GOOD MORNING. IT IS SUNDAY MORNING AND THE SUN IS SHINING. IT WAS NOT AS COLD LAST NIGHT AS PREDICTED...ABOUT 8 BELOW AND NOW WITH THE SUN SHINING, WE ARE MOVING UP WELL ABOVE ZERO. IT IS 11:15 A.M AND I JUST VISITED DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA. FIREMEN AND OTHERS WORKED THROUGHOUT THE NITE. MAIN STREET WAS CLEARED OF ICE WITH AN END LOADER. MANY MORE WEAK WALLS WERE TOPPLED DOWN AND THERE NOW IS AN OPEN SPACE WHERE THE BUILDINGS WERE.
I HAVE PUT UP HERE, 3 PHOTOS. ONE SHOWS THE CORNER BUILDING STILL STANDING.
IT'S FUTURE I DO NOT KNOW. IT IS BADLY DAMAGED. IF IT WILL HAVE TO COME DOWN, PROBABLY EQUIPMENT LAST NIGHT WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO DO IT. IF ONE COULD REBUILD IT....IT WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK STRANGE ALL ALONE ON THAT CORNER.
ANOTHER PHOTO IS OF THE CENTER PORTION OF THE BURNED OUT AREA, WHERE THE HALLMARK STORE , FLOOR COVERING STORE AND FURNITURE STORE STOOD. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT. THE NORTH WALL OF HALLMARK IS A COMMON WALL WITH THE DENTAL BUILDING. THAT WALL WILL STAY.
AND THE OTHER PHOTO IS OF THE DENTAL BUILDING. I VISITED WITH BUDDY AND MICHELLE ATIENZA AND BUDDY TOOK ME THROUGH THE BUILDING. THE NORTH HALF WHERE BUDDY'S DENTAL OFFICES ARE LOCATED IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THERE IS A FURNACE FOR THAT HALF. IT WAS 50 DEGREES IN THERE NOW. A PLUMBER WILL BE NECESSARY TO DEAL WITH FROZEN PIPES AND GET HE WATER RUNNING. ELECTRICITY WILL BE HOOKED UP AND CLEANING WILL BE DONE, BUT IT SUFFERED LITTLE WATER
DAMAGE. THERE IS LITTLE SMOKE ODOR. BUDDY HOPES DURING THE WEEK AHEAD,
IT CAN BE MADE READY TO OPEN. HE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF EMERGENCIES.
SO, AT THIS TIME, IT LOOKS LIKE THE DENTAL OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED PLUS OR MINUS A WEEK. THE SOUTH HALF OF THE BUILDING HAS HAD SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE, BUT CAN BE REPAIRED. BRIAN AUNUN CPA OFFICE MAY HAVE TO WORK OUT OF SOME BACK ROOM SPACE FOR AWHILE. THE HEARING AID BUSINESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE OFFICE MAY ALSO BE RELOCATED TO A BACK ROOM OR TWO WHILE THE ROOF AND OTHER REPAIRS ARE MADE. THERE IS ONE LARGE HOLE IN THE ROOF ON THAT SOUTH HALF OF BUILDING. NONE OF THE THREE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS LOST EQUIPMENT.
LOTS OF VISITORS DOWNTOWN. YOU CAN WALK DOWN MAIN STREET AND TAKE PICTURES. THE ELECTRICITY IS ON AT THE VOY THEATRE AND THE HURST HOTEL APARTMENTS. THE THEATRE WILL BE OPEN THIS AFTERNOON FOR 2 MOVIES, AT 2 P.M AND AT 7 P.M. THE "27 DRESSES" MOVIE IN THE VOY 2 WILL NOT BE SHOWN TODAY AS THAT AUDITORIUM HAS NOT YET WARMED UP TO A SATISFACTORY TEMPERATURE.
FIREMEN ARE WORKING, CLEANING UP EQUIPMENT AT THE FIRE STATION. EVEN A PORTION OF THE NEW STATION IS BEING USED. SOME FIREMEN AND A COUPLE TRUCKS ARE STILL DOWN BY THE BURNED OUT BUILDINGS. THE FIRE MARSHALL'S MOBILE VAN IS STILL HERE. IT WILL DEFINITELY BE "TALK ABOUT THE FIRE" DAY IN MAQUOKETA.
KEEP CHECKING FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS. AND FOR MORE PHOTOS. THANKS FOR THE MANY COMMENTS WE HAVE RECEIVED ON OUR COVERAGE HERE.
HAVE A GOOD SUNDAY....AND GO PACKERS.
DENNIS VOY