IT JUST KEEPS SNOWING. LIGHT SNOW ALL DAY LONG.
DOWN TO 15 BELOW TONIGHT!

JAKE (BICKFORD) AND I JUST HAD COFFEE AT MCDONALDS....NOT EASY GETTING OUT THERE AND BACK. JAKE GOT A NEW KNEE A WEEK AGO AND IT WENT WELL.
NEXT, THE OTHER KNEE IN TWO WEEKS. THEN HE'LL BE SET FOR MANY MORE YEARS OF BOWLING, GOLFING AND WALKING UP AND DOWN THAT CLOTHING STORE AISLE.

HEARD THIS AFTERNOON FROM JAKE THAT BREITBACH FLOOR COVERING HAS RENTED THE STORE JUST SOUTH OF HIS STORE(BILL MOLER'S CLOTHING) , FOR A TEMPORARY LOCATION. IT FOR MANY YEARS WAS THE HOME OF SPALDING'S FOOTWEAR. STORE HAS A GOOD EAST-TO-USE BACK ENTRANCE. BREITBACH'S ALSO HAVE A WAREHOUSE BUILDING ON EAST QUARRY STREET.

THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS STARTED TWO FUND DRIVES.
ONE TO HELP THE DISPLACED BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE OTHER FOR FIREMEN, INCLUDING AN APPRECIATION DINNER FOR FIREMEN THAT WORKED AT THE FIRE.
IT WILL BE IN LATE FEBRUARY AT A PLACE TO BE ANNOUNCED. AN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SET UP IN THE LOCAL BANKS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE, MAKE YOUR CHECK OUT TO THE MAQUOKETA BETTERMENT CORPORATION AND NOTE ON THE CHECK WHICH ACCOUNT YOU WISH TO GIVE TO. THEN MAIL IT TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICE AT 117 SOUTH MAIN STREET, MAQUOKETA, IOWA 52060. ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN EMAIL THE CHAMBER AT maqchamber@qwest.net CHERYL OR TRACY WILL GET BACK TO YOU.

THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL BOARD HAS MADE A COUNTER OFFER TO THE MEA REQUEST FOR SALARY INCREASES. THE MEA ASKED FOR A 5.95 PERCENT SALARY INCREASE ON THE BASE PAY OF A FIRST YEAR TEACHER, WHICH WOULD BRING IT UP TO $26,159. NOW IT IS $24,690. THE SCHOOL BOARD COUNTERED WITH A $100 INCREASE TO $24,790. ALL OTHER SALARIES ARE FIGURED ON A PERCENTAGE OF THE BASE TEACHER SALARY. THE BOARD IS ALSO PROPOSING SOME MAJOR CHANGES IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN. THEY PROPOSE TO PROVIDE A FULLY PAID SINGLE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN WITH A $500 DEDUCTABLE AND PAY A MAXIMUM OF $900 PER MONTH TOWARD THE FAMILY POLICY. THE FAMILY POLICY WOULD HAVE A $1,000 DEDUCTABLE. ALSO, THE BOARD WOULD ONLY PROVIDE SINGLE COVERAGE FOR ANY FULLTIME HIRES AFTER JULY 1, 2008.
THE MEA HAD ASKED FOR NO CHANGES IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY.

THE MAQUOKETA FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES....TO A GAS SMELL AT 905 KATHEY DRIVE LAST NIGHT AND TO A GAS SMELL IN THE ALLEY BEHIND TANDEM TIRE. IN CASES LIKE THIS, THE GAS COMPANY IS CALLED AND THE FIRE DEPARMENT STAYS UNTIL THE SOURCE OF ODOR HAS BEEN DETERMINED AND FIREMEN ARE NOT NEEDED.

A BLOOD DRIVE YESTERDAY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND 94 UNITS COLLECTED DURING THE 5-HOUR PERIOD.

THE MAQUOKETA BOYS LOST THEIR GAME AGAINST WEST DELAWARE HERE LAST NIGHT, BY TWO POINTS AND THE MAQUOEKETA GIRLS BROKE A 4-GAME LOOSING STREAK BY BEATING WEST DELAWARE AT MANCHESTER LAST NIGHT.'

ITS 4 O'CLOCK AND IT HAS STOPPED SNOWING.

A REAL SHAME THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE YEAR WITHOUT THE FOUR SEASONS.

DENNIS VOY