Monday, June 15, 2015

SUNDAY IN MAQUOKETA

THE RE-NAMING OF THE NEWLY RE-DONE JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY FARM SHED AT THE FAIRGROUNDS CEREMONY WAS HELD
YESTERDAY.   IT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE "ERGON PENNINGROTH
MACHINE SHED" IN HONOR OF LONGTIME MAQUOKETA HISTORIAN AND
SOCIETY VOLUNTEER, ERGON PENNINGROTH, SHOWN ABOVE IN A
PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN A FEW YEARS AGO.    I WILL HAVE OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS ONE AT A TIME ON FUTURE DAILY REPORTS.    IT IS REALLY
A GREAT PLACE TO RE-LIVE FARMING IN EARLY DAYS OF JACKSON COUNTY.
LOTS OF PEOPLE ON  HAND YESTERDAY AND MOST ENJOYED NOON LUNCH
AT THE BUILDING, FEATURING PULLED-PORK SANDWICHES.

AT 1:30, THE MEMORIAL STONE WAS UNVEILED AT THE SOUTH EDGE OF
THE RACETRACK BY JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENT JACK WILLEY.
"BILLY THE GREAT" WAS ONE OF JACKSON COUNTY'S BEST RACING HORSES AND FRANK EATON WAS THE OWNER, TRAINER AND DRIVER.    THE HORSE
IS BURIED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACK.    TWO OF EATON'S GRANDDAUGHTERS WERE ON HAND YESTERDAY, COMING HERE FOR THE
CEREMONY FROM THEIR HOME IN INDIANA.
JAY KEENEY AND BRAD ASHBY WERE ON HAND YESTERDAY....BOTH
REALLY INVOLVED IN HARNESS RACING IN MAQUOKETA OVER THE YEARS.
JAY KEENEY (SEATED) SAID HE HELPED BURY "BILLY THE GREAT".    BRAD
WAS MORE A TRAINER THAN DRIVER AND SAID AT ONE TIME THERE WERE 18
HORSES  BEING TRAINED AT THE HORSE BARN ON THE FAIRGROUNDS.    THERE ARE NO HORSES NOW IN THE BARN AND NO RACES HAVE BEEN HELD FOR SEVERAL YEARS ON THE FAIRGROUNDS TRACK.     YEARS AGO, THERE WAS ALWAYS A RACE DURING THE FAIR AND ONE BEFORE AND AFTER THE.     THE JONES COUNTY FAIR STILL HAS RACES.     BOB LARKEY OF MAQUOKETA
STILL HAS A COUPLE HORSES AND THEY ARE TRAINED AND RACE IN
WISCONSIN.      DURING FAIR WEEK HERE IN MAQUOKETA, WOULDN'T IT BE
NICE IF EACH YEAR WE HAD THE "BOB LARKEY INVITATIONAL RACES" ONE
AFTERNOON. 

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, WE WENT TO SEE THE JOHN CONLEE SHOW
AT THE OHNWARD FINE ARTS CENTER.    GOOD TURNOUT, AROUND 700,
AND A VERY GOOD SHOW BY JOHN AND HIS 4 PIECE BAND.    HE SANG
MOST OF HIS NEARLY 30 HITS, INCLUDING HIS BIGGEST "ROSE COLORED
GLASSES".       OVER 20 OF HIS HIT SONGS HIT #1.    HE LIVES ON A SMALL
RANCH IN NASHVILLE.    AFTER THE SHOW, HE SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS.
AND SOME HAD THEIR PICTURE TAKEN WITH HIM, INCLUDING CODY
BARNES AND JIM SAUNDERS OF KMAQ.

THE WOODCARVERS ARRIVED OVER THE WEEKEND FOR THEIR 6TH
ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MAQUOKETA AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.     I HEARD LAST NIGHT THERE WAS A RECEPTION FOR MANY AT THE CHAMBER OFFICE/
MAQUOKETA ART EXPERIENCE DOWNTOWN.   I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT,
SO NO PHOTOS.     THE WOODCARVERS WILL BE HERE ALL WEEK
AND STARTING THURSDAY, THE PUBLIC CAN GO DOWN AND MEET THEM.
THERE IS AN ADMISSION CHARGE.

AND SUNDAY, ENDED A BIG THREE-DAY WEEKEND FOR THE NEW MOVIE
"JURASIC WORLD" AT THE VOY 1 THEATRE.   IT WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST
DOWNTOWN WEEKENDS IN A LONG TIME AND WORLDWIDE, THE MOVIE
SET A FIRST-WEEKEND RECORD.    EVERYONE I HAVE TALKED TO  LIKED
IT.    IT WILL BE AT THE 61 DRIVE-IN SOUTH OF MAQUOKETA IN JULY.   IT IS
RATED PG-13 FOR THE FAMILY.
RAIN RAIN RAIN MADE FOR A SLOW WEEKEND AT THE 61.
I HATE RAINY WEEKENDS IN THE SUMMER.

BUT, FIRST DAY OF SUMMER IS NOT UNTIL SUNDAY.

ENJOY YOUR LAST DAYS OF SPRING.

DENNIS VOY.







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