Thursday, May 29, 2014

THURSDAY DAILY REPORT

SHOOT...WE DIDN'T HIT 80 TODAY AS EXPECTED.
WE MADE IT TO 79.
TOMORROW, SUNNY AND HIGH OF 81.
SATURDAY, SUNNY WITH HIGH OF 81 AGAIN.
SUNDAY, CHANCE OF RAIN AND SUNNY WITH HIGH OF 83.

SOME STREETS IN MAQUOKETA ARE CLOSING FOR REPAIR WORK ON THEM.
EAST GROVE BETWEEN NORTH OTTO AND NORTH DEARBORN.
CLARK STREET IN THE AREA OF THE JACKSON COUNTY SHOP FROM GROVE STREET SOUTH TO APPLE.   THE WORK TO BE DONE HAS TO DO WITH PAVING THE AREAS WHERE DIGGING WAS DONE TO MAKE SANITARY PIPE REPAIRS
OR REPLACEMENTS.
TODAY, THE PARKING LOT WAS PAVED IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA BEHIND THE WEST SIDE BUSINESS PLACES IN THE MAIN CENTER BLOCK.
CITY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR FRANK ELLENZ TOLD ME THE STRIPING WILL BE DONE TOMORROW AND THE LOST WILL BE READY TO USE FRIDAY NIGHT.
HE SAID THE SPACES WILL BE WIDER THAN THE OLD LOT SPACES, FOR EASIER PARKING.     GOING TO REALLY BE NICE!    THE OLD LOT HAD TREES.
THIS TIME, NO TREES WILL BE PLANTED.

THE  JACKSON COUNTY REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER BOARD OF TRUSTEES
THIS WEEK APPROVED A 4% ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE FOR HOSPITAL SERVICES.

THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL BOARD HANDLED SEVERAL PERSONELL
ITEMS AT THEIR TUESDAY NIGHT MEETING.
THE BOARD ACCEPTED THE RESIGNATION OF ELIZABETH HAYWARD, CARDINAL ELEMENTARY SECRETARY.
ALSO THE RESIGNATION OF MICHAEL SCHMIDT AS HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.    SEVERAL SUMMER SCHOOL TEACHERS AND AND ASSOCIATES WERE ALSO HIRED.     TEACHERS AT $20 AN HOUR AND
ASSOCIATES AT $10.    IN COACHING, DAVID MILLER WAS HIRED AS 8TH GRADE FOOTBALL AND TRACK COACH.    COLTON FELLER WAS HIRED TO
SERVE AS ASSISTANT VARSITY FOOTBALL AND VARSITY WRESTLING COACH.
MAQUOKETA NATIVE BARB JONES, AFTER OVER 25 YEARS OF TEACHING, MOSTLY AT PELLA, IS NOW HALF-WAY THROUGH HER QUEST TO BE A
LUTHERAN MINISTER.    SHE HAS JUST COMPLETED HER FIRST TWO YEARS
AT WARTBURG SEMINARY IN DUBUQUE AND NOW THE ELCA STUDENT WILL
BE INTERNING AT A LUTHERAN CHURCH FOR A YEAR, STARTING THIS FALL.    THEN, A FINAL 4TH YEAR AT WARTBURG.    BARB (BROTHER IS JACK JONES
OF THE VOY THEATRE) WILL PREACH THE SERMON THIS SATURDAY
AT 5 P.M. AT FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH  IN MAQUOKETA.    AND BARB (MOTHER OF 3 COLLEGE GRAD DAUGHTERS) WILL ALSO PREACH THE
SUNDAY 9 A.M. SERVICE (BROADCAST "LIVE" ON KMAQ-AM) AND THE FINAL
10:30 A.M. SERVICE.     SHE HAS BEEN A GOOD LUTHERAN ALL HER LIFE AND
HAS PLAYED THE CHURCH ORGAN SINCE  HIGH SCHOOL DAYS IN
MAQUOKETA AND THEN LATER AFTER COLLEGE IN WAVERLY,  IN PELLA.

IN SPORTS:   THE MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM, AGAIN
COACHED BY BOLLMAN AND CAVANAUGH, HAD THEIR FIRST GAME
LAST NIGHT AND DEFEATED DAVENPORT NORTH, 4 TO 1.   THE CARDINALS USED THREE PITCHERS, LINCOLN AUNAN, BEN STRATHMAN (WP) AND ALEX GILMORE.   

NOW THAT YOU HAVE READ THE DAILY REPORT....BE SURE TO READ MORE
BELOW AND SEE THE PHOTOS I TOOK TODAY AT MAQUOKETA'S NEW
(AND ONLY) WINERY......AT BANOWETZ ANTIQUE MALL.....AND AT SACRED HEART SCHOOL IN MAQUOKETA.

PLAN ON THE FIREMAN'S BREAKFAST THIS SUNDAY!

DENNIS VOY

SACRED HEART MOVIE DAY

TODAY, I ATTENDED A SPECIAL SHORT MOVIE AT SACRED HEART SCHOOL
IN MAQUOKETA.     INVITED, BECAUSE THEY SHOT PART OF THE 20 MINUTE
MOVIE HERE AT KMAQ.
THE PRODUCERS AND STARS WERE ALL SIX 6TH GRADE STUDENTS OF
TEACHER MICHELLE LANHAM.
THE SIX ABOVE IN FRONT OF MOVIE SCREEN.   THE PROJECTIONIST
BELOW RUNNING THE COMPUTER.
AND THE WHOLE STUDENT BODY WAS INVITED TO WATCH.
THE MOVIE WAS NOT ABOUT SUPERMAN, OR SPIDERMAN BUT SUPER HERO
FAITHFUL MAN.     THE STORY ABOUT HIM WAS TOLD IN AN INTERVIEW ON
KMAQ DONE BY LEO AS HE INTERVIEWS  FAITHFUL MAN.    THE STORY UNFOLDS PROVING THAT HAVING FAITH IS POWERFUL AND FAITHFUL MAN HAD THE HELP OF AN ANGEL (THAT ONLY HE COULD SEE) TO HELP GET HIS STORY TOLD.   THE  THREE PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN OFF THE MOVIE SCREEN WITH MY CAMERA.


GOOD SHOW!
THE STUDENT BODY (AROUND 90) ENJOYED IT AND GAVE A BIG HAND TO THE  6TH GRADERS.   THEY GOT TO SEE THE MOVIE WITHOUT PAYING AN
ADMISSION AND GOT FREE REFRESHMENTS AFTER.    THE VOY THEATRE
WOULD NOT LAST LONG WITH THAT POLICY.     THE TEACHER SAID THEY
USED A 4-YEAR OLD CAMERA (SOUND A LITTLE UNEVEN)  AND NEXT YEAR PLAN TO MAKE ANOTHER MOVIE AND WITH A NEWER CAMERA. 
MOST CLASSES ARE LARGER THAN 6.    THIS YEAR THERE WERE OVER 30 IN TWO PRE-SCHOOL CLASSES AND NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, THERE WILL BE
19 IN FIRST GRADE.
MAQUOKETA IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A GOOD PAROCHIAL SCHOOL!

 DENNIS VOY


MAQUOKETA'S FIRST (AND ONLY) WINERY

JIM AND MARY KAY SORENSEN HAVE MOVED THEIR WINERY FROM PRESTON TO JUST NORTHWEST OF MAQUOKETA, JUST OFF HIGHWAY 61 AND JUST OFF THE CAVES ROAD.    THEY SOLD THEIR PRESTON HOME AND PROPERTY AND
PURCHASED THE MAQUOKETA HOME.     THE WINERY IS IN THE BUILDING
JUST EAST OF THEIR HOME.   IT IS IN TWO SECTIONS....THE STORE AND
THE WINE MAKING ROOM.    THEY MAKE WINE FROM THEIR OWN GRAPES AND ALSO BUY GRAPES TO MAKE THEIR WINE.    MORE GRAPE VINES ARE BEING PLANTED AT THE NEW SITE BEHIND THE STORE.   


MARY KAY IS SHOWN IN THE STORE THAT IS OPEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM NOON UNTIL 5:30 P.M. AND SATURDAYS FROM 10:00 A.M. UNTIL 6:00 P.M. AND SUNDAYS FROM 12:00 NOON UNTIL 5:00 P.M.    THEY STARTED GROWING GRAPES WITH THEIR OWN NURSERY PLANTS AND SELLING THEM TO WINERIES IN 2001.   IN 2006 THEY STARTED MAKING AND SELLING THIER  OWN GRAPE JUICE AND WINE JELLIES.     AND THEN THEY STARTED MAKING WINE AND SELLING IT AT THEIR PRESTON LOCATION IN 2009.    SO, THEY
HAVE BEEN IN THE GRAPE-WINE BUSINESS FOR OVER A DOZEN YEARS.
THEY HAVE 3 CHILDREN.   TWO ARE WORKING IN MAQUOKETA AND AREA
(ONE HELPS OUT AT WINERY TOO) AND ONE IS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THEIR MAILING ADDRESS IS 18345  55TH STREET (CAVES ROAD),
MAQUOKETA.    THEIR WEB SITE IS AT www.iowagrapevines.com AND THEIR
PHONE NUMBER IS 563-940-3830.   ONCE THEY GET THEIR STORE COMPLETED THEY PLAN TO HAVE A GRAND OPENING.    MEANWHILE, THEY
INVITE EVERYONE TO STOP IN A TOOK A TOUR OF THEIR FACILITY.  
WELCOME TO THE MAQUOKETA BUSINESS COMMUNITY....
      IOWA GRAPE VINES WINERY

DENNIS VOY

BANOWETZ ANTIQUE MALL REPORT

THE BANOWETZ ANTIQUE MALL "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE" STARTED EARLIER THIS MONTH..... IS GOING WELL.   IT WILL CONTINUE DURING SUMMER MONTHS AND COME TO A CLOSE WITH A BIG WEEKEND PUBLIC AUCTION.
TODAY, I WAS OUT TO SEE KATHY AND VIRL AND TAKE A COUPLE PHOTOS
OF THEIR COLORFUL PLASTIC "DOME" ON THE ROOF OF THEIR BIG WAREHOUSE BUILDING NORTH OF TOWN.    
IT IS 16-FEET DIAMETER AND 6-FEET DEEP.    TODAY IT IS COMING DOWN IN 25 PIECES AS IT HAS BEEN SOLD TO A NEW CLOCK AND GLASS MUSEUM IN EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, OPENING NEXT YEAR.    IT WAS ORIGINALLY AT THE
ELK'S CLUB IN DUBUQUE AND WHEN THAT BUILDING WAS RAZED, VERL
BOUGHT THE "DOME" AND MOVED IT TO MAQUOKETA IN THE THE LATE 70'S.
EACH PANEL IS A ZODIAK SIGN AND THE MILKYWAY GALIXY CONSISTS OF
450 STAINGLASS JEWELS FORMING THE STARS.
VERL AND KATHY STANDING IN THE VERY LARGE WAREHOUSE BUILDING
A MILE NORTH OF TOWN.   NOTE THE "DOME" ABOVE THEM.   AT THAT
LOCATION (WHERE THEY STARTED THEIR BUSINESS IN THE EARLY 70'S)
IS THEIR HOME AND 4 OTHER LARGE BUILDINGS AND A HUGE PAVED PARKING LOT.   AT THEIR HIGHWAYS 61 AND 64 LOCATION, THE SALE
IS IN THEIR 12,500 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING WHICH WILL BE SOLD.    EVERY WEEK THEY RESTOCK THAT BUILDING WITH ANTIQUES FROM THE WAREHOUSES.   KATHY SAID IN THEIR  "HEYDAYS" ...THEY SOLD NEARLY TWO-MILLION-DOLLARS WORTH OF ANTIQUES EACH YEAR, FROM
BUYERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.    ALSO YEARS AGO, WHEN A NEW "GODFATHERS PIZZA" STORE WOULD OPEN, THEY WOULD SELL A TRUCKLOAD OF ANTIQUES FOR THE DECOR OF THE NEW PIZZA STORE.
VERY AND KATHY ARE HAPPY TO SAY THEY WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE
THEIR "SQUIRES MANOR" SEVEN-ROOM, THREE-STORY BED AND BREAKFAST IN MAQUOKETA.  

THE BANOWETZ'S HAVE BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS TO MAQUOKETA OVER THE YEARS.    THANK YOU VERL AND KATHY.....
AND GOOD LUCK IN OUR SEMI-RETIREMENT YEARS!

PHOTOS AND STORY BY DENNIS VOY