NICE DAY TODAY...IN 40'S. TOMORROW SHOULD ALSO BE NICE, BUT
COLDER WEATHER COMING FOR THE WEEKEND.

A.J. SPIEGEL, WHO HAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING PLANT
IN HIS HOME TOWN OF PEOSTA AND WHO HAS INVESTED IN THE
CITIES OF DUBUQUE, BELLEVUE AND MAQUOKETA.....HAS OFFERED
$450,000 FOR THE FORMER S & H INDUSTRY BUILDING IN THE MAQUOKETA
INDUSTRIAL PARK, THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE COUNTY AND HAS NOT HAD
A COMPANY IN IT FOR ABOUT A DOZEN YEARS. HE PLANS TO PUT AN
INDUSTRY IN IT. AND THE SUPERVISORS HAVE AGREED TO SELL IT TO HIM,
BUT FIRST MUST HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. THEY HAVE HAD 2 OR 3 OTHER
OFFERS FOR THE BUILDING, BUT THIS IS THE BEST ONE. THEY WOULD LIKE
TO SELL IT, USE THE MONEY WHERE NEEDED AND HAVE THE BUILDING
BACK ON THE TAX ROLES. A.J. IS THE OWNER OF THE NEW RESTAURANT
IN BELLEVUE, CALLED "OFF SHORE", ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HE ALSO
BUILDT 9 CONDOS ON THE RIVER IN DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE. AND HERE IN
MAQUOKETA, HE ALREADY OWNS AND LEASES THE LARGE HOOF BUILDING
ON THE EAST EDGE OF MAQUOKETA IN THE SAME INDUSTRIAL PARK WHERE
THE S & H BUILDING IS LOCATED. SO, THIS WAS GOOD NEWS FOR MAQUOKETA THIS WEEK AND I HOPE IT ALL GOES AS PLANNED WITH THE SALE.

FOUR PEOPLE HAVE FILED APPLICATION TO BE APPOINTED AS AN AT-LARGE
CITY COUNCILMAN FOR MAQUOKETA. THE COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO
APPOINT SOMEONE AT THEIR JANUARY 3RD MEETING. THIS WILL FILL THE SEAT THAT BECAME OPEN WHEN THE PRESENT MEMBER, DON SCHWENKER , WAS ELECTED MAYOR. APPLICANTS ARE: FORMER 2ND WARD COUNCILMAN, TODD MANG....FORMER AT-LARGE COUNCILMAN TIM CHAPIN....FORMER FIRST
WARD COUNCILMAN ED TURNEY AND TODD GREEN.

AND THERE IS ALSO ONE POSITION OPEN ON THE MAQUOKETA MUNICIPAL
ELECTRIC UTILITY BOARD. MEMBER SUSAN CROATT DECIDED NOT TO SEEK THE APPOINTMENT AGAIN. AS OF THIS NOON, ONE PERSON, DAWN PAUL,
HAS FILED AN APPLICATION AT CITY HALL.

A FIRE IN MAQUOKETA AROUND 8 LAST NIGHT AT 402 S. MATTESON.
MOST DAMAGE WAS DONE ON THE SECOND FLOOR. THE HOME IS OWNED BY
EMELIE HARMON. HER PARENTS WERE THE LATE DUANE AND BEVERLY WILLEY. THE STATE FIRE MARSHALL HAS BEEN CALLED-IN
TO INVESTIGATE. FIREMEN WERE AT THE SCENE UNTIL ABOUT MIDNIGHT.
THE HOUSE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE.

A MAQUOKETA MAN, MASON HUDRLIK, AGE 22, IS IN UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS WITH INJURIES SUFFERED IN AN ATV ACCIDENT
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ON 269TH AVENUE, WHICH IS A GRAVEL ROAD
ABOUT 3 MILES EAST OF MAQUOKETA. THE VEHICLE SLID SIDEWAYS AND WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE. HUDRLIK WAS WEARING A HELMET.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

DENNIS VOY