Tuesday, September 30, 2003

COOL WEATHER HAS ARRIVED IN IOWA.... HIGHS ONLY IN UPPER 50'S FOR THE WEEK.

A SHARP FROST IS EXPECTED TOMORROW NIGHT...LOW IN 20'S...AND THAT WILL BE WHAT'S NEEDED TO GET CORN PICKING UNDERWAY AT MOST FARMS.

TOOK A KMAQ TRAVEL BUS TO NASHVILLE LAST WEEK FOR 4 DAYS...FULL BUS...ALL WENT WELL....ALL HAD A GOOD TIME AND WEATHER WAS GOOD. FULL HOUSE FOR THE GRAND OLE OPRY SHOW SATURDAY NIGHT AND MERLE HAGGARD GOT A STANDING OVATION AND SANG HIS NEW HIT SONG, "THE WAR IS OVER". THE NEXT BIG BUS TRIP IS A 4-DAY CHRISTMAS TRIP THE FIRST WEEK IN DECEMBERT, TO BRANSON ....AND THERE ARE STILL SEATS AVAILABLE SHOULD YOU BE INTERESTED.

THE MAQUOKETA CARDINALS LOST THEIR HOMECOMING GAME FRIDAY NIGHT, 43 TO 0. THE TEAM IS NOW 0 AND 4.
THEY PLAY AT GRINNEL THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND WILL GO WITH TWO COMMERCIAL BUSES FOR THE LONG TRIP.

ONE OF OUR CITY COUNCILMEN, TIM CHAPIN, MADE THE NEWS AGAIN. A MONTH OR SO AGO, HE WAS SEEN
"MOONING" SOMEONE IN THE PIT AREA AT THE STOCK CAR RACES. A LETTER-TO-THE EDITOR LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THAT. LAST WEEK, IT WAS MADE PUBLIC LOCALLY BY KMAQ, THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN A THEFT IN A QUAD CITIES STORE. YESTERDAY, HE FAXED A PRESS RELEASE TO KMAQ ADMITTING HE DID WRONG IN THE INCIDENT AT MENARD'S IN DAVENPORT LAST JUNE....A CHARGE OF THEFT IN THE FOURTH DEGREE. HIS NEWS RELEASE SAID .."I DEEPLY REGRET THE INCIDENT AND I HAVE TAKEN FULL REPONSIBILITY FOR IT BY ENTERING A GUILTY PLEA. I APOLOGIZE TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS FOR THE INCIDENT. I INTEND TO CONTINUE AS COUNCILPERSON-AT-LARGE FOR THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA. I ENJOY SERVING THE CITIZENS OF MAQUOKETA AND I FEEL I HAVE MADE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION." HE IS RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER AND IS BEING OPPOSED BY FORMER COUNCIMAN, NEAL MOREHEAD. HE HAS A GARAGE DOOR BUSINESS IN MAQUOKETA.

NEW OFFICERS WERE INSTALLED LAST WEEK FOR THE MAQUOKETA OPTIMIST CLUB. BOB KORANDA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT, BRUCE DYKSTRA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT-ELECT, ARNOLD KORANDA IS THE NEW VICE-PRESIDENT, AND VERA RANDAL WAS RE-ELECTED SECRETARY-TREASURER. THE CLUB MEETS FOR BREAKFAST EVERY WEDNESDAY AT FLAPJACK RESTAURANT. THE FIRST PRESIDENT BACK IN 1961 WAS DUB ROMER.

JOHN KERRY IS COMING TO MAQUOKETA AT 5 P.M. THURSDAY, AND WILL BE AT THE NEW COMFORT INN TO GREET SUPPORTER FOR A COUPLE HOURS. THE EVENT IS BEING HOSTED BY STATE SENATOR ROGER STEWART.

THE HAMILTON FARM HOUSE JUST WEST OF THE 61-64 INTERSECTION WAS TORN DOWN THIS WEEK. THE BARN REMAINS FOR NOW. HOWARD GARLICK KEEPS HIS HORSES THERE. THAT CORNER IS NOW ONE OF THE PRIME LOCATIONS FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN MAQUOKETA. THE PROPERTY, ABOUT 15 ACRES, IS OWNED BY MAYOR TOM MESSERLI, HIS MOTHER IN CLINTON (WHO GREW UP IN MAQUOEKTA AS A HAMILTON) AND BY A SISTER IN BELLEVUE.

BOB THOMAS IS A NEW MEMBER OF THE JACKSON COUNTY HOSPITAL BOARD, REPLACING PASTOR GERALD GJERDE WHO MOVED TO DEWITT. THOMAS CAME TO TOWN YEARS AGO TO BE THE MANAGER FOR THE BEN FRANKLIN STORE FOR THE THEN OWNER, VERN BEATY. HE CURRENTLY SELLS BLUE CROSS HEALTH INSURANCE.

BIG BOWLING EVENT THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN MAQUOKETA. OVER A HUNDRED BOWLERS FROM AROUND THE STATE WILL BE HERE FOR THE EVENT. IT IS FOR ANYONE WHO IS AN OFFICER OF A LEAGUE.

THE CLASS OF 88 HAD A REUNION THIS PAST WEEKEND AND PICTURES TAKEN ARE ON THE CLASS WEB SITE AT
www.maquoketa.com/classof88.

STARTING THIS WEDNESDAY, THE WEDNESDAY MAQUOKETA SENINTEL-PRESS, LIKE THE SATURDAY ONE, WILL BE
TABLOID SIZE.

WILMA REICHLING WON $45 YESTERDAY IN THE KMAQ BUMPER STICKER PROMOTION. HER LATE HUSBAND WAS DUDE...LONGTIME GAS STATION OWNER.

THERE WERE NO MAQUOKETA DEATHS THE LAST FEW DAYS.

MAQUOKETA HAS A FEW CUBS FANS...AND THEY'RE HAPPY. ONE IS GLEN CARAWAY. ANOTHER IS JEFF BROWN.
THERE PROBABLY ARE A COUPLE OTHERS.

TOMORROW, JIMMY SAUNDERS CELEBRATES HIS 15TH ANNIVERSARY AS AN ANNOUNCER HERE AT KMAQ.
WE ARE HAVING A LUNCHEON PARTY FOR HIM TOMORROW AT NOON.

BRAD DEERY MOTORS IS HAVING A SLASHER SALE THIS SATURDAY. YOU PICK OUT THE USED CAR YOU WANT FRIDAY NIGHT. THEN EARLY SATURDAY MORNING, YOU SIT IN THAT CAR WITH THE HOPE OF GETTING IT AT A VERY BIG BARGAIN...LIKE MAYBE JUST $99. BRINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TOWN. I THINK THEY HOPE TO SELL 300 CARS...NOT SURE ABOUT THAT NUMBER.

CANDIDATE SIGNS ARE STARTING TO GO UP AROUND TOWN....ELECTION TIME IS GETTING CLOSER.

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT.

DENNIS VOY