PARTLY SUNNY, WINDY AND IN THE 70'S TODAY.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR JACKSON COUNTY DROPPED A LITTLE IN MARCH.
IT WAS THEN AT 7.8 PERCENT, DOWN FROM 8.1 IN FEBRUARY AND 9 A YEAR AGO MARCH.

THE JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL "VOLUNTEERS" LUNCHEON WAS HELD OVER THE NOON HOUR TODAY AT THE MAQUOKETA COUNTRY CLUB AND I WAS THERE.
FLANKED BY JEAN BUCHNER TO MY LEFT AND KELLY GERLACH TO MY RIGHT. JEAN IS
THE WIDOW OF LONGTIME MAQUOKETA PHARMACIST JIM BUCHNER AND IS A VERY TALENTED VOLUNTEER FOR THE MUSEUM, ESPECIALLY HER ART ABILITIES. SHE HAS DONE BARN, SCHOOL AND CHURCH PAINTINGS LOVED BY EVERYONE. SHE'LL BE 85 THIS NOVEMBER BUT LOOKS AND ACTS LIKE SOMEONE DECADES YOUNGER. GREAT GAL.
KELLY IS A DARN GOOD WRITER FOR THE MAQUOKETA SENTINEL PRESS AND WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE SPRAGUEVILLE AREA AND GRADUATED FROM BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL.
ANYWAY, BACK TO THE LUNCHEON. THE EMCEE WAS ASHER SCHROEDER, WHO IS
PRESIDENT OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. HE READ THE NAMES OF THE MANY FROM THE COUNTY THAT VOLUNTEER THEIR SERVICES OFTEN DURING THE YEAR, MOSTLY AS WORKERS AT THE MUSEUM ON THE MAQUOKETA FAIGROUNDS. AND .. AGAIN THIS YEAR, THE TUBBS FAMILY TOOK THE OCCASSION TO NAME THE "GRACE TUBBS MEMORIAL SUMMIT" AWARD WINNER. THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL VOLUNTEER TUBBS AWARD WAS GIVEN BY STEVE TUBBS AND WAS PRESENTED TO, ASHER SCHROEDER. ASHER IS A 1942 GRADUATE OF MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL AND SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY FROM AFTER, FROM 1942 TO 1945. IT WAS IN 1945 THAT HE WAS WOUNDED AND TAKEN AS A PRISONER OF WAR. HE WAS LIBERATED AFTER 5 MONTHS AND THEN LEFT THE SERVICE TO ATTEND, AND GRADUATE WITH A LAW DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN 1950. HE PRACTICED LAW IN MAQUOKETA FROM 1950 TO 1967 AND THEN WENT ON TO BE A U.S. AND FEDERAL ATTORNEY UNTIL RETIREMENT IN 1987. HE CAME BACK TO LIVE IN MAQUOKETA THEN AND HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ROTARY CLUB AND THE DOMOCRATIC PARTY EVER SINCE. HIS WIFE DIED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO. HE HAS 3 SONS AND THEY SURPRISED HIM AND ATTENDED THE EVENT TODAY. THE YOUNGEST, DAVID, IS ATTENDED CLARK COLLEGE IN DUBUQUE. AND THE MIDDLE SON, JOHN, IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY FOR KEOKUK COUNTY. THE OLDEST SON, BILL, WORKS FOR THE STATE OF IOWA LICENSE DIVISION AND LIVES IN ANKENY. ASHER HAS 3 GRANDCHILDREN, PLUS 1 ON THE WAY AND ALSO HAS A GREAT GRANDCHILD. HIS SON, JOHN SPOKE, AND SAID THE GREATEST PRIDE AND APPRECIATION ARISES FROM HIS DEDICATION AND DEVOTION TO FAMILY. HE SAID .. A LITTLE CHOKED UP... THAT DAD IS THE BEST OF US. HE IS WHAT WE OUGHT AND STRIVE TO BE. ED TUBBS GAVE ASHER A CRYSTAL CLOCK AND A CHECK FOR HIS FAVORITE ORGANIZATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $500. ASHER SAID HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY ENDORSE THE CHECK OVER THE THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY. A NICE HONOR TODAY TO A NICE GUY AND MY FRIEND, ASHER
SCHROEDER. AT 78, HE'LL BE WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF MAQUOKETA FOR
ANOTHER 10 YEARS AT LEAST. THIS WAS THE 6TH YEAR FOR THE "GRACE TUBBS MEMORIAL AWARD". I KNOW..THIS WAS A LITTLE LONGER THAN NORMAL FOR THIS REPORT...BUT WELL DESERVED.

HAVE TO GO AND DO THE BINGO SHOW NOW...AND WILL HAVE A SHORT ADDITIONAL REPORT AT ABOUT 6 TONIGHT, SO COME BACK THEN.

DENNIS VOY