SUNNY AND 72 TODAY.

THE MAQUOKETA CITY COUNCIL THIS WEEK AGREED TO HIRE AN ENGINEER
TO LOOK AT BUILDING A WIND TURBINE AT THE YMCA SITE, TO SERVE
THE Y.
COST WILL BE $5,000 TO FIND OUT IF THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WIND TO
MAKE IT FEASIBLE. SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, DOESN'T IT?
THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE WIND TURBINE WILL BE MORE THAN $500,000 AND OF THAT, THE CITY'S COST WILL BE ABOUT $171,000....NOT COVERED BY GRANTS.
THE CITY HAS BEEN TOLD IT WOULD REDUCE THE ELECTRIC BILL BY 25%
AND STILL LEAVE A MONTHLY BILL OF $4,500. IT WAS MENTIONED AT MEETING BY COUNCILMAN AMY MOORE THAT A STUDY AT THE MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL
SOME TIME AGO, SHOWED THE WIND SPEEDS IN MAQUOKETA ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO RUN A TURBINE SUCCESSFULLY. SHE BELIEVES THERE ARE A LOT OF RISKS
IN THE PROJECT. AND I AGREE.
AND...NO ONE...HAS MENTIONED SOLAR ELECTRIC AS A POSSIBILITY INSTEAD
OF WIND. QUIET AND GROWING IN POPULARITY!

THE MAQUOKETA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION HELD THEIR ANNUAL END OF YEAR
DINNER LAST NIGHT WITH ABOUT 75 IN ATTENDANCE. THEY HANDED OUT
A COUPLE MAJOR AWARDS. THE MAQUOKETA KIWANIS CLUB WAS THE
RECIPIENT OF THE "FRIEND OF EDUCATION" AWARD AND IT WAS ACCEPTED BY
KIWANIS MEMBER KATHY SEYFERT. AND THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
WENT TO LONG TIME HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER RANDY SPRINGER.
SPRENGER WAS ONE OF FOUR VETERAN RETIRING TEACHERS WHO WERE ALL HONORED AT THE DINNER. THEY OTHERS WERE SUE HASS, DAN PINION AND
MARK HILLEBRAND. THE OUTGOING CO-PRESIDENTS OF THE M.E.A. ARE KATHY QUINLAN AND TOD BOWMAN. NEXT YEAR'S CO-PRESIDENTS WILL BE MINDY
ORRIS AND PAULETTE HORNER.

THANKS AGAIN FOR THE VISIT.

DENNIS VOY