Channel Catfish
George Marzeck tried to convince lawmakers into establishing the channel catfish as Iowa's state fish. Marzeck believed success would be the exclamation at the end of his life. 40 years after he first suggested it, the state Senate last unanimously approved a resolution honoring the catfish. If approved by the House, Iowa would give official status to a fish found in all of the state's 99 counties.
Marzeck died in September at age 82, never achieving his longtime dream. He repeatedly wrote letters to state and local officials, gave school presentations and spent his own money. Sen. Tom Courtney, a Burlington Democrat, sponsored the Senate resolution for symbolic reasons and in Marzeck's memory.
March 19, 2007 6:42 AM | Category: Politics