I'M BACK...

NANCY AND I AND GRANDKIDS NATE AND SARA ENJOYED DINNER....AT THE HISTORIC DECKER HOTEL...SERVING MAQUOKETA PROUDLY SINCE 1876. THE 18TH ROOM WAS JUST RE-DONE...AND NOW ALL 18 ROOMS ARE JUST LIKE NEW...BUT WITH THAT TOUCH OF YESTERYEAR. ALL WITH NEW BATHROOMS. IN ITS EARLY DAYS...IT HAD THICK ROPES IN SOME ROOMS....TO THROW OUT THE WINDOW FOR FIRE ESCAPE. THE NEAT RESTAURANT IS TO THE BACK ON THE MAIN FLOOR, WITH A SMALL PRIVATE ROOM ADJACENT FOR PARTIES (KIWANIS HAS ITS WEEKLY MEETING IN THE ROOM) AND DOWNSTAIRS, THERE'S THE PUB BAR AND THE WALLS STILL ARE OF KNOTTY PINE, THE POPULAR "PANELING" OF MANY YEARS AGO. TROY AND RAEANN OWN IT AND RUN IT....THEY ARE PAST THEIR MID 30'S AND HAVE 2 BOYS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND A CUTE LITTLE 4-YEAR OLD BLONDE, NAMED TAYLOR. PAY A VISIT TO THE DECKER NEXT TIME YOU COME TO MAQUOKETA AND STOP IN HERE AT KMAQ, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. THE COFFEE POT IS ALWAYS ON.

SOMEONE BROKE INTO BOB BRINKER'S RURAL MAQUOKETA HOME ON THE DARK HOLLOW ROAD LAST NIGHT. OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS DAMAGE DONE TO A CURIO CABINET...EYE GLASSES...AND A DOOR.

WILL IT BE PEPSI OR COKE, EXCLUSIVELY, FOR MAQUOEKTA SCHOOLS. CURRENT COKE AGREEMENT HAS EXPIRED AND NOW...WHO TO GO WITH IN THE FUTURE. COKE IS OFFERING $7,000 UP FRONT IN CASH EACH YEAR, FOR A 5-YEAR CONTRACT. PEPSI SAID BECAUSE OF THEIR POPULAR MOUNTAIN DEW, POP SALES AND PROFIT FOR THE SCHOOL WILL DOUBLE. MILK MACHINE WAS TRIED AT ONE SCHOOL AND POOR SALES. NO DECISION MADE LAST NIGHT. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN RC COLA...WAS BOTTLED RIGHT HERE IN TOWN.

AMBER MANERS AND ROBERT SUTHERS OF LOST NATION ARE PARENTS OF A BOY BORN LAST SATURDAY AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. MATERNAL GRANDPARENT ISSHERYL MOUNTS OF MAQUOKETA. GREAT-GRANDFATHER IS LYLE SUTHERS OF MAQUOKETA.

DON "CATFISH" MEYERS, AGE 62, OF SABULA DIED MONDAY. REMINDS ME THAT MAQUOKETA HAD A MAN KNOWN TO ALL AS "CATFISH". REMEMBER HIS FULL NAME?

PRE-MATURE TWINS WERE BORN LAST WEEK TO SHAWN AND JENNIFER MEYER OF CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS, BUT BOTH DIED SHORTLY AFTER. A GIRL AND BOY. GRANDPARENTS ARE FRED AND IRMA MEYER OF MAQUOKETA. GREAT-GRANDMOTHER IS HELEN MEYER OF MAQUOKETA.

HAD LUNCH YESTERDAY WITH BOB OSTERHAUS. HE AND ANN WENT TO THE IOWA GAME AT MICHIGAN LAST SATURDAY...ALONG WITH OVER 110,000 OTHER FANS. IMAGINE THAT CROWD. TALKED TO DONA HEISTER TODAY (SHE WORKS AT BOTH OSTERHAUS PHARMACY AND OBIE'S TACOS, AND DOES A GREAT JOB AT BOTH)...AND THIS FRIDAY, LEAVES FOR THE BIG RACE AT TALLADEJA, ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTH OF ANNISTON, ALABAMA...THE MOST FAMOUS NASCAR TRACK IN THE COUNTRY. IT WILL BE HER 10TH YEAR IN A ROW TO GO TO THE BIG RACE. THERE WILL BE 9 IN HER PARTY...AND THEY WILL JOIN UP WITH 59 RACING FANS FROM BERNARD....ALL STAYING IN AN RV PARK RIGHT AT THE TRACK. AND...THERE WILL BE OVER 200,000 AT THE RACE. WOW.

I SAW THE TRACK ONCE, WHILE PASSING BY. SON RICK WAS STATIONED WITH THE MARINES DOWN THERE AND HE AND SHERI LIVED NEAR ANNISTON....GRANDDAUGHTER CASSIE WAS BORN DOWN THERE.
A COUPLE TIMES, RICK AND OTHER MARINES WORKED THE RACE....I THINK IT WAS IN SECURITY.
OR MAYBE THEY RAN A FOOD STAND. CAN'T REMEMER. SORRY TO REPORT, I'M NOT A RACE FAN.
BUT...AGAIN THIS YEAR, WAS A CO-SPONSOR OF A STOCK CAR AT THE LOCAL JACKSON COUNTY RACEWAY. IT WAS A HOBBY STOCK CAR #4 OWNED AND DRIVEN BY DAVE KOOB OF MAQUOKETA.. I DON'T THINK THE CAR DID VERY GOOD THIS YEAR.

THANKS FOR THE VISIT.

REMEMBER...ANYTIME YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS, NEWS, ....EMAIL
ME AT kmaq@kmaq.com

DENNIS VOY