A CLOUDY AND DAMP DAY TODAY....HIGH OF 37. NOT VERY NICE.

THE BELLEVUE GIRLS (COMETS) BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYED IN THE
STATE TOURNAMENT IN DES MOINES TODAY. WE BROADCAST THE
GAME ON KMAQ. THEY PLAYED IKM MANNING, RANKED 3RD IN THE
STATE. BELLEVUE, UNDEFEATED AND RANKED 14TH, LED AT THE HALF, BUT LOST THE GAME 71 TO 55. BELLEVUE HAS 4 OF THE 5 STARTERS COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.

NEW WINDOWS WILL BE INSTALLED THIS SUMMER AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
AND HIGH SCHOOL, AT A COST OF OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. THE MONEY WILL COME FROM THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX REVENUS. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WILL BE REPLACING THE ORIGINAL 1963 WINDOWS.
THEY WILL BE THE BRONZE COLOR ON THE EXTERIOR, GOING BACK TO
THE HISTORICAL LOOK.

THE HOSPITAL BOARD IS MEETING TODAY AND WILL TALK ABOUT A TAX ASKING INCREASE THIS YEAR....UP BY $100,000 OVER LAST YEAR....TO $950,000.
FOR A HOME VALUED AT $125,000....THAT WOULD BE A TAX INCREASE OF
$140.00 A YEAR.

RICHARD EFFERDING, AGE 79, OF MAQUOKETA HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH
THEFT. THE REPORT SAID THAT LAST NOVEMBER 30TH, HE WROTE A CHECK
FOR $2,500 TO SEVEN HILLS PAVING AS A PAYMENT FOR SERVICES. THE DEPUTY REPORT SAID THE CHECK DID NOT CLEAR BECAUSE THE ACCOUNT
HAD BEEN CLOSED.

RUSSELL CULVER, AGE 51, OF ELIZABETH, ILLINOIS, DIED LAST FRIDAY.
HE WAS A 1978 GRADUATE OF MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL . HE WORKED
FOR PACIFIC COAST FEATHER COMPANY IN MAQUOKETA AND ALSO FOR
FARMERS IN THE MAQUOKETA AND PRESTON AREA. HE IS SURVIVED BY
HIS MOTHER AND THE FUNERAL WILL BE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT THE
LAW-JONES FUNERAL HOME IN ELIZABETH.

LEAP YEAR....ONE MORE DAY LEFT IN FEBRUARY. MAKE IT A GOOD ONE.

DENNIS VOY

I ATTENDED THE MONTHLY MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUNCHEON
YESTERDAY AT THE EAGLES CLUB. AND AS ALWAYS, JUST INSIDE THE DOOR,
TO GREET EVERYONE, WAS THIS SMILING FACE. IT BELONGS TO CHERYL CLARK. SHE HAS BEEN THE "2ND IN COMMAND" SINCE 1989....OVER 22 YEARS WITH THE CHAMBER AND SHE SAYS SHE STILL LOVES HER JOB AND HOPES TO RETIRE WITH THE CHAMBER. SHE GOT HER FIRST INTRODUCTION TO THE CHAMBER WHILE HER MOTHER OPERATED A T-SHIRT SHOP ON MAIN STREET
IN THE LATE 70'S TO EARLY 80'S. IN FACT, CHERYL WORKED FOR HER AND
SERVED ON THE RETAIL TRADE COMMITTEE REPRESENTING HER MOM'S BUSINESS. HER MOM DIED IN 1984 AND HER DAD (WORKED FOR THE IOWA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT) DIED IN 1996. HER BROTHER ROB WAS A CARPET LAYER, BIG BOWLER, AND DIED IN 1993 AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 41.
SHE HAS A SISTER LISA THAT LIVES IN MAQUOKETA. CHERYL, AFTER
GRADUATING FROM MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOL IN 1974, FIRST WORKED AT A COUPLE OTHER PLACES DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING LEINBACH'S DEPARTMENT STORE, AND SHE MANAGED McLANE OFFICE PRODUCTS. SO, YOU COULD SAY
DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA HAS BEEN HER "2ND HOME" FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
THE CHANGES WE HAVE BOTH SEEN DURING THOSE YEARS.
CHERYL IS MARRIED TO ANDY (SINCE 1981) AND HE WORKED FOR THEISEN'S
FOR 14 YEARS UNTIL HE BECAME MANAGER OF THE SUPER 8 MOTEL IN 1991.
THE MOTEL WAS 20 YEARS OLD LAST JULY AND NOW IS KNOWN AS
MAQUOKETA INN AND SUITES. CHERYL AND ANDY LOVE TO GOLF,
GO TO MOVIES, LIKE TRAVELING AND VACATION IN FLORIDA THE LAST TWO
WEEKS IN MARCH. THEY HAVE NO CHILDREN.
TWO MAQUOKETANS WHO DAILY MEET AND GREET A LOT OF VISITORS TO
MAQUOKETA...AND MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME! THANK YOU CHERYL AND
ANDY!
DENNIS VOY