NICE AND SUNNY DAY TODAY IN IOWA...AROUND 40. TOMORROW AND THANKSGIVING DAY WILL ALSO BE NICE, AS WILL THE BIG SHOPPING DAY FRIDAY. MAQUOKETA STORES ARE READY FOR THE SHOPPERS. SANTA CAME SATURDAY AND THE BIG TREE NEXT TO THE POST OFFICE IS
LOADED WITH WHITE LIGHTS AND THE WHITE LITES ARE ALSO UP ON THE TREES DOWNTOWN.
HOPE THE PROJECTED FORECAST FOR SPENDING WILL NOT BE AS BAD AS THE MEDIA IS REPORTING.

WEATHER WAS NICE IN BRANSON ALSO LAST WEEK....WARMER THAN UP HERE, BUT WINDY A COUPLE DAYS. TRIP WENT WELL AND BRANSON WAS PRETTY BUSY. ALL 7 SHOWS THAT WE SAW WERE VERY GOOD. BRANSON CONTINUES TO GET BIGGER, AS A TOURIST AND RETIREMENT CENTER.

RiverPointBallet PRESENTS "SNOW QUEEN" TONIGHT AT 7 AT THE OHNWARD FINE ARTS
CENTER. IT IS A WINTRY TALE OF YOUNG FRIENDS KAY AND GERDA BATTLING AGAINST
THE EVEN SNOW QUEEN AND HER MAGIC MIRROR. TICKETS AT THE DOOR, $18.

MAQUOKETA NOW HAS A PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB THAT MEETS THE 4TH WEDNESDAY EACH MONTH
AT THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE. BROOKE TAYLOR AND MIKE EARLES HAVE STARTED IT.
IT IS FOR BEGINNER TO PRO.

MAQUOKETA'S THANKSGIVING DINNER IS AT NOON THURSDAY AT THE SENIOR CENTER.

IT WILL BE OLE FASHION CHRISTMAS AT COSTELLO'S OLD MILL THIS FRIDAY FROM 10 AM UNTIL 4 PM. HOT APPLE CIDER, COOKIES AND DOOR PRIZES AND ALL ARE WELCOME.

THE FIRST MAQUOKETA ART EXPERIENCE HOLIDAY ART WALK WILL BE THIS FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA FROM 5 P.M. UNTIL 9 P.M. THE DOWNTOWN GALLERIES AND STUDIOS WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WINE TASTING TOO BY BRUSH CREEK WINERY AND MUSIC BY SCOTT DALZIEL.
DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT ALL 5 LOCATIONS. MAQUOKETA ART EXPERIENCE IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO REVIVING DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA BY BRINGING SKILLED ARTISTS TO MAQUOKETA FOR SHORT ADN LONG TERM RESIDENCIES.
THE WEB SITE IS: www.maquoketa-arts.org

THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN MAQUOKETA WILL HAVE THEIR ANNUAL 7 P.M. THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE CHURCH UP ON THE HILL ON WESLEY DRIVE. THE SERVICE WILL ALSO BE BROADCAST ON KMAQ-FM AT 7.

ADAM HEPKER, FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA, IS PLAYING WITH THE COOCOON BASKETS WEIDEN PRO BASKETBALL TEAM ABOUT AN HOUR FROM MUNICH, GERMANY. THEY PLAY EVERY SATURDAY. HIS FIRST SATURDAY, HE SCORED 47 POINTS AND LAST SATURDAY, 32. BUT, THEY LOST BOTH GAMES. HIS WIFE IS JOINING HIM THIS WEEK. GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH.

SAGE ROSENFELS AND HIS HOUSTON TEXANS GOT A BIG ROAD WIN SATURDAY AND WILL PLAY
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME NEXT MONDAY NIGHT.

HOW ABOUT THOSE HAWKEYES AND THEIR 35 TO 0 WIN SATURDAY. AND THE BASKETBALL TEAM IS OFF TO A 4 AND 0 START.

THE U.S.MARINE CORPS RESERVE "TOYS FOR TOTS" PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY IN JACKSON COUNTY, WITH NEW LEADERSHIP. THANKS TO RON SCHAEFFER AND MARISA WEIS FOR VOLUNTEERING.
TOYS CAN BE DROPPED OFF UNTIL DECEMBER 12TH AT FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN MAQUOKETA:
MAQUOKETA STATE BANK...THE COMFORT INN...HAPPY JOES....WAL-MART....THE HOSPITAL...
THEISEN'S...THE YMCA AND IOWA BANK. APPLICATIONS FOR TOYS CAN BE MADE BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN AND THE FORM IS AVAILABLE AT THE MAQUOKETA CITY HALL. APPLICATIONS
MUST BE FILLED OUT AND MAILED TO P.O. BOX 1245, MAQUOKETA BY 5 P.M. DECEMBER 6TH.

THE JACK MARLOWE 12TH ANNUAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IS THIS SATURDAY AT THE NEW MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL GYM. ALL DAY WITH CHAMP GAME AT 5. JACK RECENTLY HAD A STINT PUT IN HIS HEART AND I UNDERSTAND IS DOING WELL.

BOY SCOUT TROOP 68 OF MAQUOKETA PAINTED BIRD HOUSES AT CLOVER RIDGE RECENTLY...THEY ADORN THE GARDENS AND COURT YARD AT THE RETIREMENT CENTER. I HEAR CLOVER RIDGE IS PLANNING AN ADDITION NEXT YEAR.

CALLIE COATS, A FRESHMEN AT IOWA STATE, IS THE WINNER OF A $1,000 SWISS VALLEY FARMS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP FOR AN AG MAJOR. PARENTS ARE DAIRY FARMERS ROBERT AND LISA COATES.

A FEW MAQUOKETANS HAD A BRIEF POWER BLIP THIS AFTERNOON. M.M.E.U. MANAGER DOUG OWEN SAID A SQUIRREL CAME IN CONTACT WITH A POWER LINE AND CAUSED THE PROBLEM.

THE JACKSON COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WENT UP SLIGHTLY IN OCTOBER, TO 4.5 PERCENT.

JUDITH SCHMIDT, AGE 53, OF MAQUOKETA, SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES AFTER SHE ROLLED HER VEHICLE AT 6 A.M. EARLY THIS MORNING ON HIGHWAY 61 JUST NORTH OF MAQUOKETA. SHE SWERVED TO MISS AN ANIMAL AND LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE. DAMAGE TO 2005 FORD FOCUS, ABOUT $8,000.

FORMER MAQUOKETA RESIDENT KAREN WENDL, AGE 69, DIED OCTOBER 26TH IN A HASTINGS, NEBRASKA HOSPITAL. SHE WAS A COSMOTOLOGIST AND IS SURVIVED BY HER HUSBAND
MARK AND FOUR CHILDREN.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

DENNIS VOY