WOW....WINTER HAS REALLY ARRIVED EARLY IN THE TIMBER CITY.

1/4 INCH OF SNOW LAST NIGHT....WINDY AND COLD TODAY..HIGH OF 24....TONIGHT...DOWN TO
12-15 DEGREES...AND THE WIND MAKES IT FEEL EVEN COLDER.

BUT, EVEN WORSE TO THE NORTH. GOT AN EMAIL FROM ANN (COOK) DOMINIK....FORMER MAQUOKETAN WHO READS THIS DAILY....AND LIVES UP AT SAVAGE, MINNESOTA. SHE SAID TODAY THEY GOT BOTH ICE AND SNOW AND COLD WINDS TOO...AND IT WAS 17 DEGREES UP THERE THIS AFTERNOON. SHE WORKS IN DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL. DEAN TILTON SAYS ITS NICE IN FLORIDA AND SHIRLEY MILLER SAYS ITS NICE IN MESA. YEA YEA...BUT THEY WON'T HAVE A WHITE CHRISTMAS. PROBABLY WON'T GIT A GOOD OLE
MIDWEST RUNNY NOSE COLD EITHER.

AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING THIS WEEK, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ASKED SUPT. KIM HUCKSTADT
TO GET SOME ESTIMATES ON THE COST TO BUILD A NEW GYM, CAFETERIA AND OFFICES AT THE MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL SITE. ITS THE SECOND PHASE OF A BUILDING PROJECT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE FIRST PHASE WAS COMPLETED EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHICH INCLUDED NEW RESTROOMS AND CLASSROOMS.
THE SECOND PHASE IS TO BEGIN IN THE SPRING OF 2007 AND SOME PLANNING NEEDS TO START NOW.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY TO DEAN BICKFORD OF MAQUOKETA...62 TODAY. HE HAS WORKED FOR THE FAREWAY STORE FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS, THEIR OLDEST EMPLOYEE.

ROBERT EBERHART OF DESOTO, MISSOURI, AND FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA, WILL HAVE A BIRTHDAY THIS FRIDAY. HE READS THIS DAILY FREQUENTLY AND IS A ST. LOUIS CARDINALS FAN TOO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM HIS LOVELY WIFE FOR 31 YEARS, JACALYN.

ANYONE HAVE THEIR CHRISTMAS TREE UP YET? OUTSIDE OF MAQUOKETA? OR HERE IN MAQUOKETA?

SUPT. KIM HUCKSTADT GOT THE TWO BUSH STADIUM SEATS HIS WIFE BOUGHT HIM FOR HIS BIRTHDAY.
HE'S ALSO A CARDINAL FAN..MAQUOKETA AND ST. LOUIS OF COURSE. THE SEATS WERE SHIPPED-IN LAST WEEK, BUT HE HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE TO SET THEM UP AND FIND A PLACE IN HIS HOUSE FOR THEM.
THE PEOPLE THAT SAT IN THE SEAT FOR THE FINAL PLAYOFF GAME, SIGNED THE SEATS WITH A
BLACK MARKER. THE CARDINALS SOLD THOUSANDS OF THE SEATS AS A FUND RAISER.

ANY OF YOU OUT-OF-TOWNERS, IF YOU SEND A PHOTO CHRISTMAS CARD THIS CHRISTMAS, SEND ONE TO ME ALSO AND I'LL PUT UP ON MY PHOTO PAGE.

KEEP WARM....OR COOL....WHEREVER YOU ARE.

DENNIS VOY