Thursday, September 30, 2004

BEAUTIFUL DAY..HIGH OF 74. BUT, TOMORROW, AN 80 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND TOMORROW NIGHT, A LOW OF30-32.

THIS AFTERNOON, I SPENT A DELIGHTFUL 3-HOURS ON THE BEAUTIFUL MAQUOKETA RIVER. I HAVE LIVED IN MAQUOKETA 46 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A BOAT ON THE MAQUOKETA. I TOLD THIS RECENTLY TO KENNY WIDEL OF CANTON, MY WIFE NANCY'S UNCLE, AND HE TOLD ME HE WOULD TAKE ME FOR A RIDE IN HIS BOAT SOON. TODAY WAS THE DAY. WE HIT THE WATER AT 12:30 AND GOT BACK AT 3:30. FOR THE MOST PART, IT WAS A SLOW, QUIET RIDE TO OBSERVE THE BEAUTY OF THE SHORELINES. KENNY'S BOAT IS A 16-FOOT ALUMACRAFT, WITH 3 MOTORS, INCLUDING A 1956 EVENRUDE THAT PURRS LIKE A KITTEN. WE ALSO USED HIS BIGGER JOHNSON TO GO A LITTLE FASTER FOR AWHILE. AND HE HAS A TROLLING MOTOR. ANYWAY, WE PUT IN AT THE JOINERVILLE PARK BOAT RAMP WEST OF MAQUOKETA. FIRST WE WENT DOWNSTREAM TO THE DAM AND THEN CAME BACK TO J OINERVILLE AND WENT UPSTREAM A FEW MILES UNTIL THE WATER WAS GETTING A LITTLE SHALLOW. I HAD ALWAYS BEEN TOLD HOW BEAUTIFUL THE MAQUOKETA RIVER WAS...AND NOW I KNOW. I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHER MAQUOKETANS WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE AND I SURE HOPE THEY ALSO GET A CHANCE. THE LEAVES ARE STARTING TO TURN, AND I'M SURE IN A COUPLE WEEKS, THE TRIP WILL BE EVEN MORE SCENIC. KENNY, WHO IS RETIRED, AND HAD A CAREER THAT INCLUDED WORKING FOR CLINTON ENGINES FOR 22 YEARS, WAS A PERFECT HOST AND COULD POINT OUT LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS. I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE TRIP, BUT NEED TO MOVE ALONG ON THIS REPORT. THANKS KENNY.

THE MAQUOKETA SPORTRS BOOSTERS CLUB IS HAVING A RAFFLE FOR A 2005 FORD FOCUS AND THE DRAWING WILL BE A WEEK FROM TOMORROW DURING THE HOMECOMING GAME. THERE WILL ALSO BE THREE $250 PRIZES. $20 A TICKET. SEND ME YOUR TWENTY BUCKS....AND HELP THIS GREAT CLUB THAT HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR SPORTS IN MAQUOKETA. I'LL ENTER YOUR NAME ON YOUR TICKET AND LIST YOU HERE ON THIS REPORT AS A BOOSTER...AND THE MORNING AFTER THE DRAWING, WILL COME ON LINE WITH THE WINNERS.
MAKE YOUR CHECK OUT TO MAQUOKETA SPORTS BOOSTERS AND MAIL IT TO KMAQ, BOX 940, MAQUOKETA, IOWA 52060.

WE NOW HAVE A NEW KMAQ GUEST BOOK. CHECK IT OUT. BUT, IF YOU MAKE AN ENTRY, DO NOT CLICK ON THE SMALL SQUARE ABOUT PRIVATE ENTRY. I WILL NOT TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT PRIVATE ENTRIES. THANKS.

I HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE EMAIL ME SAYING CATFISH IN MAQUOKETA WAS CATFISH MCKINSEY.
RIGHT! A COLORFUL GUY. ONE PERSON, JIM HANLON, REMINDS US THAT CATFISH RAN THE MOTEL/CABINS AND HAMURGER PLACE ON WEST PLATT. I DIDN'T KNOW HIM VERY WELL, BUT TWO OF HIS CHILDREN WERE GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE. DOROTHY, A GOOD NEWS REPORTER AND BUD, WHO SOLD ME THE DRIVE-IN THEATRE AND LATER WAS CO-OWNER OF A MAQUOKETA INDUSTRY (PMW) AND ALSO WAS A BIG ECONOMIC BOOSTER AND VOLUNTEER WORKER FOR MAQUOKETA.

JIM HANLON ALSO SAYS HE LIKED THE WRITE-UP BY THE ROTARY CLUB ON BUBBY NIMS. HE CORRECTED US ....SAYING IT IS BUBBY, NOT BUBBA. YOU BETTER BE RIGHT JIM!

TWO MAQUOKETA TEENAGERS, FRANK BALLARD, AGE 18 AND BRIAN RAMM, AGE 17, HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THIS SUMMER'S BURGLARIES AT PRARIE CREEK GOLF COURSE AND BRIDGEPORT AUTO SALES.

BUSINESS NEWS ...AS REPORTED BY LINDA STURTZ, MAQUOKETA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. QUEST COMUNICATIONS HAS ANNOUNCED HIGH SPEED INTERNET SERVICE KNOWN AS QUEST DSL, IS NOW AVAIABLE IN MAQUOKETA.
TEN OF SEVENTEEN LOTS IN THE NEW PRAIRIE CREEK SUBDIVSION HAVE BEEN SOLD AND FOUR HAVE BEEN RETAINED FOR SPEC HOMES, LEAVING JUST THREE LOTS FOR SALE.
ALSO, JIM HOLTZ, THE OWNER OF THE GOLF COURSE, THIS SUMMER, ADDED TWO MORE HOLES TO THE COURSE, BRINGING IT TO 11 AND NO TIMELINE HAS BEEN SET FOR THE REMAINING 7 HOLES.
POWER GRAPHICS HAS OPENED FOR BUSINESS AT 117 EAST PLATT, AND OWNED BY CHAD POWERS.
IT PROVIDES GRAPHICS AND ADVERTISING DESIGN SERVICES....SIGNS, LETTERING, BOAT LETTERING, ETC.
SHE ALSO REPORTED TWO BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED..TRI-STATE GRAPHICS IN THE MAQUOKETA NEWSPAPER BUILDING AND SUNRISE RESTAURANT AT SOUTH EDGE OF MAQUOKETA.
SHE ALSO REPORTED TWO OR THREE INDUSTRIAL PROSPECTS ARE LOOKING AT MAQUOKETA AND INTERESTED IN BUILDINGS IN THE INDUSTRIAL PARK.

RECENTLY RE-ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER LESLIE LAWSON IS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL BOARD. BOARD MEMBER BILL SCHWENKER HAS SERVED AS PRESIDENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

BRIGGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL CELEBRATE 50 YEARS WITH A PARTY ON NOVEMBER 11TH.
DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.

MAQUOKETA SCHOOL TEACHER BILL COOEY BROKE HIS LEG LAST FRIDAY NIGHT DURING THE ANAMOSA FOOTBALL GAME, WHILE TAKING PICTURES FOR THE SCHOOL YEARBOOK. SOME PLAYERS CRASHED INTO HIM AND IT IS BELIEVED HE BROKE HIS LEG IN 5 PLACES. HE IS TO HAVE SURGERY THIS WEEK AT IOWA CITY.

IN MAGISTRATE COURT NEWS: LORI FARRELL, AGE 36, WAS CHARGED WITH OWI LAST NIGHT ON WEST PLATT STREET.

CHARLA ROBERTS, 52, OF MAQUOKETA, WAS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED DOESTIC ASSAULT FOR POINTING A SHOTGUN LAST NIGHT AT HER LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND AT 700 PERSHING ROAD, APARTMENT 67. SHE IS BEING HELD IN JAIL ON $6,500 CASH BOND.

ESTHER TRACY, AGE 90, DIED THIS MORNING AT MAQUOKETA CARE CENTER. SHE AND LATE HUSBAND CLIFFORD FARMED NEAR MAQUOKETA UNTIL 1979 WHEN THEY RETIRED. SURVIVORS INCLUDE: A DAUGHTER MAXINE MILLER OF MAQUOKETA, AND A BROTHER-IN-LAW WALTER HAYWARD OF MAQUOKEKTA.

ANOTHER LONG REPORT DONE.. DON'T FORGET TO SEND A RAFFLE CHECK IF YOU WANT TO WIN A NEW CAR.

AND THANKS FOR THE VISIT. NOW , GO CHECK OUT THE NEW GUEST BOOK THAT SON DAVE PUT UP TODAY.

DENNIS VOY