Tuesday, March 25, 2014

TUESDAY DAILY REPORT

PT. SUNNY, COLD AND WINDY TODAY....MID 20'S.
BUT TOMORROW, INTO THE 40'S FOR THE REST OF WORK WEEK AND IN THE 50'S THIS WEEKEND.

THE JACKSON COUNTY SUPERVISORS PLAN TO PUT PROPERTY OWNED BY THE COUNTY UP FOR SALE.      IT IS NEARLY 3 ACRES AT CRESLANE AND GERMAN STREET, UP THE HILL FROM SUNSHINE SCHOOL.   THE COUNTY  GOT THE LAND SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN THE FORMER OWNERS DEFAULTED ON  TAXES.     BUT FIRST, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A  PUBLIC
HEAR ON SELLING IT....ON APRIL 15 ....AND THEN BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL 4:30 P.M. MAY 2ND.      THE COUNTY LISTED THE PROPERTY IN 2011 BUT
DID NOT ACCEPT ANY OF THE BIDS.     THEY HAVE NOT RENTED THE LAND
AND IF SOLD, IT CAN BE PUT BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.

THE CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT TOOK THE FIRST STEP TO CREATING
A STREETSCAPE DOWNTOWN AND RENOVATING THE UTILITY LINES ON MAIN STREET.    THEY HIRED IIW ENGINEERS AT A COST OF $131,700 TO COME UP WITH  THE  DESIGN FOR MAIN STREET INCLUDING A STREETSCAPE AND
NEW UTILITIES.     THE OVERALL COST OF THE SEVERAL-YEARS PROJECT
IS EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 3 AND 4-MILLION-DOLLARS.   IT WILL BE
PAID WITH SOME STATE HELP, POSSIBLE GRANTS, WATER AND SEWER REVENUE  AND POSSIBLY BONDING WITH TAXES TO PAY OFF THE BONDS.      THERE WILL BE MORE IIW ENGINEERING FEES AS THE PROJECT MOVES ALONG.    THE UTILITY UPGRADING IS NEEDED NOW (AND THE NEED WOULD INCREASE IN COMING YEARS) AND THE STREETSCAPE IS MENT TO GIVE NEW LIFE TO DOWNTOWN, AS IT HAS IN MANY CITIES IN IOWA.    DEWITT IS THE NEAREST EXAMPLE.
THIS LOT IN MAQUOKETA IS WHERE THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL WILL BE LOCATED.   FUND RAISING IS UNDERWAY.

GOOD FISHING LAST SUNDAY ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR THE DAM
IN BELLEVUE.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND WARMER WEDNESDAY.

DENNIS VOY

BROWN BAG LUNCH


EVERY TUESDAY IS "BROWN BAG LUNCH" DAY AT THE CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM IN MAQUOKETA, IN THE BASEMENT COMMUNITY ROOM, FROM 12 TO 1 P.M.   ANYONE INTERESTED IN HISTORY IS WELCOME.   FREE...JUST BRING
A SANDWICH OR SALAD AND THE BEVERAGE AND DESSERT WILL BE FURNISHED BY THE JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, SPONSOR OF THE WEEKLY SESSION.     TODAY, RICHARD E. STIMMEL HAD THE PROGRAM ON THE HISTORY OF HIGHWAY 61.     HIGHWAY 61 RUNS 1,400 MILES FROM NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA TO THE CITY OF WYOMING, MINNESOTA.    IT GENERALLY FOLLOWS OF THE COURSE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THUS MAKING MANY SECTIONS OF IT THE GREAT RIVER ROAD.     RICHARD
INVITED  GUESTS (HIGHWAY EXPERTS) TO HELP HIM PRESENT THE PROGRAM.    ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT:     FROM AMES, THE LIBRIARIAN FOR THE IOWA DOT, LEIGHTON CHRISTIANSEN.....RICHARD E. STIMMEL....BRETT WILKERSON, DUBUQUE COUNTY ENGINEER.....CLARK SCHLOZ, JACKSON COUNTY ENGINEER AND TODD KINNEY, CLINTON COUNTY ENGINEER.    TODAY'S PROGRAM WAS SO INTERESTING THAT IT LASTED UNTIL NEARLY 1:30.
PHOTO BY DENNIS VOY