALONG THE RIVER AND QUITE A FEW HOMES ARE TO BE PUT UP ON THE STREET NEXT YEAR. ALSO, THE CITY ACCEPTED A $100,000 REAP GRANT TO BUILD A WALKING TRAIL ALONG THE RIVER. THE CITY HAS TO MATCH THE GRANT AND THE TRAIL WILL BE COMPLETED NO LATER THAN 2005.
IT WILL CONNECT UP WITH THE NEW TRAIL THAT NEARLY SURRONDS THE CITY. SOMETDAY THE FINISHED WALKING TRAIL WILL COMPLETELY SURROND THE CITY. IT IS ABOUT 5 FEET WIDE IN MOST PLACES AND THERE ARE RESTING BENCHES ALONG THE WAY.
SO FAR THOUGH, I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF USE OF THE TRAIL. I THINK IT WILL BE NICE WHEN ONE CAN FINIALLY VIEW THE MAQUOKETA RIVER OTHER THAN FROM THE BRIDGES OVER IT OR BY BOAT.
SO, I THINK THE TRAIL ALONG THE RIVER WILL GET A LOT OF USE WHEN FINISHED.

THE HOSPITAL IS GOING TO HAVE A FANCY NEW FRONT ENTRANCE. THEY ARE WORKING ON IT NOW. THE ROOF OF IT WILL BE ALL GLASS.

RUMOR HAS IT...A NEW POPULAR PIZZA PLACE IS COMING TO TOWN.

THE MAQUOKETA ROTARY CITIZEN OF THE WEEK THIS PAST WEEK WAS DOLORES KLEIN AND THIS COMING WEEK, DOROTHY JONES WILL BE HONORED FOR HER COMMUNITY WORK TOO...AS CITIZEN OF THE WEEK. CHECK THAT WEB SITE EVERY WEEK.

BIG DANCE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS TONIGHT WITH MUSIC BY THE DALE THOMAS BAND....SPONSORED BY THE FAIRBOARD.

THE OWNER OF LINK HYDRAULICS IN DUBUQUE WAS KILLED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT IN FLORIDA THIS WEEK.
ALSO KILLED, HIS GIRLFRIEND. BOTH LIVED IN BERNARD.

IOWA BASKETBALL TEAM IS 6 AND 0.

DUBUQUE WILL GET A NEW MIDWEST LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM TO MOVE TO TOWN FROM MICHIGAN IF VOTERS THIS WEEK APPROVE A BOND ISSUE FOR A NEW STADIUM....A 16-MILLION DOLLAR STADIUM....TO BE FUNDED SEVERAL DIFFERENTS WAYS. LOTS SUPPORTING THE VOTE AND MANY ALSO AGAINST.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

DENNIS VOY