WE HAD VERY NICE WEATHER ALL LAST WEEK...WITH HIGHS IN THE 40'S AND EVEN 50 ONE DAY.
THIS WEEK..IT WILL BE COLDER AGAIN. TODAY, IN THE 30'S AFTER A QUARTER-INCH OF RAIN OVERNIGHT.

WE WERE VERY BUSY HERE AT KMAQ LAST WEEK BECAUSE OF THE FARM AND HOME SHOW. WITH HELP FROM THE WEATHERMAN, WE HAD VERY GOOD ATTENDANCE BOTH DAYS, WITH THE TOTAL FOR THE SHOW OVER 3 ,200. THE FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD WENT TO RICHARD BENNIS OF RURAL DELMAR. ROBERT SHEARER, LONGTIME (34 YEARS) LOAN OFFICER FOR THE FARM SERVICE AGENCY OFFICE WAS NAMED THE PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD WINNER AND THE AGRI-BUSINESS AWARD WENT TO ERIC NEWTON OF THE IOWA BANK, WITH OFFICES IN BELLEVUE, LAMOTTE AND MAQUOKETA.
OUR MYSTERY PERSON ON THE WEB SITE WAS THE LATE GERALD CORNELIUS AND WINNING THE $50 WAS SARA HIAR OF MAQUOKETA. THE GROCERY CART HELD $82.87 WORTH OF GROCERIES AND DUB ROMER'S GUESS WAS JUST 30-CENTS UNDER THAT AND HE GOT THE GROCERIES. IT WAS A GOOD SHOW AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO ATTENDED AND HELPED MAKE IT A SUCCESS. THE CATTLEMEN AND PORK PRODUCERS GRILLED OVER 3,000 BURGERS.

THE CITIZEN OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK IS CAROLYN LAUGHLIN, WHO HAS BEEN THE MANAGER OF THE MAQUOKETA PIZZA HUT FOR 27 YEARS. SEE A PICTURE AND STORY AT THE MAQUOKETA ROTARY WEB SITE...www.maquoketa-rotary.org

THE MAQUOKETA BOYS WON THEIR GAME OVER INDEPENDENCE FRIDAY NIGHT, BUT THE GIRLS LOST UP THERE. BOTH TEAMS PLAY AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT, IN A DOUBLEHEADER HERE IN TOWN, AGAINST DYERSVILLE BECKMAN.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT.

THE GNOMAD COFFEE HOUSE (COFFEE, SANDWICHES AND DESSERTS) HAS ITS GRAND OPENING THIS THURSDAY IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA. IT IS OWNED BY TONY SCHMIDT AND LUKE HAHLE.

THE SUNSHINE SCHOOL RADIOTHON IS THIS COMING SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

THE MAQUOKETA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL DINNER WAS SATURDAY NIGHT.
HAROLD LUBBEN, FORMER CHIEF, RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE FOR 43 YEARS OF SERVICE. JERRYU WEIS RECEIVED A 30 YEAR MERITORIUS SERVICE CERTIFICATE. MAYOR TOM MESSERLI RECEIVED A 20 YEAR PLAQUE AND MIKE SNYDER A 10 YEAR PLAQUE. THE LEO CLASEN AWARD, NAMED FOR THE LATE LEO CLASEN, LONGTIME FIREMAN, WENT TO JIM WIRTH WHO HAS BEEN A FIREFIGHTER HERE IN MAQUOKETA FOR 23 YEARS. CHEIF MARK BECK REPORTED THAT IN 2004, THEY ANSWERED 89 FIRE CALLS AND 43 RESCUE CALLS.

WILLIAM BLAKE, 34, OF MARYLAND, FORMERLY OF DUBUQUE, DIED LAST THURSDAY. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, BRENDA STANGE, FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA...AND HIS FATHER-IN-LAW AND MOTHER-IN-LAW, DENNIS AND JANET STANGE OF MAQUOEKTA. HE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM DUTY IN IRAQ AND PERSONALLY ORGANIZED A SHOE DRIVE WHILE IN IRAQ WHICH BROUGHT 1400 PAIRS OF SHOES TO NEED IRAQ CHILDREN. HE WAS IN THE ARMY RESERVE.

DONALD HAYES, FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA, DIED SATURDAY, FEB 5TH IN TUSCON, ARIZONA. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE JOY, A BROTHER PHILLIP AND A SISTER NANCY.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

DENNIS VOY