Tuesday, July 13, 2010

SUNNY, LOW 80'S AND HUMID TODAY. TOMORROW, IN THE 90'S. THE REST OF THE WEEK WILL BE DRY AND IN 80'S. WE GOT 6/10 OF AN INCH OF RAIN LATE
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY LAST NIGHT.

THE MAQUOKETA CARDINAL GIRL'S SOFTBALL TEAM DID IT AGAIN LAST NIGHT....
ANOTHER WIN...THEIR 31ST OF THE YEAR. THE GAME STARTED OVER AN HOUR LATE AFTER THE RAIN STOPPED AND THE CARDINALS BEAT CENTER POINT URBANA,
4 TO 0 IN THE 3-A REGIONAL SEMI-FINAL GAME AT THE MAQUOKETA SOFTBALL
DIAMOND. HAILY BICKFORE THREW A 2-HITTER AND STRUCK OUT 14.
KELSEY BOLLMAN HAD A HOME RUN. MAQUOKETA NOW MOVES INTO THE REGINAL FINAL GAME TOMORROW NIGHT AT FARLEY WHERE THEY PLAY INDEPENDENCE AT 7 P.M. INDEPENDENCE DEFEATED 10TH RATED WEST DELAWARE, MANCHESTER, 5 TO 3 LAST NIGHT. THE INDEPENDENCE MUSTANG GIRLS TOPPED MAQUOKETA 2 TO 0 IN A GAME PLAYED JUNE 16TH AT INDEPENDENCE.
THE WINNER OF TOMORROW NIGHT'S GAME WILL ADVANCE TO THE STATE
TOURNAMENT IN FORT DODGE NEXT WEEK.

WE HAVE TWO OTHER TEAMS HOPING TO MAKE IT TO STATE. PRESTON AND CALAMUS-WHEATLAND PLAY EACH OTHER AT 7 TONIGHT AND THE WINNER WILL NEED ONE MORE WIN LATER IN WEEK TO ADVANCE TO FORT DODGE.

LAST FRIDAY NIGHT, NANCY AND I VISITED THE POTOSI BREWING COMPANY
AT POTOSI, WISCONSIN, ABOUT 20 MINUTES NORTHWEST OF DUBUQUE.
POTOSI, POPULATION ABOUT 700, IS LOCATED BETWEEN TWO BLUFFS.
JUST ONE LONG STREET IN TOWN WITH EVERYONE LIVING IN HOMES ALONG THAT STREET. GO NEAR THE END OF THAT LONG STREET AND YOU RUN INTO
THE BREWERY COMPLEX. WHAT A SURPRISE! THE 1850'S BREWERY CLOSED IN THE EARLY 70'S AND STOOD EMPTY. A FEW YEARS AGO, THE WORK STARTED,
WITH GRANT MONEY, TO REFURBISH IT. $8-MILLION DOLLARS LATER, IT OPENED TWO YEARS AGO. A VERY NICE RESTAURANT, WITH OUTDOOR SEATING TOO,
AND A FREE MUSEUM ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE BREWERY AND AN ELEVATOR TO THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS WHERE THE AMERICAN BREWER'S ASSOCIATION
MUSEUM IS LOCATED ($7 ADMISSION). WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO UPSTAIRS, BUT WILL ON ANOTHER TRIP. WE DID HAVE TIME FOR A SANDWICH,
WITH A GLASS OF BEER BREWED RIGHT THERE. AND WE HAD TIME TO VISIT
ACROSS THE STREET THE PRINCESS POTOSA GALLERY (POTOSA IS CORRECT)
WHICH IS A LARGE ART GALLERY FEATURING SPECIAL DISPLAYS BY VISITING
ARTISTS. ALSO RIGHT THERE IS A NEW CONFERENCE CENTER THAT SEATS 600 FOR DINNER FOR ANY OCCASSION. LARGE PARKING LOTS EVERYWHERE, ALONG
WITH BEAUTIFUL TREES AND LANDSCAPING. A VERY NICE TOURIST ATTRACTION.
AND THEY WERE BUSY! WE HAD TO EAT AT THE BAR. MARY (HAYWARD) UPPENA,
FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA, WAS THERE WITH HER HUSBAND AND FRIENDS.
SHE IS FORMERLY FROM MAQUOKETA (HAD AN EXERCISE-PHYSICAL FITNESS BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA MANY YEARS AGO ON WEST PLATT) AND NOW SHE AND HER HUSBAND OWN A BIG GIFT AND FLORAL SHOPPE ON THE CORNER OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF POTOSI. YOU GO RIGHT BY IT WHEN HEADING TO THE BREWERY. ANYWAY.....YOU MIGHT PUT POTOSI ON YOUR LIST OF PLACES TO VISIT THIS SUMMER. LIKE ME, YOU'LL BE SURPRISED AT WHAT THEY DID
WITH THAT OLD BREWERY.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR MORE NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN THE TIMBER CITY.

DENNIS VOY
ANOTHER PHOTO I TOOK AT THE
MAQUOKETA ROTARY CLUB ICE CREAM SOCIAL IN LATE JUNE, AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. STANDING,
ROTARY TREASURER ASHER
SCHROEDER, RETIRED ATTORNEY AND SEATED BY HIM IS RETIRED BUSINESSMAN GEORGE SPALDING WHO FOR MANY, MANY YEARS OWNED HIS POPULAR FOOTWEAR STORE IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA. LOOKS LIKE THAT'S DOROTHY
JONES IN BACKGROUND ENJOYING ICE CREAM WITH SON
STEVE. IT WAS A FUN NIGHT,
WITH GREAT MUSIC. CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT.
DENNIS VOY