Thursday, January 10, 2013

RIGHT ACCORDING TO FORECAST, IT STARTED RAINING LIGHTLY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.   TEMP WENT UP TO 40.
DRIZZLE AND FOG TONIGHT AND MOSTLY CLOUDY AND NEAR 50 TOMORROW.

THE JACKSON COUNTY BEEF BANQUET IS THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.  OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.   SERVING OF RIBEYE DINNER FROM 5  UNTIL 6:30.       PROGRAM AFTER.   ENTERTAINMENT FOLLOWS BY
A MAGICIAN AND COMEDIAN, KEITH WEST.   TICKETS AT THE DOOR, $15.

THE MAQUOKETA WRESTLERS ARR  AT MOUNT VERNON TONIGHT.

DAC, INC. IN MAQUOKETA RECEIVED  AN UNUSUAL BOX IN THEIR RECYCLING BIN THIS WEEK......IT CONTAINED HUMAN REMAINS.
THE BOX LABEL INDICATED THERE WERE CREMAINS INSIDE.
OFFICER CRAIG JACKSON DID SOME CHECKING.   HE DISCOVERED THAT A YOUNG MAN DIED IN 1997 AND SOME OF HIS CREMATED REMAINS WERE BURIED IN ILLINOIS.   THE REST WERE SENT TO HIS MOTHER.    HIS MOTHER, WHO LIVES IN MAQUOKETA (HAS NOT BEEN NAMED) TOSSED OUT THE
BOX RECENTLY AND DID NOT KNOW THERE WERE ADDITIONAL PACKAGES OF ASHES STILL IN THE BOX.      OFFICER JACKSON SAID THE ASHES WERE GIVEN TO THE WOMAN YESTERDAY.

THE DECKER HOTEL AND RESTAURANT IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
OWNER MATT ALSO SAID HE HAS SOME ROOM RESERVATIONS FOR
LATER THIS MONTH, WHEN A BIG TRIAL WILL BE HELD IN MAQUOKETA.
THE NEW OWNER WILL TAKE OVER IN EARLY FEBRUARY AFTER THE
"CLOSING PAPERWORK" IS DONE.  

BOB STOCKHAM IS 90 TOMORROW.    HIS BUSINESS, STOCKHAM AND
SON, IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN TOWN, OVER ONE-HUNDRED-TEN YEARS.
(A 4TH GENERATION BUSINESS).     THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WAS STARTED BY HIS GRANDFATHER, G.L.... THEN RUN BY HIS FATHER, THE LATE "PUNCH"  STOCKHAM,  AND IS RUN NOW BY HIS SON DAVE.    KMAQ'S FIRST STUDIOS WERE  BUILDT BY THE FIRM AND THEN OUR CURRENT STUDIOS AND OFFICES ALSO.... IN 1970 ....AND THE VOY THEATRE WAS BUILDT BY STOCKHAM'S 40 YEARS AGO THIS WINTER.    BOB AND I WERE PARTNERS IN A COUPLE BUILDINGS MANY YEARS AGO.    GOOD GUY, BOB IS!    HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!    HE SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO AND RECEIVED THE
PURPLE HEART.      WIFE MIM DIED LAST  YEAR.   WHEN YOU CALLED THE
OFFICE YEARS AGO, "PUNCH" WOULD OFTEN ANSWER THE PHONE. 
 I WOULD ASK FOR BOB.... AND IF BOB WASN'T IN....HE WOULD SAY.....HE'S NOT HERE  AND INSTANTLY HANG UP.    NO TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE....HE WAS BUSY.    ONCE WHEN I WAS DOWN AT THE SHOP....TALKING TO BOB....
"PUNCH" YELLED OUT......BOB, TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL!    HE HAD JUST
CUT A FINGER OFF.      I  PICKED IT UP, WRAPPED IT IN PAPER AND UP TO
JCPH WE WENT.    THE FINGER COULD NOT BE SAVED.   "PUNCH"  LOST A COUPLE FINGERS WITH A POWER SAW  DURING HIS CAREER.    HIS LIFE
CAME TO AN END ABRUPTLY WHEN HE WAS WALKING ACROSS THE
STREET FOR COFFEE AND GOT HIT BY A CAR. 

HAVE A GOOD FRIDAY ... GET SET FOR A COLD SPELL STARTING SUNDAY.

DENNIS VOY