THURSDAY DAILY

YOU CAN CLICK-ON ABOVE TO ENLARGE IT.,


ALSO...
GO FUND ME GOAL IS $20,000
AND TODAY IS $3,500 SHORT OF GOAL.

DENNIS VOY

TUESDAY DAILY

MEMORIAL DAY AFTERNOON,  AT 1 P.M.,  THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW 
JACKSON COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL
THAT WAS HELD BETWEEN THE TWO CEMETERIES IN MAQUOKETA.    A VERY GOOD ATTENDANCE AND A LITTLE RAIN DURING THE CEREMONY, WHICH LASTED
ABOUT 40 MINUTES.    THIS PHOTO AT THE BEGINNING DURING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
BELOW A FEW PHOTOS AS I WALKED AROUND VISITING
WITH PEOPLE, WHO ALL THOUGHT THE MEMORIAL
WAS EXCELLENT.

THE EVERGREENS ALONG THE WEST EDGE WILL
EVENTUALLY GROW WIDE AND TALL AND MAKE A
GOOD DIVIDER BETWEEN THE ADJACENT HOME AND
THE MEMORIAL.    THE 2 STAINLESS STEEL STRUCTURES
TO HOLD THE "PAVERS" ARE NEARLY FULL, BUT THERE IS IN PLACE, TWO CONCRETE SLABS TO  HOLD TWO
ADDITIONAL STAINLESS HOLDERS.     ANYONE WISHING
TO PURCHASE A "PAVER" BEARING A VETERANS NAME,
NOW OR MONTHS AND YEARS IN THE FUTURE, CAN DO
SO BY CONTACTING THE AMVETS IN ANDREW.    THEY START AT $50 EACH.    
THE VETERANS PARK WILL BE  OPEN EVERY DAY WITH
LIGHTS FOR EVENING VIEWING.    STOP BY AND ENJOY
A WALKING VISIT.   
THANKS TO ALL THAT AFTER NEARLY 5 YEARS OF
WORK, MADE YESTERDAY POSSIBLE.    SPECIAL MENTION WAS GIVEN TO MARTY BALLIU OF MAQUOKETA, THE VOLUNTEER LEADER IN BUILDING THE MEMORIAL.    

DENNIS VOY

FRIDAY DAILY

DRIVE THROUGH THE MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK AND  AFTER  A SHORT DISTANCE, LOOK FOR A LITTLE SIGN DIRECTING YOU TO BLUFF LAKE.
WHEN YOU SEE THIS BARN, GO PAST THE BARN YARD ON A WINDING GRAVEL ROAD, AND OVER THE HILL, IS ONE OF IOWA'S MOST POPULAR AND WELL KNOWN RESTAURANTS.
BLUFF LAKE CATFISH FARM RESTAURANT.

THERE IT IS.... A JACKSON COUNTY TOURIST ATTRACTION, SERVING FISH, CHICKEN AND ROAST BEEF.   AS YOU CREST THE HILL YOU'LL SEE BELOW,
4 LONG LINES OF CARS.      ON SUMMER DAYS, YOU CAN SIT OUTSIDE WAITING FOR YOUR TABLE.    OR VISIT THE GIFT AREA,

THE INSIDE WAITING AREA.

HERE, THE SUNKEN BAR AREA AND MORE TABLES FOR SEATING
AROUND THE BAR AND OVERLOOKING THE LAKE.

KAREN  WELLS,  IN HER 28TH YEAR AS A WAITRESS.

AT LEFT IN HER KITCHEN, LINDA WELLS, OWNER AND COOK.    HER DAD
FORMED THE LAKE, AND STARTED THE RESTAURANT AND SHE HAS MADE IT
WHAT IT IS, A RESTAURANT THAT IS ALWAYS VERY BUSY.    HER SON IS A CO-OWNER AND A MANAGER.   IT IS OPEN FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ONLY.   YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT A HALF HOUR, OR FULL HOUR, OR MORE...BUT IT'S WORTH IT.
BLUFF LAKE BRINGS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO JACKSON COUNTY
EVERY YEAR.    WITH LINDA, A KITCHEN EMPLOYEE WHOSE NAME I MISPLACED.
AND WHEN YOU VISIT BLUFF LAKE, YOU WILL LIKELY SEE DEER.     KEEP AN
EYE OUT FOR THEM AND HOPE THEY KEEP AWAY FROM YOUR CAR.

ALADDIN STARTS TONIGHT AT THE VOY THEATRE AND THE 61 DRIVE-IN.

I VISITED MY BROTHER GERALD AND WIFE BETTY YESTERDAY AT THEIR HOME, AND WHERE I WAS BORN, IN HORICON, WISCONSIN.     THOSE JOHN

DEERE GARDEN AND LAWN TRACTORS YOU SEE EVERYWHERE ARE MADE THERE.

HORICON IS A TOWN OF 3,800 PEOPLE WITH THE JOHN DEERE FACTORY

THAT EMLOYS AROUND 1,300.    

DENNIS VOY

WEDNESDAY DAILY

THE MAQUOKETA OPTIMIST CLUB  HELD THEIR ANNUAL RESPECT FOR LAW
DINNER LAST NIGHT AT THE EAGLES CLUB, WITH 65 IN ATTENDANCE.   ABOUT
HALF WERE OPTIMIST MEMBERS AND THE OTHER HALF, LAW ENFORCEMENT
GUESTS.   DOUG MELVOLD WAS THE SPEAKER, TELLING ABOUT A WORLD
WAR SHIP LIKE HIS LATE FATHER, ROBERT, WAS A COMMANDER OF IN WORLD
WAR TWO.   A SHIP THAT MADE A VISIT ON THE MISSISSIPPI LAST YEAR.
ABOVE, SHERIFF KETTMAN PRESENTED DEPUTY SCOTT HEIAR WITH THE
OPTIMIST CLUB'S OFFICER OF THE YEAR, FOR HIS BRAVE ACTIONS ON A COLD
NIGHT LAST YEAR.
HIS PRESENATION READ AS FOLLOWS:

CLICK ON ABOVE TO ENLARGE IT.
BELOW PHOTO IS OF OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMBERS PRESENT.
PHOTO BY LOIS FISCHER.

DENNIS VOY 

TUESDAY DAILY

MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK WILL BE VERY BUSY VERY SOON, WITH OVER 100,000

PEOPLE COMING THIS SUMMER TO RV OR TENT CAMP, PICNIC, WALK, AND MOST WILL GO THROUGH THE CAVES.    NEW IS THE ABOVE SHELTER AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAMPING AREA.    THERE ARE AROUND 30 SPOTS FOR  RV'S AND TENTS.    THERE IS A CAMP HOST, BUT HERE IS WHERE VISITORS CAN PAY THE FEE AND GET INSTRUCTIONS.

THE REST ROOMS FOR RV VISITORS AND CAMPERS.

THE NATURE CENTER IS OPEN A LOT BUT NOT ALL THE  TIME.   IT IS WORTH A VISIT AND NO CHARGE OF COURSE.    HAS A NEW REST ROOM BUILDING, AND
IS STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS.  BUILDING BELOW AT 
THE ENTRANCE TO PARK.

AS VISITORS LEAVE THE CAVES PARK, THIS SIGN INVITES THEM TO VISIT MAQUOKETA ALSO.

THE MAQUOKETA OPTIMIST CLUB PRESENTED FOUR $1,000 SCHOLORSHIPS TO THE STUDENTS IN PHOTO ABOVE....AT THE AWARDS ASSEMBLY MAY 16TH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
LEFT TO RIGHT:    STUDENT NGAN HUYNH....OPTIMIST PRESIDENT JANE SCHMIDT....STUDENTS RACHEL VORBECK....SIDNEY MICHEL.... AND KARYSA CARSON.     FAR RIGHT, OPTIMIST MEMBER JODI COOKLEY.

DENNIS VOY

MONDAY DAILY

128 SENIORS GRADUATED YESTERDAY AT THE 141st. ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT
CEREMONIES AT THE MCHS GYM.    THE GYM WAS NEARLY FULL AND THE WEATHER OUTSIDE WAS BAD IN THE MORNING BUT PRETTY GOOD IN THE AFTERNOON.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES PRINCIPAL MARK VERVAECKE.  SCHOOL BOARD BELOW RIGHT.      MIKE HAYWARD, PRESIDENT...MARY HERRING...DAVID SYBESMA...TANYA ROEDER, AND NOT
SHOWN FAR RIGHT, LENKE CARSON.
AT LEFT, IN THE MIDDLE,  SUPT. CHRIS HOOVER AND ASST. PRINCIPAL KEVIN BOWMAN.

LOTS OF CONFETTI BUT NO CAP THROWING.

THE CEREMONY WITH 3 STUDENT SPEAKERS LASTED 45 MINUTES. 

VALIDICTORIAN:   ADDIE CRAIG.

DENNIS VOY

FRIDAY DAILY

 THE BELOW DEDICATION WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.   HOPE

YOU CAN MAKE IT.

IT IS A GREAT MEMORIAL

SOMEONE FORWARDED THE TWO BELOW FACEBOOK ENTRIES ON PLACES TO SEE ON A ROAD TRIP TO JACKSON COUNTY.

REMEMBER...CLICK-ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.

STARTS TONIGHT AT THE VOY THEATRE AND NATION-WIDE.

TONIGHT AT THE 61 DRIVE-IN...

BOTH ABOVE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT

MAQUOKETA GRADUATION CEREMONY IS AT 2
THIS SUNDAY AT THE M.C.H.S. GYM AND WILL
BE BROADCAST ON KMAQ-AM-FM AND
HERE ON THE WEB HOME PAGE.   TURN-ON
THE LITTLE RADIO AT BOTTOM OF  HOME PAGE.

DENNIS VOY