Wednesday, September 08, 2010

TERRIFIC WEATHER DAY!

AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT, IN A SPLIT VOTE, THE COUNCIL SAID THEY WILL GO FOR BIDS FOR THE PROPOSED WALKING SIDEWALK (TRAIL) ON SOUTH MAIN OUT TO WAL MART. THE STREET COMMITTEE HAD SUGGESTED THE PROJECT
BE STOPPED BECAUSE OF LACK OF PUBLIC SUPPORT AND THE COST.
VOTING AGAINST "DUMPING" THE PROJECT, AMY MOORE, MARGO SHOUSE,
NEIL MOREHEAD AND ERIC PAPE. VOTING TO STOP THE PROJECT, ED TURNEY,
DON SCHWENKER AND TODD MANG. NOW, THE FINAL DECISION WILL BE MADE AFTER THE COUNCIL RECEIVES THE BIDS.

AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING LAST NIGHT, MEMBERS TOOK NO ACTION
ON AN INFORMAL PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA TO SELL THE OLD
POOL PROPERTY TO THE THE DISTRICT FOR $1.00.
THE CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT VOTED TO MAKE THE OFFER TO THE SCHOOL, FOR $1.00, BUT DID NOT OFFER TO HELP WITH THE FUNDING FOR CLEAN-UP OF THE PROPERTY. OVER A YEAR AGO, THE CITY HAD INDICATED THEY NOT ONLY WOULD
SELL THE PROPERTY TO THE DISTRICT FOR $1.00, BUT ALSO GIVE $30,000 TO HELP PAY FOR THE REMOVAL OF POOL AND BUILDING AND CLEAN-UP.
SO, NOTHING HAS BEEN DECIDED BY EITHER GROUP. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
WOULD USE THE PROPERTY FOR MORE PARKING FOR THE FOOTBALL GAMES.
I WAS AT THE OPENING GAME OF THE SEASON AND CARS PARKED FOR BLOCKS ON CITY STREETS IN ALL DIRECTIONS FROM GOODENOW FIELD, EXCEPT TO THE SOUTH,
WHICH IS THE CEMETERY. YES, MORE PARKING WOULD BE NICE, BUT ON FOUR OR FIVE GAME NIGHTS A YEAR, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE PARKING ON THE POOL
CORNER WOULD HELP MUCH. I HAVE NOT HEARD HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS
WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON THAT CORNER. I PERSONALLY THINK THE CITY
NEEDS THE CORNER CLEANED UP MORE THAN THE DISTRICT NEEDS SOME PARKING SPACES. LET THE DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE, AND I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.
CHIP IN $50,000, AND THEY WILL NAME THE CORNER AFTER YOU. LIKE THE NAME GOODENOW, YOUR NAME WILL BE THERE FOR A CENTURY OR MORE.

YES...WE ARE STILL HAVING CAR-DEER ACCIDENTS. ONE YESTERDAY ON HIGHWAY 62.

A BIRTH. JENSEN AND MICHELLE TYLER OF CEDAR RAPIDS ARE PARENTS OF A BOY, BORN LAST NIGHT AT ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL IN CEDAR RAPIDS. GRANDPARENTS
ARE BRUCE AND SHERRY RUCHOTZKE OF MAQUOKETA.

A NEW CHINESE RESTAURANT WILL OPEN SOON IN THE WESTGATE SHOPPING MALL ACROSS FROM CASEY'S WEST. THE TWO OWNERS HAVE FOUR OR FIVE CHINESE
RESTAURANTS IN THE QUAD CITIES. IT WILL BE CALLED THE CHINESE CAFE.
DINE-IN OR CARRY OUT. IT WILL BE THE SECOND FOR THE CITY. THE GREAT WALL HAS BEEN OPEN DOWNTOWN FOR MANY YEARS. A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN
DICK'S SUPER MARKET OPENED, THERE WAS A CARRY-OUT CHINESE PLACE IN ONE CORNER OF THE STORE, AND NOT OPERATED BY DICK'S. BUT IT CLOSED AFTER BEING OPEN ONLY A YEAR OR SO.

IF I HAD A FORTUNE COOKIE TO ENJOY NOW, THE MESSAGE IN IT WOULD PROBABLY SAY..."YOU NEED TO END YOUR DAILY REPORT AND ENJOY THE EVENING".

DENNIS VOY (NEW, NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL FAN) (SAGE'S NEW TEAM)
GO GIANTS!!
EARLIER THIS MORNING, A
PHOTO BELOW WAS TAKEN
OF THE HOUSE BEING MOVED
TODAY FROM ADJACENT TO
THE BRAD DEERY MOTORS
NEW CAR LOTS. RIGHT NOW,
HERE'S WHAT REMAINS.
THE GARAGE WILL BE MOVED
LATER BUT NOT BY THE
MOVING COMPANY. THE LOT
IS NOW OWNED BY BRAD DEERY MOTORS AND WILL BE PAVED
AND USED FOR NEW AND USED CAR DISPLAYS. THE HOUSE
STARTED ON ITS WAY AROUND
9 THIS MORNING AND WAS
AT THE NEW LOCATION BY
10:30. SEE OTHER PHOTOS BELOW AND AS ALWAYS, CLICK-ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.
AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS, LIKE ME, YOU WILL KNOW
MORE ABOUT THE HOUSE MOVING BUSINESS. THIS COMPANY ALSO MOVES
BARNS AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND HAS DONE WORK IN MAQUOKETA BEFORE.
I ENJOYED VISITING WITH THEM.
DENNIS VOY
MAKING THE CORNER OF
QUARRY AND MAIN. THE MOVING COMPANY IS FROM
WADENA, ABOUT 100 MILES NORTH OF HERE. A FAMILY
BUSINESS. THEY NORMALLY DO
WORK WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF
100 MILES. IT IS A FAMILY
OPERATION AND THE GREAT-
GRANDFATHER MOVED HOUSES
WITH MULES ABOUT 100 YEARS AGO. THERE ARE ABOUT 10
HOUSE MOVING COMPANIES IN
IOWA AND NEARLY 50 IN THIS
PART OF THE MIDWEST. THEY EVEN HAVE AN ANNUAL
CONVENTION. THE SLOW
ECONOMY HAS HELPED THEIR BUSINESS AS PEOPLE ARE FIXING UP OLDER HOMES. HALF OF THEIR JOBS
INVOLVE RAISING A HOUSE SO THAT A NEW BASEMENT AND FOUDATION CAN
BE PUT UNDER IT.
DENNIS VOY

GOING NORTH ON MAIN STREET.
ONLY ONE ELECTRIC LINE
HAD TO BE LOWERED FOR THIS
MOVE, PLUS A COUPLE CABLE-
TV LINES. AND NO TREES WERE
EFFECTED. PRETTY EASY
MOVE. THE CREW OF 5 STARTED THE JOB YESTERDAY AND WILL
FINISH THE JOB TOMORROW MORNING.
DENNIS VOY
THE HOUSE IS NOW READY TO
GO UP ON THE NEW FOUNDATION AND BASEMENT, AT THE CORNER OF EAST APPLE AND NORTH ELIZA STREETS.
IT WAS AT THIS CORNER, THAT
THE MAQUOKETA FIRE DEPARTMENT DID A CONTROLLED FIRE OF AN OLD HOUSE ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
DARWIN LYON OF MAQUOKETA
HAS OWNED THE CORNER LOT
AND PURCHASED THE HOUSE TO
BE MOVED TO THE CORNER.
I UNDERSTAND HE WILL
PROBABLY ADD AN ATTACHED
GARAGE AND THEN SELL THE
HOME, OR RENT IT. THANKS TO DARWIN FOR SAVING A GOOD LITTLE HOUSE IN MAQUOKETA.
DENNIS VOY

IT IS HOUSE MOVING DAY TODAY IN MAQUOKETA.
SEE THE HOUSE AT RIGHT......
READY TO BE MOVED FROM
NEXT TO BRAD DEERY MOTORS
NEW CAR LOTS.
I HAVE NOT HEARD WHERE IT
IS MOVING TO. THERE ARE
NO-PARKING SIGNS ON
QUARRY TOWARD MAIN, SO
IT WILL LEAVE GOING TO THE EAST. I'LL TRY TO
GET ANOTHER BETTER PHOTO
LATER. COLD IN MAQUOKETA THIS MORNING....6:30 A.M.
AND 48 DEGREES. BUT, NICE
DAY AHEAD, IN LOW 70'S.
CLICK-ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT.
HAVE A GOOD WEDNESDAY.
DENNIS VOY