PARTLY SUNNY, WINDY AND HIGH MID 50'S TODAY...
WARMER WEATHER COMING....BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY LOOKING GOOD WITH EXPECTED HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70'S.

APPARENTLY THE SCHOOL I TOOK THE PHOTO OF ON THE CAVES ROAD, IS THE
LONG GROVE SCHOOL. THE LAST PERSON TO TELL ME THAT ... MILDRED WILCOX.
SHE SAID SHE WENT THERE A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.

MORE ABOUT THE PEACE PIPE PLAYERS UPCOMING SUMMER PRODUCTION OF
"FOOTLOOSE".....AUG 7 AND 8 AT 7 P.M. AND AUG 9 AT 2 P.M. DIRECTOR ERICA
BARKER INFORMS ME THAT AUDITIONS WILL BE MAY 23 AND 24 FOR ANYONE
ENTERING 9TH GRADE THIS FALL AND THROUGH ADULT. FOR MORE
INFORMATION, VISIT THE WEB SITE AT www.peacepipeplayers.net OR CALL
ERICA AT 563-593-6590. HER ASSISTANT DIRECTORS WILL B E JOEL DAVIDSON AND
SHAWN VAZQUEZ.

CITY COUNCIL NEWS: LAST NIGHT,THE COUNCIL VOTED 6 TO 1 TO SETTLE WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE BURNED DOWN BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN.
THE OWNERS WILL TURN THE PROPERTIES TO THE CITY AND THE CITY WILL
THEN GET CLEAN-UP MONEY FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. THE CITY WILL
NOT PAY FOR THE PROPERTIES.
THE CITY HIRED SNYDER AND ASSOC. TO PREPARE THE BID SPECS FOR THE CLEAN-UP WORK. THESE SPECS WILL BE USED FOR BIDDING ON THE PROJECT.
THE SYNDER BILL WILL BE NEARLY $51,000 AND WILL INCLUDE THE PICKEL BARREL BUILDING. IMAGINE...OVER $50,000 JUST SO BIDDING CAN BEGIN. AND SYNDER'S
WON'T HAVE THE WORK DONE FOR ABOUT 6 WEEKS.
AND, THEIR REP AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT, SAID HE HAS LEARNED THAT
THE TIPPING FEES ALONE WILL BE AROUND $300,000 FOR THE FIRE DEBRIS.
LABOR AND TRANSPORTATION WILL BE EXTRA. WHO KNOWS...THE CLEAN-UP PROJECT COULD REACH A HALF-MILLION. UNBELIEVABLE! LET'S JUST HOPE
IT CAN BE DONE BEFORE SUMMER IS OVER. EVERYONE IS SOOOOO TIRED OF THAT DOWNTOWN MESS.
THE COUNCIL ALSO HAS LEARNED THAT THE YMCA IS NOT DOING AS GOOD AS
EXPECTED AND MORE MONEY WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF RESERVES
TO HELP WITH THE BUDGET SHORTAGE.

THERE ARE 14 COUNTIES IN IOWA THAT IN MARCH (LAST FIGURES AVAILABLE)
HAD AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF 8% OR MORE. JACKSON COUNTY WAS ONE, AT AN EVEN 8%, AND THAT WAS UP FROM 7.9 IN FEBRUARY. THE FIGURES WERE
RELEASED BY THE S TATE TODAY. IOWA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS 5.2 PERCENT, UP FROM 4.9.

KATIE NICHOLS OF MAQUOKETA WAS GIVEN THE TUBBS FAMILY VOLUNTEER AWARD AT LAST THURSDAY'S VOLUNTEER DINNER IN MAQUOKETA.
SHE HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE WITH THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM HERE.
SHE AND THE LATE GRACE TUBBS, WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING MEALS ON WHEELS STARTED IN MAQUOKETA. SHE RECEIVED A CRYSTAL CLOCK AND A $500 STIPEND TO BE GIVEN TO CHARITY OF HER CHOICE. KATIE AND HER LATE HUSBAND RAY RAN THE COAST TO COAST STORE IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA
FOR MANY YEARS, WHERE THE DOLLAR STORE IS NOW...ON THE CORNER.

EACH MORNING AT 7:40 A.M. ON KMAQ-FM...I DO A LOOK BACK IN THE HISTORY
OF MAQUOKETA, WITH INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
SOME INTERESTING THINGS READ THIS MORNING: IN 1870 ON APRIL
21ST, A BAD FIRE IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA AT THE BLACKSMITH AND WAGON SHOP OF WILCOX AND DEAN.
IN 1929, THE PASTIME THEATRE SHOWED ITS FIRST SOUND MOVIE.
IN 1945, THE LEROY HOSPITAL CLOSED ITS DOORS.
IN 1873, MAQUOKETA HAD GAINED THE REPUTATION OF BEING A "LIVE" BUSINESS POINT. TRAVELING MEN SAY THAT NO TOWN OF ITS SIZE EQUALS IT.
1927....MAQUOKETA IS PLANNING TO START A JUNIOR COLLEGE IN THE FALL.
1932, A.A. HURST ANNOUNCED THE FORMAL OPENING OF LAKEHURST
PAVILION AND SECURED THE SERVICES OF THE JAN GARBER ORCHESTRA.
AHHH...THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS.

THANKS FOR THE VISIT.

DENNIS VOY