WE ARE HAVING GREAT WEATHER IN MAQUOKETA. ALL WEEK LONG!
AND THE WEEKEND SHOULD ALSO BE GOOD.

THE MAQUOKETA CARDINALS PLAY AT VAN HORNE AGAINST BENTON COMMUNITY TONIGHT. WON'T BE EASY! WE'LL HAVE IT ON KMAQ AT 7:30. IT IS A LONG DRIVE FOR FANS.

HAVE HAD BLOGGER PROBLEMS THIS WEEK AGAIN, HENCE NO DAILY REPORT SINCE
TUESDAY.

THE MAQUOKETA CITY COUNCIL HAS HIRED THEIR ENGINEERING FIRM TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN AND SUMMIT, A HEAVY TRAFFIC AREA.
IT IS BAD, BUT THE WAIT IS NO LONGER THAN BIG CITY INTERSECTIONS. AND MANY LIKE ME AVOID THE INTERSECTION AND USE AN EASY ALTERNATE.
IT IS GOING TO COST AROUND $10,000 FOR THE STUDY. I THINK THAT MONEY MIGHT INSTEAD BE PUT IN A FIRE CLEAN-UP FUND. BUT, THE COUNCIL
DOESN'T WANT TO SPEND A PENNY ON THAT "ECONOMIC DEVELOPENT" PROBLEM.
IN A RELATED ISSUE, THE CITY ENGINEER JULIE NEBEL SAID HER FIRM HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION CONCERNING PUTTING IN SIGNALS AT PLATT AND WESTGATE TO THE IOWA D.O.T AND ARE AWAITING WORD ON WHETHER A GRANT WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS. AGAIN, IT IS NOT BUSY ALL THE TIME AT THE INTERSECTION , BUT THERE ARE TIMES DURING THE WEEK WHEN IT IS NOT EASY GET ON TO MAIN TO THE LEFT.
GETTING BACK TO THE FIRE MESS! CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER TOLD THE
COUNCIL THIS WEEK THAT THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR A FENCE AROUND THE DEBRIS. HE SAID HIS PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DAVE POPP HAS GOTTEN QUOTES ON A FENCE, BUT THE FENCE WOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND DONATIONS WHICH ARE IN THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACCOUNT. HE SAID HE WANTED TO CLARIFY TO THE COUNCIL THAT THE FIRE DEBRIS PROPERTY IS PRIVATE AND NOT OWNED BY THE CITY. COUNCILMAN NEIL MORHEAD SAID HE FOUND A STATE FUND WHICH MIGHT HAVE SOME FUNDING FOR THE CLEAN-UP, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR THE ESTIMATED HALF-MILLION OR MORE NEEDED TO DO THE JOB. MAYBE THE COUNCIL SHOULD BUY A LOTTERY TICKET TWICE A WEEK. THE JACKPOT THIS WEEK IS OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.

IN THE GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT: THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY WAS THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE CLINTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAQUOKETA CENTER.
I ATTENDED THE 30-MINUTE EVENT, ATTENDED BY AROUND 35 PEOPLE.
I TOOK SOME PHOTOS, AND WILL TRY TO GET THEM UP ON THIS REPORT.
GRADING OF THE LAND JUST EAST OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STARTED THIS
PAST MONDAY, SO THE PROJECT GOT UNDERWAY A LITTLE AHEAD OF TODAY'S
CEREMONY. THE NEW BUILDING WITH CLASSROOMS, OFFICES AND A COMMUNITY ROOM WILL BE READY TO MOVE INTO NEXT SUMMER. GOING TO BE A GREAT ADDITION TO MAQUOKETA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM......THANKS TO THE LATE BANKER FROM MAQUOKETA, JOHN FAGERLAND (LONGTIME TRUSTEE FOR THE COLLEGE DISTRICT) WHO GAVE THE SEED MONEY ($250,000) FOR THE BUILDING. HIS WIFE EVELYN PRESENTED THE CHECK TO THE COLLEGE CHANCELLOR DR. PAT KEIR DURING THIS AFTERNOON'S CEREMONY.

THE MAQUOKETA CITY COUNCIL SET SUNDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 26TH AS THE OFFICIAL TRICK OR TREAT TIME IN MAQUOKETA. BUT IT WAS NOT A UNANIMOUS VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARSHA MEYERS SAID KIDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRICK OR TREAT ON HALLOWEEN, OCTOBER 31ST. I AGREE!! AND, I'LL ADD, AT NIGHT AND NOT DURING (NON-SPOOKY) DAYTIME HOURS!!

MORE GOOD NEWS! MCHS GRAD ADAM HEPKER (SON OF LEIGHTON AND CINDY)
WILL BE A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER. ADAM, WHO GRADUATED AS A THREE-TIME ALL-AMERICAN FROM MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY IN OLATHE,KANSAS, WILL PLAY FOR THE KANSAS CITY SPARTANS IN THE AMERICAN
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION. THE KC TEAM IS A NEWLY FORMED TEAM FOR THE 2008-2009 SEASON. ADAM WAS INVITED TO TAKE PART IN TWO TRY-OUT CAMPS AND WAS SELECTED EARLIER THIS WEEK. HE WILL BEGIN WORKOUTS EARLY NEXT MONTH AND THE FIRST OF 30-GAMES WILL BE IN DECEMBER. OTHER TEAMS IN THE ABA ARE LOCATED IN ST. LOUIS, DETROIT, CLEVELAND AND NASHVILLE.
HIS WIFE (THEY WERE MARRIED THIS PAST JUNE) IS A TEACHER IN THE KC
AREA. CONGRATULATIONS TO ADAM!

THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT
WOOD MANUFACURING COMPANY THAT WAS INTERESTED IN THE COUNTY'S S & H BUILDING IN THE INDUSTRIAL PARK, DECLINED THE SUPERVISOR'S COUNTER OFFER TO BUY THE BUILDING. THE COMPANY HAD OFFERED $300,000 FOR THE BUILDING WITH A GUARANTEE OF 20 TO 25 JOBS WITH WAGES OF 11 TO 14 DOLLARS AN HOUR.
SUPERVISORS COUNTERED WITH $500,000 FOR THE BUILDING AND WAGES OF $12.50 TO $15.00 AN HOUR. AGAIN, NO REPLY TO THE COUNTER OFFER AND THE SUPERVISORS SAID THEY WOULD NOT CONTACT THE COMPANY AGAIN.

NOTHING NEW OR OFFICIAL ON THE POOL HALL FOR DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA.
ANOTHER INSPECTION WAS DONE THIS WEEK THOUGH AND DAVE WIERSMA (WHO IS BUYING THE BUILDING TO OPEN THE BUSINESS) AGREED TO BRACE A BURNED CEILING BEAM ON THE MAIN FLOOR. WIERSMA SAID THE ENGINEERS SAY THE NORTH WALL WHICH WAS EXPOSED TO THE FIRE IS STRUCTURALLY SOUND. WIERSMA HAS LEARNED THAT THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED AS A FREE STANDING FACILITY IN 1873 BY J.E. SQUIERS. STILL NEEDED BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE BUSINESS IS APPROVAL BY THE FIRE MARSHALL.

MAQUOKETA HAS ANOTHER NEW POLICE OFFICER, A DELMAR NATIVE, MIKE OWEN, AGE 33. HE WILL ATTEND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY IN JANUARY. HE AND HIS WIFE TERRA HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS. HE REPLACES BILL COAKLEY WHO RESIGNED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. OWEN OWNED HIS ON CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS. HE IS THE SECOND NEW POLICE OFFICER. CHAD WEIPERT IS CURRENTLY ATTENDING THE ACADEMY.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

DENNIS VOY