The area lost another Dodgeville Icon last week when Ron Dentinger passed away. He was a mainstay at the Don Q Inn Motel and the restaurant too. He was a pretty good wrestler in his day, growing up in Milwaukee where he was a policeman. He was also a Dodgeville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and tourism promoter as well as being a great comedian and Master of Ceremonies, plus a singer and banjo player! He was once named “Wisconsin’s Funniest Person”. He was a very good friend, eating a lot of lunches with the “group” and sharing a lot of stories!
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Saturday morning we had to stay close to home again for breakfast because it was the Dodgeville Lions Club Antique Show and Flea Market on Sunday. That meant we had to mark for booths and start setting up the concession stand on Friday then start letting vendors in on late Saturday morning. It was my first time setting up the concession stand alone since the Digmans went on vacation, so I figured I’d better add some finishing touches on Saturday so there wouldn’t be as much to do early on Sunday morning. After checking out the totes that we store all of our leftover stuff in I had to get a few more items. After all was said and done, it turned out to be a pretty good day – and the weather was great!
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It was Bob, Terry, Tom, Royce and me at Cafe by Country Kitchen at 7:30 Saturday morning. Tom thought it was set for 7:00 since that was the norm when we had something going. He called me at 6:50 and was already inside so I joined him for coffee until everyone else showed! Our waitress was Tara, who was standing in for Amy Jo (Jo, Bobby Jo, Mary Jo, or just Jo) as she was on vacation! Tara is a great waitress and always talkative and efficient! She was all alone for a while and was pretty busy. More people seem to show up at the cafe early in the morning. We had a “real treat” when owner Craig came out from the kitchen. He usually stays back there so he doesn’t have to talk with us. But, Saturday he must’ve felt brave!
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The summer events pretty much end with the Iowa County Fair at the fairgrounds in Mineral Point that runs Thursday, September 3 thru Labor Day. We take turns covering days at the fair. My main day is Saturday – Beef and Lamb Show Day plus the Junior Fair Livestock Auction and more! That’s 5 days of activities going on at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Mineral Point. Like they say, “It’s Your Fair – Be There!”
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“Friday Night: Lights” – high school football kicked off last week. Now it’s volleyball, soccer and cross country time to begin! We are looking forward to covering a lot of teams this season, hopefully many going far into the playoffs and tournaments!
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The county is digging up the parking lot by the Chronicle in preparation for the 200th Anniversary in 2029 when the courthouse grounds will be revamped with a lot of history. Monday, there was a lot of noise outside of the Chronicle office with a lot of digging. It’s a good thing I don’t hear out of my left ear because that’s the one I have pointed towards the window! Now I’m walking about a block to get to the office – that’s tough on me! *****
Today, Thursday, August 27 is a kind of different day and that’s why I chose it for my special day! “Just Because Day’ falls on August 27th each year. It is a fun, quirky holiday created by Joseph J. Goodwin in the late 1950s to encourage people to do nice, silly, or spontaneous things without needing a logical reason. Fun ideas to do: Eat dessert or strange food combinations for breakfast; Sing loudly in your car or shower; Take a random day off just to relax; Go down a road you have never driven on before. Ways to Be Kind: Send a nice text or card to an old friend; Pay for a stranger’s coffee or meal; Call a family member just to say hello.
