JUST GOT BACK FROM THE WEEKLY ROTARY CLUB MEETING ABOUT AN
HOUR AGO. THE MEETING WAS CONDUCTED BY NEW PRESIDENT CONNIE
TJARKS AND FOLLOWED A DELICIOUS ROAST BEEF DINNER. THE GUEST
SPEAKER AT RIGHT IN PHOTO WAS MIKE NICKESON OF RURAL MAQUOKETA,
THE NEW MANAGER OF MAQUOKETA MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER.
HE STARTED HIS TALK BY GIVING A DEMONSTRATION ON HOW MUCH ELECTRICTY IS USED TO FOR A REGULAR BULB AND ONE OF THE NEW
CURLY BULBS YOU SEE AT WAL MART OR GASSER'S TRUE VALUE. ROTARIAN
(CPA ) JOHN GILROY READ THE METER WHILE EACH BULB WAS LIT.
THE WINNER, NO SURPRISE, THE NEWER MODEL BY AT LEAST AN 80% SAVINGS.
AND HE GAVE ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING INFORMATION ON ELECTRICITY
AND HOW IT RELATES TO MAQUOKETA'S PROBLEM OF..... "HIGHER COST
ELECTRICITY THAN WE WOULD LIKE". HE HAS LOTS OF IDEAS AND WE
SHOULD SEE LOWER BILLS SOMETIME DOWN THE ROAD. HE WOULD BE
GLAD TO SPEAK TO ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION AND YOU CAN JUST CALL
HIM AT HIS OFFICE IN CITY HALL. SUBSTITUTE WIND POWER FOR THE
CITY? USE THAT CHEAP WIND? COULD BE DONE. BUT WOULD PROBABLY
COST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO DO IT HERE IN THE TIMBER CITY.
FORGET THAT IDEA! BUT, HE BELIEVES THE PROPOSED WIND TURBINE
AT THE YMCA WILL PAY OFF AND BE GOOD FOR THE CITY.
HE KNOWS THE ELECTRICITY BUSINESS! LEARNED MUCH WHILE WORKING
MANY YEARS FOR ALLIANT ENERGY. HE HAS A BIG CHALLENGE HERE!
BUT, DID NOT KNOW THAT MMEU HAS $6-MILLION DOLLARS IN THE RESERVE
ACCOUNT! INTERESTING MONTHS AHEAD ... AND TRY ONE OF THOSE
NEW CURLY BULBS SOON. BUT, DON'T THROW THEM IN THE TRASH CAN!
AND TRY NOT TO BREAK ONE...THEY HAVE A GAS INSIDE! NOT GOOD FOR
YOU,BUT THE GAS WON'T KILL YOU!
CLICK-ON THREE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.
DENNIS VOY