FOG AND RAIN OVER THE PAST WEEKEND.
WINDY AND CLOUDY TODAY, AFTER LIGHT SNOW THIS MORNING.
THE WHOLE WEEK WILL BE COLD.....AND REALLY COLD THIS WEEKEND.
BUT, WE DID GET RIDE OF SOME ICE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
IN SPORTS: FRIDAY, BOTH THE CARDINAL GIRLS AND BOYS LOST TO
MARION. THE MARION GIRLS ARE 12 AND 1.
THE GIRLS WILL HOST ANAMOSA TOMORROW NIGHT.
THE BOYS PLAY AT ANAMOSA TOMORROW NIGHT.
SATURDAY IN THE MIDLAND WRESTLING TOURNAMENT AT WYOMING,
MAQUOKETA WON THE TEN-TEAM TOURNAMENT, FINISHING 4 POUNDS AHEAD OF 2ND PLACE LISBON. THE CARDINALS HAD 5 CHAMPIONS: TIM O'CONNELL....
DAKOTA SYNDER....RYAN FLAGEL....THOMAS MAYBERRY AND COLTON FELLER
AT HEAVYWEIGHT.
TONIGHT, THE CARDINAL WRESTLERS WERE GOING TO WRESTLE AT DEWITT BUT BECAUSE OF BLOWING SNOW, HIGHWAY TRAVEL IS BAD AND TONIGHT'S DUAL MEET HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN CANCELLED. NO WRESTLING TONIGHT IN DEWITT. THE WRESTLING MEET HAS ALREADY BEEN RE-SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW (TUESDAY NIGHT) AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GYM IN DEWITT.
ONE FINAL SPORTS NOTE, WE NOW KNOW THAT THE MAQUOKETA GIRLS WILL OPEN THEIR TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL COMPETITION ON FEBRUARY 17TH AT DEWITT AGAINS THE SABERS, WHO DEFEATED THE CARDINALS IN BOTH REGULAR SEASON GAMES THIS SEASON.
THE ANNUAL FIREMEN'S BANQUET WAS HELD SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MAQUOKETA COUNTRY CLUB. IT WAS A CATERED MEAL BY SPRINGBROOK COUNTRY DINING AS THE COUNTRY CLUB KITCHEN IS NO LONGER OPEN.
CHIEF BECK REPORTED A RECORD-LOW YEAR FOR FIRE CALLS.
ONLY 66 IN 2009 COMPARED TO 90 IN 2008. THERE WERE 64 RESCUE CALLS LAST YEAR, UP FROM 40 IN 2008. THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME TO RURAL CALLS WAS 9 MINUTES AND FOR IN-TOWN CALLS, 6 MINUTES.
THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF SERVICE ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN MAQUOKETA IS ABOUT 12 YEARS AND THE BEST ATTENDANCE TO FIRE CALLS LAST YEAR WAS
JERRY BOWEN'S 64%.
AND LENGTH-OF-SERVICE AWARDS WERE PRESENTED: TOM MESSERLI RECEIVED A GOLD WATCH FOR 25 YEARS ON THE DEPARTMENT. 20-YEAR AWARDS TO TERRY RUBEL AND JERRY BOWEN. TEN-YEAR AWARDS TO CHAD STEFFAN AND
CRAIG MUHLHAUSEN. THE DEPARTMENTS MEMORIAL AWARD WAS GIVEN TO
BRENT PAULS. ALSO PRESENT SATURDAY NIGHT WERE THOSE FIREMEN
WHO HAVE REACHED LIFETIME STATUS: HAROLD LUBBEN, LLOYD NABB,
RED LANE, BOB MICHELL, GAIL STICKLEY AND JERRY WEISS.
AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZED GIB MARCUCCI FOR HIS DONATION
OF THE COPPER COLORED CEMENT FIREMAN WHICH STANDS IN FRONT OF THE FIRE STATION. HE DONATED IT IN MEMORY OF HIS WIFE BETTY.
THE FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH IN MAQUOKETA HELD THEIR ANNUAL MEETING
YESTERDAY AND LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE CLERGY, PASTOR GERALD GJERDE, SURPRISED THE MEMBERS BY ANNOUNCING THAT HE WILL RETIRE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. HE WILL THEN BE FINISHING HIS 30TH YEAR AT FIRST LUTHERAN AND
WILL BE 59 YEARS OLD. THE CHURCH HAS AN ASSOCIATE PASTOR, JUDY
HEINRICH.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TONIGHT. THE 2010-2011 CALENDAR WILL BE DRAFTED AND THE BID DISCUSSION IS PLANNED FOR THE INSTALLATION OF NEW BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SCOREBOARDS.
THE CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETS AT 7 TOMORROW MORNING AT CITY HALL.
THE HOSPITAL BOARD MEETS TOMORROW AFTERNOON AT 4:30 AT CITY HALL.
A 2009 GRADUATE OF MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL, MICHELLE EBERHART OF DELMAR, ARRIVED EARLIER THIS MONTH IN CARLOW, IRELAND WHERE SHE WILL BE A STUDENT AT A SMALL COLLEGE IN THAT TOWN OF ABOUT 10,000. SHE WILL
BE ATTENDING CLASSES THERE THREE DAYS A WEEK UNTIL SHE RETURNS HOME
IN MAY. SHE SAYS MOST OF THE STUDENTS GO HOME ON WEEKENDS.
SHE AND SOME OTHER FOREIGN STUDENT FRIENDS ARE PLANNING A VISIT
TO GERMAN AT THE END OF FEBRUARY. SHE WILL RETURN AGAIN TO ST. AMBROSE
THIS FALL.
THE WIND IS BLOWING AND IT IS GETTING COLDER.
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND TUESDAY.
DENNIS VOY
