Saturday, October 18, 2008

IT WAS VERY FOGGY THIS MORNING, UNTIL 10 A.M. OR SO...AND COLD, ABOUT 39.
THEN THE SUN CAME OUT AND NOW IT IS A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY, WITH THE HIGH EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MID 50'S AND TOMORROW, EVEN NICER.

THE MAQUOKETA CARDINALS PLAYED A GOOD GAME LAST NIGHT AGAINST
RATED MARION, BUT ENDED UP LOOSING 36 TO 22.

SORRY TO REPORT THAT A LONGTIME MAQUOKETA BUSINESS IS CLOSING.
JAKE BICKFORD HAS DECIDED TO RETIRE AND WILL START A "QUITTING
BUSINESS" SALE NEXT THURSDAY. THE SIGN WENT UP IN THE WINDOW
AT NOON TODAY. AT ONE TIME, THERE WERE 3 MEN'S CLOTHING STORES.
JACK HAS WORKED AT THE STORE ABOUT 50 YEARS AND BOUGHT IT FROM
BILL MOLER ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO. BILL MOLER (WHO DIED LAST YEAR) BOUGHT THE B & B CLOTHING STORE AT THAT LOCATION IN 1958, SHORTLY BEFORE KMAQ WENT ON THE AIR. I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN A CLOTHING STORE
BEFORE MOLER BOUGHT IT. SO...I'M GUESSING THERE HAS BEEN A MEN'S STORE AT THAT LOCATION A GOOD 60 YEARS. JAKE IS A YEAR YOUNGER THAN ME ( HE'S 68) AND IS NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO RETIREMENT. HIS WIFE, JUDY, RETIRED FROM TEACHING 4 YEARS AGO. THEY HAVE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN IN INDIANA,WISCONSIN AND IOWA CITY AND WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE MORE TRIPS TO SEE THEM. AND JAKE LOVES SPORTS, AND PARTICIPATES IN BOWLING AND GOLF.
JAKE GOES BACK EVEN LONGER THAN 50 YEARS DOWNTOWN. WHILE IN HIGH
SCHOOL, HE WORKED FOR NIC JACOB'S POPULAR MEAT MARKET AND GROCERY STORE. AGAIN THE BIG SALE STARTS NEXT WEEK AND WILL PROBABLY
RUN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THERE IS A BIG INVENTORY TO SELL, AS JAKE ALWAYS KEPT A WELL-STOCKED STORE. SO, AFTER CHRISTMAS, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER EMPTY STOREFRONT DOWNTOWN. BUT, SOMEONE IN DOING SOME PAINTING
IN AN EMPTY STORE RIGHT NOW, SO MAYBE A NEW ONE WILL OPEN SOON.
THE BUILDING JAKE'S STORE IS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN IS OWNED BY DARLENE
KIRCHOFF. IN THE MONTHS AHEAD, I AND A LOT OF OTHER MEN IN MAQUOKETA WILL BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PLACE TO BUY SUITS, SPORTCOATS, SHIRTS AND TIES, ETC. I'VE BOUGHT MOST OF MY CLOTHES OVER THE YEARS THERE. AND
BILL MOLER'S WAS A KMAQ ADVERTISER 50 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT ON-THE-AIR AND HAS BEEN A WEEKLY ADVERTISER EVER SINCE. GOOD LUCK TO JAKE!
HOPE HE AND JUDY HAVE A LONG, HAPPY RETIREMENT.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND AND WEEK AHEAD.

DENNIS VOY