Tuesday, February 03, 2004

TOTAL SNOW FALL, AS MEASURED BY ROBERT CHRISTENSEN, 5 AND A HALF INCHES. SUNNY TODAY AND MESSY OUTSIDE.
CHRISTENSEN, RETIRED, REPORTS WEATHER INFORMATION TO KCRG-TV IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND TO KMAQ....HE HAS
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AT HIS HOME AT THE WEST EDGE OF MAQUOKETA ON LAKEHURST ROAD. SUCH THINGS AS RAIN AND SNOW TOTALS, HIGHS AND LOWS....AND THE DAY AFTER WE HAVE RAIN OR SNOW, HE CALLS ME AT 6:50 A.M. AND WE CHAT ABOUT IT FOR A COUPLE MINUTES OVER THE AIR. HE'S A RETIRED BARBER AND TEACHER AND WIFE BONNIE WORKED FOR MANY YEARS AT JC PENNEYS IN MAQUOKETA AND NOW WORKS PARTTIME AT THE MAQUOKETA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICE.

THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN WE HAD A BIG JC PENNEY STORE IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA, ALONG WITH TWO DIME STORES, 4 LADIES APPAREL STORES, 4 HARDWARE STORES, 3 MEN'S APPAREL STORES, AND 3 OR 4 TAVERNS AND RESTAURANTS. AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY CALL THOSE DAYS, THE "BEFORE WAL MART" DAYS.

ANOTHER MAJOR STATE REVENUE CUT FOR JACKSON COUNTY ... OVER $400,000. SUPERVISOR JACK WILLEY SAYS THE COUNTY WILL PROBABLY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO RAISE TAXES.

LOTS OF MINOR ACCIDENTS IN BOTH JACKSON AND CLINTON COUNTY YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE ROAD CONDITIONS.

STEPHANIE BOWLING AND MARK EMERSON OF ANDREW ARE PARENTS OF A BOY BORN JANUARY 28TH AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. GRANDPARENTS ARE BRENDA AND EVERETT BOWLING OF MAQUOKETA.

I RAN INTO A GUY AT BOWMAN'S FULL SERVICE GAS STATION TODAY WHO LIVED IN MAQUOKETA IN THE EARLY 50'S...AND HAS NOT BEEN HERE FOR YEARS. HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS FAMOUS MAQUOKETA PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE PAST, WILL CUNDILL. HE ASKED IF THE BON TON CAFE WAS STILL OPEN. LIVES IN PEORIA. I TOLD HIM TO STOP IN NEXT TIME HE'S IN TOWN AND THEN I'LL GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GUY, RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY. SAYS HE MAY SOMEDAY RELOCATE BACK TO THIS AREA. WILL CUNDILL TOOK A LOT OF PHOTOS OF MAQUOKETA BACK IN THE EARLY 1900'S. BUDDY OLSON MIGHT REMEMBER OLD WILL.

NO MAQUOKETA BASKETBALL TONIGHT. WE ARE BROADCASTING A GIRL-BOY DOUBLE HEADER, FROM ANDRW, WHERE THE ANDREW HAWKS TONIGHT HOST NORTH CEDAR (LOWDEN-CLARENCE-STANWOOD).

NO DEATHS.

THANKS AGAIN FOR CHECKING IN.

DENNIS VOY