Tuesday, January 10, 2012

SUNNY AND 52 TODAY....2 UNDER THE RECORD FOR THIS DAY.
BACK DOWN TO THE 40'S TOMORROW.
MAYBE AN INCH OF SNOW TOMORROW NIGHT.
ONLY IN THE LOW 20'S DURING THE DAY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
THEN BACK IN THE MID 30'S FOR THE WEEKEND.

THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TOOK THE INITIAL
STEPS THIS MORNING TO SELL THE COUNTY-OWNED (GIVEN TO THE
COUNTY YEARS AGO) S & H INDUSTRIAL BUILDING IN THE INDUSTRIAL
PARK TO A. J. SPIEGEL FAMILY REALTY OF IOWA. THE PEOSTA DEVELOPER
OFFERED THE COUNTY $450,000 FOR THE 53,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
SPIEGEL HAS NOT SAID WHAT HE PLANS TO DO WITH THE BUILDING.
MARTY LYONS, OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR SPIEGEL'S PEOSTA BUSINESS
SAID AT THIS MORNING'S MEETING THAT SPIEGEL HOPES TO BRING
MANUFACTURING JOBS. LYONS SAID SPIEGEL WILL HAVE TO SPEND
AN ESTIMATED $150,000 ON THE BUILDING TO BRING IT UP TO THEIR
SPECIFICATIONS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE AN OUTSIDE DRAINAGE ISSUE
AND NEW SPRINKLER SYSTEM. THE PROPERTY AS IT STANDS NOW,
OWNED BY THE COUNTY, BRINGS IN NO TAXES TO JACKSON COUNTY.
SELLING IT TO SPIEGEL WILL PUT IT BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.
THE SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO PROCEED WITH THE
SALE AND COUNTY ATTORNEY CHRIS RAKER SAID HIS OFFICE WILL
WORK ON TRANSFERRING THE TITLE AND PUTTING TOGETHER A DEED
OF SALE BY THE END OF JANUARY.

THE SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A CHANGE IN
HOW THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE ELECTED IN THE FUTURE.
FROM NOW ON, ALL BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED AT-LARGE. NO ONE
WILL HAVE TO BE IN A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE DISTRICT TO RUN FOR
THE BOARD.

FRED HERMAN, 69, OF DUBUQUE AND FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA, DIED
TODAY AT HIS HOME. HE WAS A RETIRED STATE HIGHWAY PATROLMAN.
FRIENDS MAY CALL FROM 2 UNTIL 8 P.M. THURSDAY AT THE KRAMER
FUNERAL HOME IN MONTICELLO. FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE AT 10:30 FRIDAY
MORNING AT THE FUNERAL HOME. BURIAL IN THE OAKLAND CEMETERY
IN MANCHESTER. HE MADE REGULAR COFFEE TRIPS TO MAQUOKETA TO
VISIT FRIENDS HERE AND THE LAST TIME I TALKED TO HIM WAS AT McDONALDS IN EARLY DECEMBER. HE REMARRIED PROBABLY A YEAR OR TWO AGO AND
NANCY AND I MET HIS WIFE THIS PAST SUMMER AT "OFF SHORE" RESTAURANT
IN BELLEVUE. MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS, WHEN VISITING MAQUOKETA, HE WOULD STOP HERE AT KMAQ FOR A SHORT VISIT. HE WAS A GOOD STATE TROOPER AND HAD A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO THE
ISSUES OF TODAY. I HEARD NOT LONG AGO THAT HE HAD A
FAST MOVING CANCER. HE IS SURVIVED BY A SON IN MONTICELLO AND
DAUGHTER HERE IN MAQUOKETA. HE WILL BE MISSED BY FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.

THE MAQUOKETA BASKKETBALL TEAMS PLAY SOLON TONIGHT....THE BOYS
HERE AND THE GIRLS THERE.
AND THE WRESTLERS ARE IN A QUAD-RANGULAR MEET GOOSE LAKE
STARTING AT 5:30 THIS AFTERNOON.'

EARL SAUNDERS, LONGTIME SALESMAN FOR KMAQ, WILL CELEBRATE
HIS 89TH BIRTHDAY THURSDAY. HE RETIRED FROM KMAQ AROUND 26 YEARS AGO. HE LIVES IN AN APARTMENT ON WEST QUARRY STREET, AND
HAS REGULAR VISITS FROM HIS SON RALPH AND DAUGHTER JOAN. RALPH WORKS IN ILLINOIS NOT FAR FROM HERE AND JOAN LIVES IN DES MOINES AREA. MANY OF YOU THAT GREW UP IN MAQUOKETA PROBABLY HAD
HIS LATE WIFE EVA MAE FOR A TEACHER. SHE DIED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARL!

AND ALSO THIS THURSDAY, DAUGHTER LONNA CLAUSSEN AND SHAWN CELEBRATE THEIR 10TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. DOESN'T SEEM THAT LONG AGO THAT SHAWN STOPPED HERE AT THE OFFICE ONE DAY AND ASKED IF HE
COULD MARRY MY DAUGHTER. HOW MANY GUYS DO THAT?
THEY LIVE IN BETTENDORF AND LONNA DRIVES BACK AND FORTH
TO MAQUOKETA DAILY TO HER OFFICER POSITION AT MAQUOKETA STATE
BANK. SHE HAS BEEN AT THE BANK AROUND 20 YEARS. SHAWN IS
A POLICEMAN AT BETTENDORF AND ALSO HAS A SIDE BUSINESS TEACHING
GUN USE AND SAFETY. THEY HAVE A 9-YEAR SON, JACOB, WHO IS PROBABLY
THE BEST 9-YEAR-OLD HOCKEY PLAYER IN THE QUAD CITIES.
SON RICK AND SHERI WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 25TH THIS SUMMER. MORE
ON THAT LATER.

HAVE A GOOD TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.