Tuesday, April 25, 2006

ABOUT 2/10 OF AN INCH OF RAIN THIS MORNING...AND TODAY, CLOUDY AND COOL, BUT, ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS, WILL BE WARMING UP AND NICE AGAIN TOMORROW.

TIME AGAIN FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES. THE MONTH GOES BY QUICKLY. IN JACKSON COUNTY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPPED TO 5.8 PERCENT IN MARCH, FROM 7 PERCENT IN FEBRUARY. IN IOWA, THE STATE AS A WHOLE REPORTED THE LOWEST FIGURE IN ALMOST 4 YEARS, AT 3.8 PERCENT, DOWN FROM 4.4 IN FEBRUARY . AND THE U.S. RATE IN MARCH WAS DOWN TO 4.7, DOWN FROM 4.8 IN FEBRUARY AND DOWN FROM 5.1 A YEAR AGO.

BELLEVUE VOTERS ARE GOING TO THE POLLS TODAY TO VOTE ON A NEW OUTDOOR POOL, WITH AN ESTIMATED COST OF $3-MILLION. IT NEEDS 60 PERCENT APPROVAL. TWO YEARS AGO, VOTERS DEFEATED A $2-MILLION POOL.

THE MAQUOKETA IKE'S CLUB IS DOING A CLEAN-UP, FIX-UP PROJECT
AT LAKEHURST DAM ON THE MAQUOKETA RIVER. GOOD PROJECT.
BETTER PARKING LOT AND BETTER SHORE FISHING ON THE RIVER WILL BE THE END RESULT. MAYBE I MENTIONED THIS IN AN EARLIER REPORT.

SCHMIDT CONSTRUCTION (DALE SCHMIDT, OWNER) IS DOING SOME NEEDED REPAIRS TO THE MARQUE OF MY THEATRE. IT WAS BUILDT IN
1973 AND AFTER 33 YEARS, THANKS TO A ROOF LEAK NOW AND THEN, SOME AREAS WERE ROTTED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. IT WILL THEN BE COVERED WITH AN ALUMINUM COVERING AND SHOULD LAST ANOTHER 33 YEARS. PLAN ALSO TO REPLACE SOME STONE PANELS ON THE THEATRE FRONT AND GET SOME NEW SEATS IN ONE OF THE AUDITORIUMS. THE THEATRE OPENED IN MARCH OF 1973, THE 2ND
AUDITORIUM IN THE WINTER OF 1975 AND THE 3RD AUDITORIUM IN
1981. JACK JONES HAS BEEN MY MANAGER SINCE 1974. THE "TITANTIC"
IS THE BIGGEST MOVIE WE EVER RAN, LASTING 17 WEEKS. IN THE EARLY
YEARS, TWO OF THE BIGGEST WERE "JAWS" AND "POSEIDON ADVENTURE".
THIS SUMMER, THERE WILL BE A NEW "POSEIDON" THAT IS EXPECTED
TO BE ONE OF MANY HITS THIS SUMMER. THE DRIVE-IN IS OFF TO A GOOD START. WEATHER WAS PERFECT LAST WEEKEND AND WE HAD A GOOD TURNOUT BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. ONLY OPEN THOSE TWO NIGHTS UNTIL JUNE. BEEN TO A MOVIE LATELY? DO IT...YOU'LL HAVE FUN AND BRING BACK MEMORIES.

SPEAKING OF "TITANTIC"....A NEW "TITANTIC" MUSEUM OPENS SOON AT BRANSON, MISSOURI. WILL SEE IT WHEN DOWN THERE WEEK AFTER NEXT WITH A FULL KMAQ TRAVEL 4-DAY BUS TRIP.

THERE WILL BE NO REPORT TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY)....

CHECK BACK AGAIN THURSDAY.

DENNIS VOY