SUNNY AND 72 TODAY.
MORE GOOD WEATHER IN THE FORECAST.'

THE MAQUOKETA HIGH CLASS OF 1973 HAS DONATED MONEY TO PURCHASE THE NEW FLAG
POLE AT GOODENOW FIELD. A DEDICATION AND FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY BY
CLASS MEMBERS WILL BE HELD DURING THE HOMECOMING GAME ON FRIDAY NIGHT,
SEPTEMBER 23, AT 7 P.M. ALL MEMBERS OF THE CLASS ARE URGED TO ATTEND
AND SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHER CLASS MEMBERS.

THE MAQUOKETA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ANSWERED A CALL AT 10 LAST NIGHT
TO THE TRUCK STOP AT THE SOUTH EDGE OF MAQUOKETA, WHERE SOMEONE PUMPED GASOLENE AND SPILLED ABOUT 25 GALLONS. THERE WAS NO FIRE.

A BIG ISSUE THESE DAYS IS "ELECTRICITY" FOR MAQUOKETA. THE COST OF
IT IS HIGH COMPARED TO MOST OTHER IOWA CITIES. THE NEW MANAGER OF MMEU, MIKE NICKESON, AFTER LOTS OF DELIBERATION, THINKS MAQUOKETA SHOULD CLOSE THE
GENERATION PART OF MMEU AND HAS ALREADY FIRED THREE OF THE PLANT EMPLOYEES.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS CONCERNS WHO OWNS IT AND WHO HAS AUTHORITY TO
CLOSE IT DOWN AND OR SELL IT. THE COUNCIL IS SPLIT ON WHAT TO DO.
A LONG DISCUSSION WAS HELD AT THE COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT. AS A RESULT,
ANOTHER STUDY WILL BE DONE. AND THERE WAS TALK ABOUT A PETITION
CALLING FOR A VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION ASKING THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PLANT BE CHANGED FROM A SEPARATE BOARD, AS WE NOW HAVE, TO TURNING MANAGEMENT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL RAN THE PLANT UNTIL THE MID-80'S WHEN A PUBLIC VOTE CREATED THE MMEU BOARD. THE
COUNCIL SINCE THEN HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE ONLY FOR APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THAT
BOARD. NICKESON IS WORKING ON WAYS TO CUT EXPENSES AND THEREBY EITHER
LOWER RATES, OR AT LEASE NOT SEE THEM GO HIGHER. THE WISCONSIN COMPANY
WHERE THEY BUY WHOLESALE POWER WILL BE RAISING THEIR WHOLESALE RATE 2% A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS, STARTING IN 2012. ONE OF THE BIG MISTAKES
MADE (MY OPINION) IS THAT MMEU SIGNED A 30-YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE
WISCONSIN WHOLESALER. YES, 30 YEARS! AND THERE IS NO WAY TO GET "OUT"
OF THE CONTRACT. ANOTHER ISSUE, IF THE PLANT IS CLOSED DOWN, THE CITY WILL NEED TO BUY SMALLER GENERATORS FOR EMERGENCY USE AT THE
WATER PLANT, AND THE SEWAGE PLANT AND AT ONE OR BOTH CITY WELLS.
IT IS ESTIMATED THEY WOULD COST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. THE CITY WOULD
PROBABLY HAVE TO RAISE WATER AND SEWER RATES TO PAY FOR THOSE.
THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM! A LOT MORE FRIENDLY AND UNFRIENDLY DISCUSSION
IS STILL AHEAD! THERE ARE MANY CITIZENS WHO WANT IT KEEP THE PLANT
AS IT IS AND CONTINUE TO RUN IT. AND THEY ALSO WANT LOWER ELECTRIC
RATES. I'M NOT SURE WHAT I WOULD DO. BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT LIKE
TO SEE THE CITY COUNCIL TAKE OVER MMEU AGAIN. THEY HAVE PLENTY OF
UNFINISHED ISSUES NOW!

WONDER WHAT BEN JACOBSEN WOULD DO IF HE WERE STILL LIVING? HE WAS THE "DEAN" OF MAQUOKETA POWER PLANTS!

AND OF COURSE...BEN FRANKLIN WAS THE ONE WHO STARTED ALL THIS!

SOME STILL SAY...WHEN FRUSTATED...GO FLY A KITE.

DENNIS VOY