WEDNESDAY DAILY

TODAY, NANCY AND I SPENT 3 HOURS (INCLUDING LUNCH) AT MAQUOKETA'S NEW EVENT CENTER....THE OAKLAND MILL....(FORMERLY COSTELLO'S OLD MILL).....JUST
EAST OF MAQUOKETA.    WE WERE THERE FOR THE EASTERN IOWA TOURISM
ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING, ALWAYS HELD AT THE HOME OF THE PRESIDENT AT THE END OF HIS TERM.     AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE EASTERN IOWA  TOURISM ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN DARYL PARKER OF BELLEVUE.   HE IS ALSO PRESIDENT FOR JACKSON COUNTY, AND FOR OVER 25 YEARS, HAS BEEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF JACKSON COUNTY CONSERVATION.   DURING THOSE YEARS HE HAS ALSO DONE A WEEKLY PROGRAM ON KMAQ CALLED "IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS".      WE WERE AT THE MEETING TO COVER IT FOR KMAQ OF COURSE AND ALSO BECAUSE BOTH KMAQ AND THE THEATRES ARE MEMBERS OF BOTH TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS.
BELOW, MY NAME TAG ON TODAY'S PROGRAM....

DARYL CONDUCTING THE MEETING AND SERVING ALSO AS EMCEE.

CARRIE KOELKER OF DYERSVILLE, THE PAID EXECUTIVE FOR THE ASSOCIATION MADE UP OF ALL THE EASTERN IOWA COUNTY TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS.    SHE  HAS
HELD THAT JOB FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND THIS YEAR DECIDED TO GET INTO
POLITICS AND THIS NOVEMBER WILL RUN AS A REPUBLICAN FOR THE SENATE
SEAT,  OPPOSING CURRENT STATE SENATOR TODD BOWMAN OF MAQUOKETA.

ST. REP. ANDY McKEAN OF ANAMOSA TALKED A FEW MINUTES ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM IN THE STATE AND SAID AN EFFORT WILL BE MADE NEXT SESSION TO GET MORE MONEY TO DO MORE TOURISM ADVERTISNG AND PROMOTION.     HE AND HIS WIFE WERE IN THE TOURISM BUSINESS YEARS AGO WHEN HE AND HIS WIFE CONNIE OWNED AND OPERATED A VERY POPULAR "BED AND BREAKFAST" IN ANAMOSA.

THE GUEST SPEAKER WAS THE GREATEST WRESTLING COACH OF ALL TIME,
ALL AT IOWA, DAN GABLE,  NOW  RETIRED.   HE SPOKE FOR NEARLY AN
HOUR BEFORE LUNCH.    IT WAS THE BEST PART OF TODAY'S MEETING FOR ME.
HE TALKED ABOUT MANY THINGS...ALL OFF-THE-CUFF.   INCLUDING TOURISM.
WAS CRITICAL OF MAQUOKETA BECAUSE WE HAVE NO SIGN SAYING BOYHOOD
HOME OF ERIC JUERGENS, TWO TIMES ALL AMERICAN AT  IOWA.    AND WHEN
HE STOPPED TO ASK AT CONVENIENCE STORE WHERE OAKLAND MILL WAS,
THE PEOPLE THERE HAD NOT HEARD OF IT.    HE HAS WRITTEN TWO BOOKS.
I BOUGHT ONE FOR  HERE AT KMAQ FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO READ IT, AND NANCY PURCHASED ONE FOR HER GRANDSON DERRICK FUGLSANG OF LaCROSSE, ALSO A  FORMER COLLEGE WRESTLING COACH.    THE DAN GABLE HALL OF FAME
MUSEUM IS AT WATERLOO AND UNDERGOING ENHANCEMENTS THAT WILL BE
COMPLETED AT A $1.5  MILLION COST AND OPEN LATER THIS  YEAR.

LUNCH WAS NEXT

CATERED BY FLATTED FIFTH BLUES AND BBQ AT POTTERS MILL
IN BELLEVUE.     MARK AND STAFF DID A GREAT JOB SERVING
THE DELICIOUS FOOD WITH BREAD PUDDING.

WINE TASTING TOO....

JIM AND MARY KAY SORENSEN, OWNERS, SAID THEY GET THEIR GRAPES FROM
ALL OVER IOWA, INCLUDING NEARBY CHARLOTTE AND THIS  YEAR STARTED
RAISING THEIR  OWN.   BECAUSE OF THE CAVES BEING CLOSED, THEY ARE MISSING
THAT TRAFFIC THAT NORMALLY GOES RIGHT BY THEIR PLACE, SO THEIR BUSINESS
IS DOWN A LITTLE.     GOOD REASON TO STOP OUT AND BUY A BOTTLE OR TWO.
THE LITTLE I TASTED WAS VERY GOOD.

OAKLAND MILL IS VERY NICE.   THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE BACK YARD  NEW PATIO.
IT WAS A FINE PLACE WHEN KNOWN AS COSTELLO'S, BUT MANY IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE AND IT IS EVEN MUCH NICER NOW.    THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE IT THIS FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN THERE WILL BE AN OPEN HOUSE FROM 4 UNTIL 7 P.M.   I'LL TAKE MORE PHOTOS THEN, INCLUDING OF THE OWNERS,
SO WATCH FOR THEM HERE ON THE DAILY.

DENNIS VOY