NICE SUNNY WARM DAY TODAY. UPPER 70'S.

SOMEONE HAS BEEN STEALING GRAVEL OFF COUNTY ROADS BETWEEN LAMOTTE AND BELLEVUE. COUNTY ENGINEER CLARK SCHLOZ OF MAQUOKETA TOLD THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THIS MORNING THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN USING A SKID
LOADER TO STEAL THE GRAVEL THAT COUNTY CREWS HAVE BEEN PUTTING DOWN.
HE SAID THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THE PERSON.
HE SAID COUNTY CREWS ARE WORKING HARD TO GET THE ROADS BACK INTO SHAPE AND DON'T NEED SOMEONE TAKING THE GRAVEL. RESIDENTS ARE ASKED TO CALL THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IF THEY HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE THEFT OF GRAVEL.

THE COMMITTEE THAT RAISED MONEY TO OPEN THE OLD MAQUOKETA SWIMMING POOL AGAIN THIS SUMMER, GAVE A CHECK FOR $25,000 TO THE MAQUOKETA CITY COUNCIL AT THEIR MEETING LAST NIGHT. BUT BEFORE GIVING THE CHECK, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, NICOLE HUTE (HER HUSBAND IS A COUNCILMAN) HAD HARSH WORDS FOR THE COUNCIL. SHE TOLD THE COUNCIL THEY HAD BETTER FIND THE MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULDN 'T DONATE THE $25,000 AGAIN. SHE SAID THE $25,000 IS A LOT OF VOTES AND SAID IF THEY WANTED TO STAY WHERE THEY WERE SITTING THEY SHOULD FIND A WAY TO FUND THE OUTDOOR POOL AGAIN NEXT YEAR. I WATCHED THE COUNCIL MEETING "LIVE" ON THE PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL AND WAS SURPRISED THAT SHE ADMONISHED THE COUNCIL AS SHE DID. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED THAT THEY DID NOT GIVE THE COUNCIL ALL THE MONEY THEY RAISED, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY A COUPLE THOUSAND OR MORE DOLLARS OVER THEIR GOAL OF $25,000. TO OPEN THE POOL FOR A SHORTENED SUMMER SEASON WILL ACTUALLY COST AROUND DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT. THE $25,000 NEEDED WAS THE AMOUNT NOT IN A BUDGET. KMAQ NEWS DIRECTOR SHERI MELVOLD TOLD ME THAT SHE HEARD SOME PAINTING MAY BE DONE BEFORE THE POOL OPENS, AND THAT THE COMMITTEE MAY PAY FOR THAT. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE WATER IN THE POOL WILL NOT BE HEATED THIS YEAR, TO KEEP COSTS DOWN. HOPEFULLY, THAT WON'T CAUSE A PROBLEM. A LOT DEPENDS ON THE SUMMER WEATHER. WITH GOOD HOT SUMMER WEATHER, I'M SURE THE POOL WILL GET LOTS OF USE. AND OF COURSE THIS SUMMER, SWIMMERS WILL ALSO HAVE THE NEW YMCA POOL TO USE, IF THEY ARE A MEMBER. NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY, HAS THERE BEEN TWO BIG SWIMMING POOLS OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE. I WILL CONCLUDE THIS STORY WITH THREE WORDS: "I CAN'T SWIM".

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. CHECK THE WAY-BACK-WHEN PHOTO
BELOW.

DENNIS VOY