Tuesday, July 18, 2006

SUMMERTIME WEATHER. IT WAS 98 YESTERDAY, BUT NOT AS WARM
TODAY. STORMS LAST NIGHT, BUT WENT AROUND MAQUOKETA.
THE HEAT IS CAUSING SOME ASPHALT BLOW-OUTS ON THE HIGHWAYS.

THE MAQUOKETA BOYS BASEBALL TEAM DEFEATED DEWITT LAST FRIDAY NIGHT IN TOURNAMENT PLAY AND WAS SCHEDULED TO PLAY DUBUQUE WAHLERT NEXT. BUT THAT GAME LAST NIGHT HERE IN TOWN, HAD TO BE POSTPONED BECAUSE OF THREATENING WEATHER, ESPECIALLY LIGHTNING. AFTER WAITING FOR ABOUT 90 MINUTES, IT WAS DECIDED TO POSTPONE THE GAME UNTIL TONIGHT.

SPEAKING OF BASEBALL......KMAQ TRAVEL TOOK A BUS TO ST. LOUIS SUNDAY AND I HOSTED THE TRIP, WITH ABOUT 50 ON THE BUS. FOR MOST OF US, OUR FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW STADIUM. NICE STADIUM.
IT WAS HOT...99, BUT MOST HAD SEATS IN THE SHADE. MY SEAT WAS
IN THE SUN ALL AFTERNOON. LONG DAY....FUN....ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CARDINALS WON THEIR 7TH IN A ROW. ATE AT CRACKER BARRELL ON WAY DOWN AT BREAFAST TIME AND AT STEAK AND SHAKE ON THE WAY HOME. NEXT TRIP IS AUGUST 10TH TO MILWAUKEE TO SEE THE CUBS PLAY THE BREWERS. BOX SEATS. TICKET AND BUS $59 AND WE HAVE LOTS OF SEATS LEFT. THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TRIP IN AUGUST TO ST. LOUIS, BUT IT IS SOLD OUT.

TWO COUNTY FAIRS START THURSDAY, IN DEWITT AND MONTICELLO....AND BOTH RUN THROUGH SUNDAY. KMAQ WILL BE BROADCASTING FROM BOTH.

THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL BOARD SIGNED A CONTRACT LAST NIGHT WITH AMENT, INC. OF CEDAR RAPIDS, TO DESIGN A NEW GYM AND REMODEL THE CAFETERIA AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE FEES ARE NOT TO EXCEED $190,000 WITH AN ADDITIONAL $5,000 TO LOOK AT GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING. THE TIMELINE CALLS FOR THE BID OPENING FOR THE PROJECT AT THE END OF JANUARY. THE ARC WILL HAVE A NEW GYM TOO.....SO.....TWO NEW GYMS WILL GO UP IN MAQUOKETA NEXT YEAR.

NICOLE AND RYAN JOHNSON OF MAQUOKEA ARE PARENTS OF A GIRL, BORN LATE LAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. GRANDPARENTS ARE NEIL AND DEB JOHNSON OF MAQUOKETA.

RAN IN TO JOHN FRANTZEN THIS AFTERNOON. HE'S HAPPY! JUST RECENTLY GOT HIS M-A IN MUSIC COMPOSITION. NOW, DECIDING ON EITHER LOS ANGELES OR NEW YORK TO GO TO WORK. BOTH HAVE ADVANTAGES. L.A. HAS MORE WORK FROM THE MOVIE INDUSTRY OF COURSE.

RIDICULOUS DAY IN MAQUOKETA TOMORROW...STARTING AT 7 A.M.
SIDEWALK AND IN-STORE BARGAINS GALORE. HAS BEEN A POPULAR
SHOPPING DAY SINCE 1957. SPONSORED BY THE CHAMBER.

JAKE BICKFORD AND I A ROOT BEER FLOAT AT OUR COFFEE BREAK
THIS AFTERNOON.....AT THE BAKERY. BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE HAD ONE OF THOSE....PERFECT DAY TO MAKE THE CHANGE. GO AHEAD...IF IT IS HOT WHERE YOU LIVE.....TRY ONE YOURSELF.

KEEP COOL....AND REMEMBER THE BLIZZARD WITH 8 INCHES OF SNOW
LAST JANUARY. IT WAS NO FUN!

DENNIS VOY