By Dan Dauw
Geneseo Current

Barge Party 2024

Chad Pregracke and his Living Lands & Waters crew will be hosting their annual “Barge Party 2024” on Thursday, June 13, 2024, from 5 – 9 p.m. It will be held at Beacon Harbor, East Moline, IL. Parking and continuous shuttles will be available at John Deere Harvester Works. Look for signs. Tickets are $50.00 per person. We volunteered at last year’s event and it was so much fun. Unfortunately, I’ll be in Canada that week, but Lorna and her sister, Elly, will be helping out.

There will be a fish & shrimp boil, wine pull, silent auction, barge tours, cash bar and live music. It really is a lot of fun. If you are a local artist, all donations are appreciated. All proceeds go to raising operating funds for LL&W. For more information you can call 309-496-9848 or go on-line at www.livinglandsandwaters.org.

Conceal Carry Renewal

This is a reminder that Mike Weis of JW’s Shooting Parlor, 207 N. State St., Geneseo, IL, will be conducting a 3-hour Conceal Carry “Renewal” class on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

The times will be from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. You will need to bring your handgun and your current CC card, too!

You will also need to bring 30 rounds of ammo for your handgun. The JW’s Shooting Parlor sells most all popular ammunition should you not have that many cartridges. The cost of the class is $50.00. Keep in mind you must have a FOID card to apply for a CC permit. A FOID card is good for 10 years and a CC card is good for 5 years. If any questions call the business at (309) 944-4174.

Driver’s License

Last Thursday we had a retired teachers luncheon in Kewanee. As long as we were in Kewanee I thought I’d renewal my driver’s license. I was told I was going to have a vision test, a test on a computer, and lastly, a behind-the-wheel driver’s test.
Ugh! I passed the vision and computer test. Last was the behind-the-wheel driver’s test of which I passed, but on one maneuver I simply could not understand what the instructor wanted. I sure wasn’t going to argue with the nice lady, but it was frustrating. All the people at the facility were very nice.

Car Jokes

Why did the scarecrow become a successful Uper driver?
Ans: Because he was outstanding in his field.

What happens when a frog parks illegally? Ans: It gets toad.

What kind of car does a Jedi drive? Ans: A toy-yoda.

What kind of cars do cooks drive? Ans: Chef-rolets.

Iowa’s Emmet County

Our border state, Iowa, has 99 counties. So what makes Emmet County in Iowa so special? The answer is it’s the only county in Iowa that the emerald ash borer (beetle) has not taken residence.
This is according to the Iowa Dept of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Maybe there are not many ash trees in that county or the nasty critters just haven’t been discovered yet. Let’s hope the ash trees can somehow resist these bad news beetles as they can destroy an ash tree within two to four years. They are a serious problem here in Illinois and other states, as well.

Fareway Cook-out

It is very nice that the Geneseo store offers various organizations a way to make money. Lorna and I recently volunteered to help at the Geneseo International Thanksgiving Fellowship Program.
There were 9 volunteers and we served 125 customers. It was fun.

Vote: Do I really have to?

I’m quite sure I won’t be around for the next presidential election in 2028, but yes, I will vote in November. For the first time in all my voting years, I really have been so disgusted with the two major presidential candidates. If I should make it to the pearly gates, it will be nice to know there is only one God and no voting needed!

Sports Writers

Yes, we get it! Iowa’s BB star, Clark, is one awesome player. With all the hype, I’m beginning to think she can walk on water, climb Mt. Everest backwards, and beat Michael Jordan with one arm tied behind her back.

Colona Fire Department Breakfast

Chief John Swan and all his volunteers did a great job last Sunday with their fundraising breakfast. The food was excellent and it was nice to see some folks we haven’t seen a while. So, a big “Thank You” goes to our Colona Fire Department.

Quote of the Week

“Friends, though absent, are still present.” - Cicero