FRIDAY DAILY REPORT

WE HAD SOME RAIN LAST NIGHT.
SUNNY SKIES TODAY AND HIGH OF 76.
TOMORROW, SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND 79.
SUNDAY, RAIN AND AROUND 80 FOR GRADUATION DAY.

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE JACKSON COUNTY  AREA  TOURISM ASSOCIATION WAS HELD LAST NIGHT IN BELLEVUE, AT OFF SHORE
EVENT CENTER.    ABOUT 50 PRESENT.    THE ASSOCIATION HAS AROUND 80 MEMBERS, AN ALL TIME HIGH AND ARE STRIVING TO HIT 100.   DARYL PARKER, JACKSON COUNTY CONSERVATION DIRECTOR IS THE PRESIDENT
OF TOURISM GROUP AND WAS THE EMCEE LAST NIGHT.    AFTER DINNER,
HE PRESENTED THE ASSOCIATION'S 2015 PROMOTIONAL PARTNER AWARD,
THEIR TOP AWARD OF THE YEAR, TO ANN BURNS OF MAQUOKETA WHO
RECENTLY RETIRED FROM THE STAFF OF JACKSON COUNTY CONSERVATION.
SHE WAS THANKED FOR HER YEARS OF STAGING AND PROMOTING
TOURISM RELATED EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.

HER NAME IS ENGRAVED ON THE TRAVELING PLAQUE THAT SHE SAID SHE
WOULD HANG AT THE HURSTVILLE INTERPRETRIVE CENTER WHERE
HER OFFICE WAS, ALONG WITH THE OTHER CONSERVATION OFFICES.
THAT'S DARYL PARKER WITH HER AFTER THE PRESENTATION.

 NEW THIS  YEAR, THE ASSOCIATION TOOK APPLICATIONS FOR SOME "TOURISM GRANTS" THEY OFFERED FOR TOURISM PROMOTION.  THERE
WERE 9 APPLICATIONS AND THEY SELECTED 7 FOR A "GRANT" OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN $80 AND $500.    THEY WENT TO:   THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, OLD CITY HALL ART GALLERY, MAQUOKETA MOTOR MADNESS EVENT, THE JACKSON COUNTY FAIRBOARD, THE FRIENDS OF JACKSON COUNTY CONSERVATION, OHNWARD FINE ARTS CENTER,
THE MAQUOKETA FARMERS MARKET, AND THE FISHTAVIL IN BELLEVUE.
MOST WERE PRESENT (PHOTO ABOVE) TO ACCEPT THEIR "GRANT".
ABOVE YOU WILL NOTICE ALAN ERNST OF BELLEVUE, TED STRAIT OF
MAQUOKETA, ELLEN FRANZEN OF MAQUOKETA, LANNY SIMPSON OF
MAQUOKETA, AND CHARLIE SAGERS OF MAQUOKETA,.
TOURISM IS BIG BUSINESS IN JACKSON COUNTY AND WILL GET BIGGER
WITH THE "PARKS TO PEOPLE" PROGRAM THAT WAS GRANTED BY GOVERNOR BRANSTAD AND THE STATE OF IOWA TO JACKSON, JONES AND DUBUQUE COUNTIES.    LIKE TO JOIN?   SEE DARYL AT HIS OFFICE OR
CONTACT JULIE BAINBRIDGE AT HER OFFICE AT THE JACKSON COUNTY
WELCOME CENTER IN SABULA, WHICH IS RUN BY THE TOURISM ASSOCIATION.   JULIE IS THE PAID DIRECTOR.    JULIE AND THE BOARD
HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.   BOTH JULIE OR
DARYL WOULD BE GLAD TO GIVE A PROGRAM AT YOUR CLUB.

INTERESTING STORY IN DEWITT OBSERVER ABOUT THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT.   DEWITT FIRE CHEIF BOB SANDRY MENTIONED TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT HIS DEPARMENT'S AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME WAS SIX MINUTES AND THAT 17 (FIREFIGHTERS) WAS THE AVERAGE REPORTING FOR  DUTY TO FIGHT A FIRE.     GOOD FIGURES I WOULD SAY.     WE ARE ALL THANKFUL FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE GREAT JOB THEY DO, ANYTIME CALLED.

THE VILLAGE OF ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN IS A POPULAR RACING
TOWN.    LAST NIGHT I SAT WITH ALAN ERNST OF BELLEVUE AND TED
STRAIGHT OF MAQUOKETA AT THE TOURISM DINNER AND ALAN MENTIONED
HE AND FAMILY YEARLY ATTEND A RACE OR TWO AT ELKHART LAKE.
SMALL WORLD.....TED SAID HE RACED THERE MANY TIMES YEARS AGO
AND STILL VISITS THE CITY OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.   HE RACED THE MINI
CARS, LIKE THE ONE ABOVE.    ALWAYS FUN TO FIND OUT SOMETHING
NEW ABOUT SOMEONE.    HAD NO IDEA EITHER TED OR ALAN WERE
RACING FANS, BIG TIME.

REMEMBER...MCHS GRADUATION SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT 2...AND
ON KMAQ WEB SITE SHORTLY BEFORE 2.   I'LL BE THERE TO BRING THE EXCITEMENT OF GRADUATION INTO YOUR HOMES.

KMAQ CONGRATULATES ALL THE GRADUATES!

HAVE FUN ON ONE OF THE BIGGEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE.

AND THE REST OF YOU...HOPE YOU ALSO HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.     AND..IF YOU HAVE TIME,  SEE A MOVIE!   AT A MOVIE THEATRE1

DENNIS VOY
kmaq@kmaq.com