Monday, June 13, 2011

PARTLY SUNNY TODAY AND A HIGH OF 73. A 50% CHANCE OF RAIN
TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.

FUNERAL SERVICES ARE PENDING FOR JERRY RASMUSSEN, AGE 90, A FORMER MAQUOKETA RESIDENT AND FORMER LONGTIME MAQUOKETA
BUSINESSMAN. JERRY DIED LAST LAST NIGHT AT HIS HOME IN
WANATCHEE, WASHINGTON, FOLLOWING A LINGERING ILLNESS.
JERRY AND HIS LATE BROTHER RAY, FOR MANY YEARS, OWNED AND
OPERATED RASMUSSEN MOTOR SALES IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA,
UNTIL SELLING THE DEALERHSHIP TO BRAD DEERY IN THE MID 80'S.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, HE AND DOROTHY MOVED THERE TO BE
CLOSE TO THEIR SON PHIL AND FAMILY. PLANS ARE TO HAVE A FUNERAL
SERVICE IN WANATCHEE, WITH CREMATION FOLLOWING AND THEN
LATER,HAVE A MEMORIAL SERVICE IN MAQUOKETA. SURVIVORS INCLUDE HIS WIFE DOROTHY, SON PHIL, HIS WIFE LOVELYN, TWO GRANDCHILDREN
AND 1 GREAT-GRANDCHILD. HE AND RAY JOINED THEIR FATHER IN
THE BUSINESS IN 1938. HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, SERVING ON THE HOSPITAL BOARD OVER 10 YEARS, AND WAS A LONGTIME
MEMBER AND FORMER GRAND CHANCELLOR OF THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
FOR MANY YEARS, HE HELPED WITH THEIR FAMOUS ANNUAL PANCAKE
SUPPER. HE WAS A FORMER ROTARIAN AND PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB AND ACTIVE IN THE LOCAL IKES CLUB. LIKED TO GOLF AND PLAYED WELL.
IN HIS LATER YEARS, HE WAS A DAILY PARTICIPANT IN OUR LOCAL
COFFEE TIME EACH MORNING AT THE DECKER HOTEL. WE HEARD LOTS
OF GOOD LOCAL STORIES OF MAQUOKETA'S PAST FROM JERRY. HE
EVEN WROTE TWO BOOKS ABOUT MAQUOKETA. WE HAVE MISSED HIM
SINCE MOVING WEST. ANOTHER MAQUOKETA "ONE OF A KIND" HAS LEFT
US.

A MAQUOKETA MAN, DALE KLOFT, AGE 68, WAS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A YOUTH AT TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. JUDGE CHARLES PELTON SENTENCED HIM TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON ON CHARGES OF SEXUAL
ABUSE IN THE THIRD DEGREE. AND THE JUDGE SAID HE WAS SETTING
A SPECIAL SENTENCE SO THAT KLOFT WOULD REMAIN IN PRISON THE
REST OF HIS LIFE. MAQUOKETA POLICE SAY KLOFT ASSAULTED A PERSON
12-13 YEARS OLD IN JULY 2009 AND A SECOND TIME IN FEBRUARY OF 2011.

MAQUOKETA POLICE HAVE CHARGED A MAQUOKETA WOMAN, TRISHA
DELONG, AGE 36, IN CONNECTION WITH SEVERAL THEFTS ON SOUTH
JONES IN MAQUOKETA. SHE HAS BEN CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS
OF BURGLARY IN THE THIRD DEGREE AND POSSESSION OF STOLEN
PROPERTY. SHE ENTERED A HOME AT 303 SOUTH JONES ON MAY 31ST
AND TOOK A LAPTOP, CAMERA, BLANKET, DVD'S, AND COMPUTER EQUIPMENT. ALSO THAT DAY, SHE ENTERED A HOME AT 314 S. PROSPECT STREET AND TOOK A LAPTOP AND SOFTBALL EQUIPMENT. AND IN HER POSSESSION, OFFICERS FOUND A PURSE BELONGING TO A RESIDENT
AT 206 S. PROSPECT AND ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM 304 S.
JONES, INCLUDING A GPS SYSTEM AND A DIGITAL CAMERAL.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TONIGHT.

THE JACKSON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IS FILLED WITH WOODCARVERS.
THEY WILL BE HERE FOR THEIR CONVENTION THE REST OF THE WEEK.
THIS IS THEIR 2ND YEAR IN A ROW HERE. THE PUBLIC CAN STOP
IN AND VISIT THEIR DISPLAYS LATER THIS WEEK. THERE IS A SMALL
FEE TO DO THIS.

THE JACKSON COUNTY PRO RODEO IS THIS THURSDAY-SATURDAY
AT RURAL BELLEVUE.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

DENNIS VOY


YESTERDAY, WHEN I PULLED OFF HIGHWAY 61 TO GO TO
FULTON, THIS IS WHAT
I SAW DRIVING INTO TOWN.
IN THE BACKGROUND IS
THE HOME OF MILO AND
LAUREL BAKER AND AS YOU
SEE HERE, THEIR DRIVEWAY
IS LINED WITH VINTAGE
IH AND JOHN DEERE TRACTORS, ALL RESTORED
BY MILO. AND HE HAS OTHERS TOO. MILO WASN'T HOME BUT LAUREL CAME OUT TO VISIT AND EXPLAIN
THAT THESE TRACTORS ARE LINED-UP EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AND
REMAIN THERE UNTIL LATE IN THE DAY, AND ARE VISABLE FROM
THE HIGHWAY. MANY CARS STOP IN TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND YOU
CAN TOO. THE BAKERS HAVE FARMED IN THE AREA FOR OVER 40 YEARS
AND MILO HAS BEEN RESTORING TRACTORS ABOUT AS LONG, OR LONGER.
CLICK-ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT.
DENNIS VOY
THIS JOHN DEERE WAS
BUILT IN 1958, THE YEAR
KMAQ WENT ON-THE-AIR.
THANKS TO MILO, IT LOOKS
BRAND NEW. SEE IT
ANY SUNDAY AFTERNOON
AT HIS HOME AT FULTON,
IOWA, ABOUT 9 MILES
NORTH OF MAQUOKETA.
DON'T TELL ANYONE, BUT
IT TOOK ME A COUPLE MINUTES JUST TO CLIMB UP AND GET INTO THE SEAT.
CLICK-ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT.
DENNIS VOY