Firemen parade into Maquoketa

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By Sheri Melvold | Saturday, September 6, 2008 4:27 PM CDT | () comments

Fire department from across Iowa competed in variety of competitions Saturday Sept. 6, 2008 in Maquoketa. The contests were part of the Iowa's Fireman's Association State Convention held in Maquoketa this week. (Nick Schmidt for the Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

MAQUOKETA, Iowa — Three young entrepreneurs set up a lemonade stand on Quarry Street and pronounced their business a success during the Iowa Fire Convention in Maquoketa Saturday morning.

Quarry Street is the main access from the Jackson County Fairgrounds where the convention is headquartered and First Ward Park, where the state contests were ongoing Saturday.

Anna, Ellen and Hannah set up the lemonade stand after soccer practice Saturday morning.

Hannah’s grandfather painted a colorful sign for the stand which had a bright yellow umbrella that said “Hannah’s cold lemonade.” The girls said they had sold “lots, at least 20 to 25 cups of lemonade by noon.”

“We’re selling them for 25 cents and you know what, it’s only one penny for a refill. We’re going to split the proceeds,” Ellen said. “But we’re probably going to go to the park and get tacos in a bag with what we make.”

There were several non profit organizations who had set up in First Ward Park with Rotary selling brats and burgers and the Maquoketa Booster Club with an unusual roast beef sundae. It’s built on a mound of mashed potatoes with roast beef and gravy and a cherry tomato on top.

Maquoketa firefighters have called the convention a success. While they have not tallied numbers of fire departments in attendance, they’re estimating at least 2,000 firefighters in town.

Even the state fire marshal attended. While three of his agents are in town investigating a suspicious fire in rural Maquoketa, Jim Kenkel, a Waukee fireman, is there to have some fun. He is judging some of the contests.

Waukee, a town of 12,000, has recently started paying volunteer firefighters to work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week on a rotating shift. He said 75 to 80 percent of their calls are medical.

“We just starting doing that and more departments near metropolitan areas are going to that. People want the service,” Kenkel said.

About 100 fire trucks and equipment participated in the parade down Main Street.

The Russell Fire Department brought its 1931 Ford. It’s an open air truck and was the department’s first motorized pumper.

Jim Neer, assistant fire chief, said they have recently refurbished it and take it to parades and conventions.

Neer said they sold the truck to a Ford dealer in Missouri and it sat in his showroom for years. In the late 1980s, the department bought it back and fixed it up as a show piece.

The department has 30 members with 19 attending the convention. The truck won’t hold all 19 members, but they included golf carts so everyone can be in the parade.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.