FRIDAY DAILY

SANDRA GERLACH IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE "FRIENDS OF THE MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK" AND LAST NIGHT, AT THE HURSTVILLE INTERPRETIVE CENTER, THE ORGANIZATION HOSTED THEIR ANNUAL VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHT.   GOOD FOOD, CAKE, CANDY AND CAKE WAS SERVED
TO OVER 70 THAT ATTENDED.    UP FROM LAST YEAR...IT WAS ALMOST A
FULL HOUSE.

PARK RANGER SCOTT DYKSTRA GAVE A NICE PRESENTATION ON THE
CAVES, WITH FACTS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VISITORS, ETC.
THIS HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR, WITH AROUND 300,000 VISITORS.
THE 33 CAMPING SITES AS ALWAYS WERE NOT ENOUGH FOR THE
RECORD YEAR FOR CAMPERS.    BY THE WAY, IT COST JUST $19 TO CAMP OVERNIGHT AT THE CAVES.    THAT COMPARES TO KOA AT AROUND $50
AND SOME CAMP SITES MUCH HIGHER.   THE STATE LEGISLATURE CAN RAISE THE RATES AND THE MOVE IS UNDERWAY TO GET AN INCREASE, MAYBE NEXT YEAR.     SCOTT.. LIKE AT ABOUT 15 OTHER STATE PARKS .. IS THE ONLY
RANGER.    A LOT OF WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE PERSON WHEN
YOU CONSIDER 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR MONTHS, HOSTING 300,000.

SOME OF VOLUNTEERS LAST NIGHT.      LOT OF GRAY HAIR RIGHT IN FRONT.
IN MIDDLE, WAYNE MAYBERRY.    MANY WORK AT THE WELCOME CENTER
AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVES.    IT GOT NEW CARPET THIS YEAR.
ABOUT 20% OF CAVES VISITORS STOP AT THE CENTER FIRST AND
IT HAS BEEN BUSY ALSO THIS  YEAR.   MORE SHOULD STOP FIRST....
AND THEREFORE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CAVES BEFORE PAYING A VISIT.

NOW THE BAD NEWS.
THE MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK WILL BE CLOSED NEXT YEAR.
THE D.O.T. IS GONG TO REDO THE ROAD FROM ONE END OF THE PARK TO
THE OTHER.    AND INCLUDE SIDEWALKS ON IT FOR SAFETY.    AND
ESTABLISH BETTER DRAINAGE.    ALL NEEDED.   ALL WILL BE NICE.
BUT, THE WORK CAN NOT BE DONE WITH THE CAVES OPEN.   IT IS
POSSIBLE THE PROJECT COULD BE DONE EARLY AND THEY COULD  OPEN
THE PARK LATE IN SUMMER, BUT DON'T COUNT ON IT.
WANT A YELLOW SHIRT LIKE ABOVE....JOIN THE FRIENDS GROUP.
TALK TO SANDRA.  SHE WORKS AT THE FSA OFFICE (FEDERAL BUILDING)
ON EAST PLATT STREET.

THE MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK...ONE  OF THE MOST POPULAR IN
THE STATE, WILL REALLY BE BUSY IN 2019.    NEW PARKING IS NEEDED.
MORE CAMPSITES.    ALL TAKES MORE MONEY.   AND MORE MONEY WOULD
COME FROM HIGHER CAMPING FEEDS.   AND THE "FRIENDS" ARE ALSO
PLANNING A CONCESSION STAND/GIFT SHOP FOR 2019 TO GENERATE
MORE MONEY.   IF  YOU KNOW A LEGISLATURE, URGE HIM OR HER TO
VOTE FOR HIGH FEES.    PEOPLE ARE CAMPING AT THE PARK IN
25-50-100-THOSAND DOLLAR RV'S....AND PAYING JUST $19.    AND...FACTS
PROVE THAT RV SALES ARE UP AND GROWING TOO.

AND THANK SCOTT WHEN  YOU SEE HIM FOR THE GREAT JOB HE IS
DOING.   HE LOVES THE PARK!

MAQUOKETA'S NEWEST BUSINESS!    REALLY NICE!   NOW OPEN!   I THINK
IT IS OPEN.    MORE LATER.

THIS TRUE STORY WILL BE A GOOD FAMILY MOVIE.   HOPE YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE IT.   GOOGLE IT...AND WATCH THE TRAILER.  SHOWING
NOW AT THE VOY 1 THEATRE.

WHEN IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA...ON SOUTH MAIN STREET...
LOOK UP...AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW ROOF ON THE THREE-STORY
VOY 3 BUILDING.   IN TWO-TONE GRAY...IT LOOKS GREAT!    MIKE HOLMES
AND THE BOYS DID A SUPER JOB.   AND NICE ALSO NOT TO SEE THE
SEVEN CHIMNEYS THAT WERE NOT USED AND TAKEN DOWN.

THE CARDINAL FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYS AT DEWITT TONIGHT.   BOTH
TEAMS 0 AND 6.    SHOULD BE A GOOD GAME.    MATT CLARK WILL
BROADCAST THE GAME ON KMAQ AM, FM AND ON OUR HOME PAGE
ON OUR WEB SITE....STARTING AT 7:20.    TOMORROW MORNING, I WILL
HAVE THE SCORE HERE.

MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL  LAST NIGHT AT ANAMOSA,
WAMAC ACTION, ANAMOSA DEFEATED MAQUOKETA 3 TO 0...GAMES
OF 25-14....25-17....AND 26-24.

LODGE MEMBER ROBERT CHRISTENSEN (ROBERT AND BONNIE NOW LIVE IN MARSHALLTOWN) USED TO SAY IT IS THE BEST BREAKFAST IN IOWA.
IT IS A GOOD BREAKFAST FOR SURE!

IT IS A GREAT FEAST!  I'LL BE THERE

DENNIS VOY