AGAIN TODAY, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO OVER 90 DEGREES AND
ENDED UP AT 88 FOR A HIGH. 
AGAIN TODAY, MOST SCHOOLS LEFT OUT 2 HOURS EARLY.
SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND COOLER TOMORROW.
THEN IN 80'S AGAIN SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

THE ALL-WOOD LITTLE BEAR PARK HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR 21 YEARS AND NOW MUCH OF IT IS IN NEED OF REPLACING.
THE CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD ARE  THINKING ABOUT REPLACING
IT WITH SOME KIND OF NEW PLAYGROUND.     A COMMITTEE HAS MET AND ANOTHER MEETING WILL BE AT 5:30 P.M. SEPTEMBER 13TH AND THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.     THIS COULD BE AS MUCH AS A $200,000
PROJECT.   THE CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO EACH CONTRIBUTE $75,000 AND THE REST MIGHT
BE  RAISED THROUGH PUBLIC DONATIONS.    THE CITY IS WILLING TO  PAY BECAUSE IT IS IN A CITY PARK AND THE SCHOOL IS WILLING TO PAY BECAUSE IT IS ADJACENT TO BRIGG'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND SCHOOL KIDS USE IT DURING RECESS I GUESS.
ONE THING TO CONSIDER....A WOOD STRUCTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN
MORE POPULAR  THAN A PLASTIC ONE.   FOR A LONG TIME, THERE WAS
ALSO A NICE PLASTIC ONE IN LITTLE BEAR PARK, AND YOU HARDLY EVER
SAW KIDS PLAY ON IT.   THEY PREFERRED THE WOOD CLIMBING PLAY
AREA THAT IS NOW WEARING OUT.     ANOTHER PARK, THE 1ST WARD PARK HAS ALWAYS HAD THE PLASTIC TYPE, AND HAS ALWAYS HAD  WAY LESS ACTIVITY THAN AT LITTLE BEAR.
I GO PAST LITTLE BEAR A COUPLE TIMES A DAY, INCLUDING EVENINGS,
AND LITTLE KIDS ARE NOT THERE LIKE YEARS AGO.      WHY?   BECAUSE
THEIR PARENT(S) ARE NOT TAKING THEM!    KIDS LOVE TO PLAY AT
LITTLE BEAR....BUT PARENTS HAVE TO TAKE THEM.....AND MOST DON'T.
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, PARK PLAYGROUNDS IN OUR SOCIETY ARE A THING OF THE PAST AND WE  DON'T NEED THEM.    IN THE WEEKS AHEAD,  WHEN  YOU ARE DRIVING PAST A PARK, START COUNTING THE KIDS THERE!
  
MAQUOKETA WILL HOST A FREE NIGHT OUT NEXT MONTH INSTEAD OF NATIONAL NIGHT OUT THAT HAS BEEN HELD IN THE PAST, IN AUGUST.
THE JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AND MAQUOKETA POLICE
DEPARTMENT WILL HOST THE EVENT FROM 5 UNTIL 8 P.M. ON TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 11TH, AT LITTLE BEAR PARK.    KID'S ACTIVITIES ARE PLANNED WITH WATER GAMES HOSTED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.     FAMILIES ARE
ENCOURAGED TO BRING LAWN CHAIRS AND ENJOY A NIGHT OUT AGAINST
CRIME.   FREE FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED AND EVERYONE IS INVITED.

MAQUOKETA FOOTBALL TONIGHT...AT EPWORTH...A NON-DISTRICT GAME
AGAINST WESTERN DUBUQUE, STARTING AT 7:30.    BOTH TEAMS WON THEIR OPENER LAST FRIDAY NIGHT.   MATT CLARK WILL HAVE THE PLAY BY PLAY OF THE GAME AT 7:20 TONIGHT ON KMAQ-FM.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

DENNIS VOY