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Never any that equaled them

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

Made In Muscatine

Muscatine is extremely proud of its history with Mark Twain, who wrote for our local paper, The Muscatine Journal (still in existence), and spent a summer here in 1855. So proud, in fact, that 160 years later, you can find a quote from him about us written all over the place, from signs to literature to anything in between.

The quote is from Twain’s book Life on the Mississippi and reads, “And I remember Muscatine—still more pleasantly—for its summer sunsets. I have never seen any, on either side of the ocean, that equaled them.”

Twain’s appreciation for our sunsets has become a bit of a legacy for us. We revel in our sky — and why shouldn’t we? The Mississippi River runs east-to-west here which means that you can watch the sun set on it in a way that’s unique to this place and that creates a breathtaking tableau, although you don’t…

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Chinese orchestra performs in Muscatine

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

Made In Muscatine

In the continuation of an incredible friendship that’s blossomed between Muscatine and China since the visit of China’s President Xi Jinping before he was president in 1985, the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra performed in Muscatine last night.

Their performance was outstanding, bringing the crowd of about 1,000 people to its feet four times for three encores. It was a wonderful start to the many more exciting Chinese cultural offerings that Muscatine will see in the future.

If we saw you there last night, comment below! If we didn’t, check out our photos to see what you missed!

Check out a parent’s perspective of the concert by reading contributor Kim Warren’s post on her own blog.

(To learn more about the friendship between Muscatine and China, read our blog post about it or visit our website.)

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City of Muscatine Mayor Recognizes Individuals and Organizations Who Brought China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra to Our Community

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

The world-renowned performing arts troupe, China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra (CBCO) recently performed in Muscatine. Thanks to Glad Cheng and Daniel Wang of China Windows Group who spearheaded the project with the vision of bringing the concert to the Muscatine community. A special thank you to Chinese Consul General Zhao for his assistance in making this amazing performance a reality.

City of Muscatine

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At the Thursday, March 3, 2016 Muscatine City Council Meeting, Mayor Broderson read a Proclamation of Recognition thanking those organizations and individuals who contributed to a successful performance of the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra (CBCO) in Muscatine. Both citizens of Muscatine and visitors were able to experience a once in a lifetime performance of a world-renowned performing arts troupe on Feb. 24.

Those thanked included Glad Cheng and Daniel Wang of China Windows Group who spearheaded the project with the vision of bringing the concert to the Muscatine community. Chinese Consul General Zhao Weiping played in integral role in assisting Cheng and Wang in their initiative. Many organizations came alongside China Windows Group to plan the concert, including the Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee, Muscatine Sister Cities and the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra.

Host families and countless other organizations provided true Muscatine hospitality to the performers as they experienced our community! Thank you to everyone involved!

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Fire Department Celebrated 100 Years as a Paid Department

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

City of Muscatine

On Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, the Muscatine Fire Department celebrated 100 years as a paid department. An open house was held to commemorate this crucial piece of their history. The open house included tours with Freddie the Fire Truck and a reception with food and drinks.

Retired Captain Mike Van Wey gave a history presentation that was both entertaining and educational. It was a wonderful opportunity for those in attendance to hear stories about the department throughout the years.

Here’s a little bit of information about the Fire Department when it became a paid department: 

Prior to 1916, volunteer fire companies fought fires in Muscatine. By January 3, 1916, the new Muscatine Fire Department consisted of 13 eager men.

The following were the original 13 firefighters:

J.J. Brown, Chief
Fred Bilkey, Assistant Chief
J.P. Maurath, Mechanic
Louis Faulhaber
James Wise
John Leysen
Harry Freeman
Lee Schenkel
Charles Vetter
Herman Raethz
Ed…

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2nd Mississippi Drive Engagement Event Was a Success!

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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Thanks to the over 175 participants in our 2nd Mississippi Drive Corridor Event! Your time and participation is much appreciated and will make for a better project. Stay tuned for more!

City of Muscatine

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2nd public engagement event for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project! We were pleased with the attendance and high level of participation by community members. The event was held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the Riverview Center. There were about 175 people who came to hear about potential design plans and provide feedback in a public opinion poll.

If you were unable to attend and would like to take a look at initial design concepts and submit feedback, you may do so at our engineering firm Bolton & Menk’s website: http://bolton-menk.com/mississippidrive.

The Mississippi Drive Corridor Project is exciting for Muscatine! Not only will the road be redone, but Muscatine will be better connected as a result of this project. Mississippi Drive is the key connector of downtown and the riverfront. As our community comes together to create a shared vision for the future of Mississippi Drive…

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