LAKESIDE VILLAGE RECEIVES GRANT FOR SUMMER INTERNS

Posted 5/10/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

In April, Gov. Kim Reynolds awarded 35 projects with $2.26 million in state grants to launch youth internships across Iowa this summer. This is the fourth consecutive year for the Future Ready Iowa’s Summer Youth Internship program.
The grants will directly support efforts to increase the career opportunities available for Iowa’s youth, including in areas with at-risk or under-represented communities. Across the state, the $2.6 million will fund internships for an estimated 659 students from 85 Iowa communities.
The Lakeside Village on Lake Panorama’s eastern shoreline was awarded $136,000 to support 21 youth interns, including 15 who will be new to the program and six who were interns last summer. Interns will be provided eight weeks of on-the-job training as well as complete a certification in their field.
The internships are open to 15 students ages 14 to 21 years of age. Five students will intern in nursing, three in maintenance, three in culinary, two in activities, one in management, and one in marketing. Lakeside summer Interns will be paid to job shadow and complete on-the-job training while gaining certificates in CNA, OSHA, and ServSafe.
A new feature this year is the involvement of six Legacy students. Still employed at Lakeside after participating in the 2021 program, they will be eligible to continue their education and mentor the new interns. The Legacy students will be offered higher level coursework such as assisted living manager, advanced CNA and other certificate programs of interest. This also will be the first class of students at The Lakeside Village’s newly approved CNA school.
“Employers across the state have been stepping up and creating innovative ways to introduce themselves to our youth,” says Beth Townsend, Iowa Workforce Development director. “Internship programs are proven opportunities to earn valuable skills that pay off in whatever career path our youth will take. Additionally, teaching our youth the value of work will help create a more stable and successful future workforce.”

TOM FLANERY CANDIDATE FOR GUTHRIE COUNTY SUPERVISOR

Posted 5/10/2022

On March 17, Tom Flanery of Panora announced he is running for county supervisor in Guthrie County’s 3rd District, which includes Cass Township, the town of Panora, and parts of Lake Panorama and surrounding rural areas. Flanery said if he is elected county supervisor, he would like to continue the good things happening in Guthrie County.
“I will be committed to common sense government and conservative with Guthrie County taxpayer’s money,” Flanery said. “I will be a strong advocate for making improvements for law enforcement, public safety, bridges, roads, bike/snowmobile trails, libraries, and our fairgrounds. I also plan to work with the cities and economic development groups to bring more jobs and economic opportunities to our county. If elected, I will strive to maintain and improve the quality of life for all the citizens of Guthrie County.”
Flanery and his wife, Kellie Flanery (Book), both were raised in Guthrie County.
“We’ve been married for 25 years. We moved back to our hometown of Panora in 2017 and currently have two daughters enrolled in the Panorama Community School District. I am a fourth-generation Guthrie Countian,” he said.
Currently, Flanery is a member of the Panora City Council and on the committees for the electric board, public works, public safety, and the Panora Veterans Auditorium.
“Throughout the years, I have volunteered for the Panora, Woodward Granger, and Perry Parks and Rec softball leagues,” he said. “I also have been a member of the Perry Elks and Panora Lions Club.”
Flanery worked as a natural gas distribution contractor for 18 years before being hired at MidAmerican Energy in 2008.
“In 2011, I went through a four-year apprenticeship program to be a journeyman lineman and am currently working as an electric serviceman,” he said. “I have extended hands-on knowledge of how infrastructure is built and budgeted. We have also owned several successful small businesses and understand what struggles businesses can face.”
In closing, Flanery said he feels his life, work, and volunteer experience will be an asset as a Guthrie County Supervisor.

Editor’s note: Lake Panorama Times has run profiles on other District 2 and 3 candidates in prior issues.

JUNE 7 PRIMARY VOTING LOCATIONS ARE NEW FOR MANY RESIDENTS
The county map approved March 3 by the Guthrie County supervisors cut the number of voting precincts from eight to six, with the number of supervisor districts remaining at five.

Posted 5/10/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

New voting precincts and changes in the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors districts mean voters may need to do some research before they head to the polls for the June 7 primary.
Supervisor districts are redrawn every 10 years to reflect the most recent census numbers and ensure each supervisor represents an equal portion of the county population. The county map approved March 3 by the Guthrie County supervisors cut the number of voting precincts from eight to six, with the number of supervisor districts remaining at five.
The plan divides Lake Panorama into two supervisor districts, which had been expected because the lake community is spread across both Cass and Victory townships. During redistricting, townships generally are kept intact.
Lake Panorama is split between the Yale precinct (Supervisor District 2) and the Panora precinct (Supervisor District 3). Both of these districts represent open seats, since none of the five incumbent supervisors live in these newly drawn districts.
The Yale precinct includes Lake Panorama voters who live in the Victory Township portion of the lake, plus the towns of Yale, Jamaica and Bagley. Voting for this precinct will take place in the Yale Community Building .
The Panora precinct includes Lake Panorama voters who live in the Cass Township portion of the lake and the town of Panora. Voting for this precinct will take place in the Vets Auditorium in Panora.
Danielle Fink, Guthrie County Auditor, says all registered voters will receive a notice from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office informing them of their new polling locations.
“These will begin showing up within 30 days of the primary election,” Fink says. Voters also can use a link on the Secretary of State’s website to find their voting precinct: sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx
Fink says there are options for those who want to complete an absentee ballot, rather than vote in person June 7.
“If a voter wishes to receive an absentee ballot by mail, they may call our office at 641-747-3619, and we will mail them a request form to complete and return to us,” she says. “We will begin mailing requested absentee ballots May 18. May 23 is the last day we will mail absentee ballots, and the last day to request absentee ballots by mail.”
The absentee ballot request form also is available online: sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/absenteeballotapp.pdf.
People can vote absentee in person at the county auditor’s office in the Guthrie County Courthouse during regular business hours May 18 through June 6. The auditor’s office also will be open for absentee voting Saturday, June 4, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To vote in the primary election, voters must declare a party affiliation, either Democrat or Republican, and will vote only on candidates running in their chosen party. If someone is not yet registered to vote in Guthrie County, they can register at the polls the day of the election, and then vote. If the person’s driver’s license or approved identification shows his or her current address, nothing else is needed. If it does not, some other proof of residence will be needed, such as a utility bill or bank statement.
Those running as Democrats for a Guthrie County position include Jacki Sloss, Guthrie Center, County Supervisor District 1; Tom Flanery, Panora, County Supervisor District 3; Michael Herbert, Guthrie Center, County Supervisor District 4; and John A. Maschman, Coon Rapids, County Attorney.
Three people are on the Republican ballot for Guthrie County Supervisor in District 1 — Clifford Carney, Adair; Jerome J.D. Kuster, Guthrie Center; and Jack Lloyd, Bayard. Lloyd announced he has dropped out of the race, but that decision was too late to keep his name off the ballot.
Two people are on the Republican ballot for Guthrie County Supervisor in District 2 — Clinton Deardorff, Yale, and Brian Johnson, Panora. There also are two people on the Republican ballot for Guthrie County Supervisor in District 3 — Maggie Armstrong, Panora, and William Halling, Panora. For County Supervisor in District 4, JT Herron and Steve Smith, both of Guthrie Center, are on the Republican ballot.
Also on the Republican ballot are candidates for two county offices. Brenda Campbell, Guthrie Center, is running for county treasurer. Tristen Richard, Panora, is running for county recorder.
Supervisor Mike Dickson, of Stuart, lives in the newly established Supervisor District 5. He is not required to run this year, because he is the only incumbent residing in the new district. To maintain staggering of terms, the supervisors placed District 2 and District 3 in a hat, and drew for which district would be a two-year term to run again in 2024. Supervisor District 2 was drawn as the two-year term and will be on the ballot again in 2024 to run for a four-year term, along with District 5. District 3 is a four-year term to run again in 2026, along with Districts 1 and 4.

COVE CAT

Posted 5/10/2022
By Cheryl Temple
Lake Panorama Times

Name: Bond
Age: 5-6 years old
Available at: Panora Pets

The handsome Bond, named after fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond for his handsome looks and tuxedo coat, was rescued along with 20 other kitties that were living outside of a bar. All the other kitties have since been adopted, except for Bond. He has been looking for his forever home for more than two years. Bond is the strong, silent type that would do best in a less active home without young children. He’s a self-sufficient cat who enjoys a sun-filled window and chasing a laser pointer. Now who wouldn’t want a handsome James Bond living with them?

LAKE DOG

Posted 5/10/2022
By Cheryl Temple
Lake Panorama Times

Name: Lilly
Age: 9
Breed: Shih Tzu
Owners: Dan and Gretchen Wilhelmi

When the Wilhelmi triplet children graduated from high school and went to college, Gretchen decided to get a dog that she could “mother.” Dan and Gretchen adopted Lilly from the Perry Humane Society when Lilly was 2 years old. She loves to go golfing with Gretchen, boating and riding with her “sister” Rosie (an English Setter) and Dan in the UTV. Lilly is a sweet, delightful, easy-going dog with a wonderful personality and loves to snuggle. She hates thunderstorms and fireworks, so the Fourth of July at the lake is a challenging time.

TRISH HART'S NATURE PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Great Crested Flycatcher

Posted 5/10/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

In mid-April, Trish Hart snapped this photo of a bird that isn’t often seen at Lake Panorama. The Great Crested Flycatcher is more common in states further east and south. Iowa and states to the north and south are the furthest west these birds are found. They winter in Mexico and Columbia with some in Florida.
Once the birds fly north to their breeding grounds, they prefer to perch in the tops of trees as they look for their prey, then swoop after flying insects. They spend very little time on the ground and do not hop or walk. They have a distinct, high-pitched call, which Hart says caught her attention.
“I quickly got my camera out and started looking in the trees,” she says. “He was perched high on a branch near the lakeshore, likely on the hunt for a snack.”
These colorful birds feed on a wide variety of insects, including caterpillars, moths, butterflies, katydids, tree crickets, beetles and others. They also eat fruits and berries, which are a major part of their diet as they spend their winters in warmer climates.
The Great Crested Flycatcher prefers to nest in natural cavities in dead trees but will use large, abandoned woodpecker holes, nesting boxes and hollow posts.
Hart offers custom prints of her nature photos on canvas, paper, metal and glass. For more information, visit @NaturesCanvasPhotos on Facebook.

LPA MEMBER’S LOVE OF GOLF LEADS
TO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Clint Peters acquired Sniper in 2019 and expanded the company with new offerings.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Clint Peters is a self-described “golf fanatic.” He was raised in Aplington, a town of about 1,000 people in northeast Iowa.
“Aplington basically had a nine-hole golf course and a Casey’s, so I grew up on a golf cart playing golf since I was young,” Peters says. “I have been a member at Lake Panorama National the last few years and play as many times a week as possible.”
He and his wife, Kristi, own two lots at Lake Panorama where they plan to build a home. Their daughter, Kaitlyn, and her husband, Chase, who were married April 2 and had their reception at Lake Panorama National, already have a home at the lake. Their son, Coby, is a student at Iowa State.
In 2019, Peters decided to turn his love of golf into more than just playing the game.
“The opportunity came about to acquire Sniper,” he says. “We took what was a putter company and transitioned to a golf ball, golf glove and accessory company. I’ve never met anyone who has lost two putters during a round of golf, so changing from putters to golf balls made sense.”
The first Sniper brand golf ball was released in 2020.
“We expanded with our Tour Series golf balls in May 2021. In 2022, we have three golf ball lines that cater to every level of golfer,” Peters says. “We build our golf balls and recommend them by a golfer’s swing speed to maximize performance and align them with the best compression for their game.”
Peters says the Sniper Tour Series golf balls are three-piece balls offering tour-level performance.
“Tour Blue is recommended for swing speeds of less than 105 mph and Tour Red for swing speeds higher than 105 mph,” he says. “In testing, our golf balls are performing incredibly well against the major brands and actually better than those balls in many statistics. Plus, ours are much less expensive than the major brands.”
A golf ball for lower swing speeds is being introduced in 2022.
“Our SS model golf ball is our low-compression, super-soft golf ball,” Peters says. “Unlike most super-soft golf ball competitors, this ball has the same urethane cover as our Tour Series balls. We believe this ball will be popular with players looking for distance but don’t want to lose greenside control. The manufacturer we chose is one of the best innovators in the industry and helped produce the core for Titleist golf balls for more than 20 years.”
Years of playing golf led Peters to create different packaging for his Sniper brand golf balls.
“I hated trying to put a box of balls into my bag and having empty sleeves in my bag and in every golf cart basket,” he says. “We designed our patent-pending tubes to hold six balls each. For the dozen, we hold them together with two rubber wrist bands. Companies, courses or charities can swap out and use their own bands.”
Peters says the tubes have exceeded his expectations in popularity.
“These slip right into the seam of your golf bag pocket, and you never have to toss empty sleeves away again,” he says. “Our tubes are sturdy, and, when empty, are perfect for storing tees and valuables.”
When Peters purchased Sniper in 2019, the former owner was donating a percentage of sales to charity. This practice has continued with a focus on military and first responder charities.
“We are fortunate to have one of our ambassadors be Jay Delsing. Jay played on the PGA Tour for 25 years and is a lifetime member of the PGA Tour. After playing our golf balls, he asked to join us, which was an unexpected surprise,” Peters says. “It’s a great asset to have his advice and blessings on our golf ball performance.”
Delsing has been personal friends with David Feherty for more than 30 years and connected Peters to Feherty’s Troops First Foundation. The Sniper website features an image and quote from Feherty.
“When we do not have a specified charity from an order, we donate to Troops First,” Peters says. “We also have done events for the national Salute Military Golf Association and similar groups, both local and national.”
The company’s website is www.snipergolfballs.com. Besides golf balls, the website includes a new Tour Glove line introduced this spring that has exceeded expectations and has two pros looking to wear, a couple of hat designs and some ball markers.
Peters says additional items soon will be available including shot glasses, cigar holders and ball markers, all made from Sniper golf balls. The 2022 Sniper balls will be released in April with the other new products available soon after.
Right now, the majority of Sniper sales are online. But for 2022, Peters says his golf balls will be available in about 20 retail locations and golf shops in five states, with the list where balls can be purchased in person growing steadily.
Sniper also has become an official partner of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, which is the largest multi-day junior tour in the world. And Peters is finalizing plans to become the ball sponsor of the 4,000-player APT Tour.
Starting this year, Sniper will offer logo golf balls for company handouts, golf events or individual personalization. Peters says any businesses or golf events looking for logo golf balls can reach out to him at thesniperbrand@gmail.com for information, plus special pricing for Lake Panorama Association members.

DONATIONS BEING SOUGHT FOR SHADE SAILS PROJECT AT LPN
Both the LPA and LPN board of directors recently approved this project, as long as the $22,000 needed can be raised with private donations.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

A total of 304 ash trees were removed from the Lake Panorama National (LPN) golf course this winter. Eight of those were big shade trees located around the Spikes snack shop and between the first and 10th tee boxes.
Plans are being made to plant about 30 trees on the LPN course this year. These would be planted by tree spade, but it will be many years before the same amount of shade the old trees delivered is available again around Spikes.
Kane Powell is an avid golfer, electrician and builder who owns Lake Panorama Realty with his wife, Dee. While talking with other golfers about the loss of shade around Spikes, he came up with the idea of checking into artificial shade options. That led him to Shade Sails of Iowa, LLC, located in Grimes.
Shade Sails are made of a heavy-duty fabric and come in many shapes and colors. A company representative developed a plan that would provide shade in a 40-foot by 80-foot grassy area east of Spikes.
Six metal poles would be installed in concrete footings with two sails attached to the poles at various angles to provide shade throughout the day. The sails would vary between 10 to 16 feet from the ground. The varying heights help the sails shed rain and leaves and provide an architectural dimension to the installation.
Both the LPA and LPN board of directors recently approved this project, as long as the $22,000 needed can be raised with private donations. The Friends of Lake Panorama board agreed to assist with this fundraising effort, which allows donations to be tax-deductible.
LPA officials say they still will plant some trees in the area near Spikes, but those locations won’t be determined until this new artificial shade project is complete.
Powell says the sails would be a forest green to match the color of the metal roof on Spikes. If additional funds are raised, electricity could be run to the poles and lights strung. The sails would be taken down each fall and reinstalled each summer.
“Besides giving us back some shade in that area, this will provide a new venue for Lake Panorama National customers to enjoy,” Powell says. “It will be a place where golfers can gather before and after tournaments and should relieve some of the congestion when golf carts park in front of Spikes. The shaded area is designed for golf cart gatherings. For a special event, tables and chairs could be moved under the sails on a temporary basis.”
Once the money for this shade project is raised, the order will be placed. Powell says it will take four weeks from the time the order is placed until the poles and sails are installed. It’s hoped the $22,000 goal can be reached fairly quickly, so the “horseshoe” area in front of Spikes will be shaded by the time hot, sunny weather arrives.
Fundraising is off to a good start because of a $1,000 donation in memory of Dr. David J. Wang. A former Panora dentist and Lake Panorama resident, Wang died in 2002 at the age of 40. In 2018, his family, including wife, Grace, son, Tony, and daughter, Cassie, donated $10,000 to Friends of Lake Panorama. Wang was an avid golfer who enjoyed the men’s league and other golf events at the LPN. The bulk of the gift was used for renovations in the LPN dining room.
The family wanted the remaining funds to be used for a project on the golf course. When contacted about this Shade Sails effort, they quickly agreed this would be something their husband and father would have supported.
Donors of $500 or more will be recognized on a sign placed inside Spikes. All donors will receive a letter recognizing their donation for tax purposes.
Donations can be made by check payable to Friends of Lake Panorama and mailed to Friends of Lake Panorama, P.O. Box 488, Panora, IA 50216. Donations also can be made using Venmo @Panorama-Friends, or by credit card on the Friends website at friendsoflakepanorama.org.

ON THE LAKE
Satisfaction, simplification and one fewer lake dog

Posted 4/5/2022
By Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher

Summer is just around the corner at Lake Panorama, and I am ready to put a boat in the water, some sunscreen on my shoulders and a cold drink in my hand. But, like many of you, I still have some work to do to get ready for the season.

Immediate satisfaction
We had a new septic system installed last fall. It was one of those “investments” that we just needed to do. The dirt was left mounded so it would settle some on its own naturally. We will have it all smoothed out soon, and I plan to seed it. That, of course, was a good excuse for me to purchase a new riding lawn mower. And Jolene agreed!
Yes, I am one of those strange guys who actually likes to mow the lawn. It provides a little quiet time to be outdoors and not have to think too much. It also provides one of the few immediate satisfactions in life that allow a person to be able to make something look a lot better in a short amount of time. Painters get that satisfaction. Barbers, too. Most other tasks in life take a great deal of time to see results, which I will face again as I plant grass seed. Ugh.

Simplification
Jolene and I sold our home of 17 years in Johnston this past month. We bought a home at Lake Panorama to have a place to relax, but owning two homes seemed to create more stress, as many of you already know. So to bring some sanity to our lives, we decided it was time for a change. We hope to spend more time at the lake, but we aren’t ready to live here full-time yet. So, with us being empty nesters now, we downsized to a townhome in Grimes. The benefits are many, including the fact that we are 10 minutes closer to the lake now, too. And the move forced us to go through 17 years of “stuff.”

One fewer lake dog
Unfortunately, we also downsized in a sad way.
A dog really can be man’s best friend, especially when that man has a wife and three daughters. A little male companionship — even from a dog — can prove to be a helpful thing. My buddy was an adopted miniature pinscher named Kobie. You may have seen him with me or heard from him. He traveled with me most everywhere and seemed to enjoy setting off the alarm in my truck. He was a bucket of muscle, able to catapult over a 4-foot fence. This was fun to watch the first time, but chasing him down grew tiresome quickly.
As the years went by, Kobie began to slow down. Some health issues caught up with him, and he began to have seizures. The most recent one proved to be his last. He didn’t care for the water much, but he did enjoy boat rides. As such, we were looking forward to being with this lake dog all summer. Kobie was our third miniature pinscher that we have had through the years, and he was the one I connected with the most. We may try No. 4 at some point, but we will go dogless for a bit and see what happens.

Lake humor
Let’s move on to a chuckle. Here’s one you may all appreciate. What do the letters in BOAT stand for?
Bring out another thousand.

More of this kind of stuff
If you enjoy my monthly musings, you can read similar columns by subscribing to our free email newsletter, The Daily Umbrella, delivered via email each weekday morning. Sign up at www.thedailyumbrella.com.
Have a great month, and, as always, thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

LPN ANNOUNCES NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Royce Shaffer will continue to oversee the golf operation, lodging, information technology, accounting and facilities, and David Chubb is now the food and beverage manager.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The management structure of the Lake Panorama National (LPN) Resort is changing to better serve Lake Panorama Association (LPA) members and guests. The new structure will split management responsibilities between two people, one already on staff, and one who accepted a position with the LPN beginning Feb. 28.
The LPA has owned the LPN golf course since 1977 and purchased the LPN conference center in 2005. At that time, the LPA board established the legal corporate entity known as “LPN, LLC” to manage this for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary. The Panorama West golf course and clubhouse was placed under LPN, LLC management in 2013.
As a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, LPA is required to pay taxes only on gains from land sales. Keeping the LPA and LPN, LLC operations separate protects the nonprofit status of the LPA. To keep this separation, in 2015 the LPA created and appointed an LPN board of managers with oversight provided by the LPA board.
“The LPA and LPN boards have been evaluating the LPN organizational strategy for several years,” says John Rutledge, LPA general manager and LPN, LLC director of operations. “The common theme is there aren’t enough hours in a given week to pursue all of the goals we feel LPN should be pursuing.”
“LPN, LLC is a diverse and complex business with an annual budget of $2.2 million,” Rutledge says. “Make a list of all the various components of the LPN, and it gets lengthy — kitchen, restaurant, banquets and special events, Spikes snack shop, the pro shop, swimming pool and fitness center, golf course turf management, lodging, facility maintenance, and information technology. Throw in Panorama West under several of those categories, and it’s a diverse and demanding set of responsibilities.”
Royce Shaffer has been the LPN, LLC operations manager since December 2018, with Rutledge named LPN, LLC director of operations at the same time. Both had served as interims in these positions since the July 2018 departure of John Dinnebier, who was hired by Briarwood Golf Club in Ankeny as general manager. Dinnebier had been LPN’s general manager since 2002.
Under the new structure, Shaffer will continue to oversee the golf operation, lodging, information technology, accounting and facilities. Shaffer earned a bachelor’s degree at Buena Vista University in 2003, majoring in finance and banking, with concentrations in management and computer science. He has worked at the LPN Resort in various capacities since 2002.
“Royce was integral in proposing and developing a recommendation for this new management strategy,” says Rutledge. “He helped me and the LPA and LPN boards understand the complex issues he has been facing on a daily basis. The truth is this is just too much for one person to handle. Royce has done an excellent job under difficult conditions, especially the last two years as the LPN navigated its way through COVID. I’m grateful he’s accepted this new role and know this is a win/win for both Royce and for LPA members.”
The new hire is David Chubb. As food and beverage manager, Chubb oversees all aspects of the LPN’s food and beverage operation, including the kitchen, Links Restaurant and Spikes snack shop. Chubb graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in hotel, restaurant and institution management and has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
Rutledge will continue as LPN, LLC director of operations, although he says this new management structure will allow him to take a step back.
“Royce and David will provide direct, monthly reports to the LPN board of managers. Neither will be subordinate to the other. I will meet with them weekly and provide assistance as needed. But they truly are going to be empowered and responsible to run their respective components of the business,” Rutledge says.
“Segregating the LPN management effort into two components is something both the LPN and LPA boards believe will allow the organization to grow,” Rutledge says. “Improved financial performance and member experiences are the target. Everyone involved is excited about this new management structure, and we believe 2022 is going to be a great year at Lake Panorama National.”

LPN EASTER BRUNCH APRIL 17

Posted 4/5/2022
The Lake Panorama National’s annual Easter Brunch will be Sunday, April 17 with reservations available every half hour from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Lake Panorama National Resort food and beverage team is offering a wide variety of both breakfast and lunch entrees.
Breakfast items will include such things as an egg casserole, scrambled eggs, an omelet station, bacon and sausage, biscuits and gravy, hash browns and a waffle station.
Lunch offerings will include herb roasted chicken, sliced pineapple ham, roast beef carving station, pasta bake, herb roasted potatoes and sweet buttered corn. There also will be a mixed green salad bar, macaroni salad, fresh fruit and caprese salad. Top it all off with an assortment of desserts.
Cost is $24.95 for adults, $12.95 for kids 4-12, and no cost for kids 3 and younger. The Links regular menu will not be available that day. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the LPN front desk at 641-755-2080.

LAKE PANORAMA FIN & FEATHER BANQUET WILL BE MAY 14

Posted 4/5/2022
The 2022 Lake Panorama Fin and Feather fundraising banquet will be Saturday, May 14, the same day as the LPA annual meeting. The event will be held at the Lake Panorama National Resort, with social hour beginning at 5 p.m. A dinner and silent/live auctions will follow at 6 p.m. All ages are welcome.
Funds raised at the banquet, plus annual memberships and direct donations, are used to stock fish in Lake Panorama. More than $18,000 worth of fish were added to the lake last fall. Fish stocking totals for 2021 included 2,500 walleye, 1,000 smallmouth bass, 2,000 largemouth bass and 2,085 perch. The group also helps improve fish habitat and sponsors an annual fishing derby for children during Panorama Days.
Dinner tickets to the event are $35 each, with children 12 and younger $20. Another option is to join the Big Skipper Club at a cost of $125. This covers two dinner tickets, Big Skipper raffle ticket and an annual family membership. The cost of just an annual family membership is $40.
Supporters can either mail a check or register online with a credit card or PayPal account at the group’s website: panoramafinandfeather.com/banquet/.
If payment is made by check, make it payable to Fin & Feather and mail to Doug Hemphill, Farmers State Bank, P.O. Box 110, Yale, Iowa, 50277, along with a completed membership application, which is available on the website.
Members who pay in advance will have their tickets waiting for them upon arrival. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for walk-in attendees.

2022 LPA ANNUAL MEETING UPCOMING
On the ballot this year will be the adoption of LPA’s Amended and Substituted Covenants and
Restrictions, plus the election of three directors.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The 53rd annual meeting of the Lake Panorama Association (LPA) will be Saturday, May 14, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Lake Panorama National conference center. Each year, the LPA annual meeting provides a formal statement of the association’s financial position, plus reports on activities during the past year and plans for the coming year.
Reports will be given by Rich Schumacher, LPA board president; Gary Evans, LPA board treasurer; and John Rutledge, LPA general manager and LPN, LLC director of operations.
An official announcement of the meeting will be sent to all LPA members in mid-April. Included in this mailing will be a ballot, plus a numbered envelope in which to return the ballot. Ballots must be returned in the numbered envelopes to ensure ballot authenticity. If an envelope is lost, contact the LPA office for a replacement.
On the ballot this year will be the adoption of LPA’s Amended and Substituted Covenants and Restrictions, plus the election of three directors.
The covenants serve as the foundation of the LPA’s governing documents and are an essential piece of LPA’s organizational structure. The covenants were last adopted April 26, 2003, and must be renewed within 21 years. If approved, the updated covenants will be filed in the office of the Guthrie County Recorder and be in place until May 14, 2023.
Two informational meetings were scheduled to give members the opportunity to learn more. The first was Feb. 24. Another will be held Thursday, April 28, 6 p.m., at the LPN.
John Rutledge says the proposed covenants don’t contain any substantive changes from the covenants currently in place.
“Some formatting changes were made and some language cleaned up. But what these amended covenants say and do for the LPA hasn’t changed,” he says. “The LPA by-laws, rules and regulations, and building codes draw authority from the LPA covenants document. It is a concise and to-the-point document that is essential to LPA’s continued success.”
A copy of the proposed amended and substituted covenants will be included in the mid-April mailing, along with the ballot and information on LPA board candidates.
The question on the ballot will be: “Shall the proposed Amended and Substituted Covenants and Restrictions for Lake Panorama Subdivision be adopted?” Members will be asked to mark “yes” or “no.” A simple majority is needed to approve the adoption.
Members are asked to deliver or mail their completed ballot in the numbered envelope to the LPA office before Friday, May 13. This allows the majority of the ballots to be counted in advance of the annual meeting. Ballots also can be brought to the annual meeting.
Three people are running for three seats on the LPA seven-member board. Gary Evans and Jim Spradling both are completing their second term on the board and are ineligible to run this year. Also on the ballot is the seat held for the past year by Julie Fulton. She was elected in 2021 to complete the final year of the unexpired term of the late Neil Wright.
The three candidates for these three open seats are Dennis Flanery, Mark Jorgensen and Dirk Westercamp. LPA bylaws require each board candidate to provide a 100-word statement. This year’s candidate statements are printed here in alphabetical order.

Dennis Flanery

“Our family has had a home at Lake Panorama since 1985. I’ve worked at Peoples Bank in Guthrie Center for 28 years and have had the privilege to serve on several economic, civic and community organizations serving Guthrie County. My wife, Diane, is in education, a past teacher and now a principal. Our three children (Ryan, Erin and Sean) all live and work in the Des Moines area. Our family enjoys the amenities Lake Panorama has to offer, and I understand LPA’s economic importance to Guthrie County. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you on the LPA Board.”

Mark Jorgensen

“My wife, Deb, and I bought our town home in July of 2015. Over the years, I’ve been very involved in holding office in a variety of boards and non-profit entities. With my accounting and business background, I have become very curious how the LPA system works and what are the challenges that we will face in the future. I can promise you that I will be accessible and will bring a constructive positive attitude that still will be able to tackle hard problems and work with board members and staff in a positive way. I would appreciate your vote.”

Dirk Westercamp

“I am an architect, and, together with my wife, Carol, run a business in Sherman Hill, STUDIO192 and CO. We both grew up ‘on the water’ and purchased a lot on Lean To Point in 2007, and owned a condo on hole five. We enjoy boat rides from Helen’s Cove with our three children. I have been fortunate enough to volunteer on boards and committees with Saint Francis of Assisi, Dowling Catholic, AIA, DBIA, USGBC, multiple Rotary, Chamber and Economic Development boards, and, of course, the LPA Building Codes Committee since 2014 with the past two terms as chairperson.”

RECIPE
Easter Dip Goodness

Posted 4/5/2022
By Jolene Goodman

(Culinary.net) Easter is about coming together with loved ones, enjoying beautiful spring weather and eating your family’s favorite foods. The kids will be playing, adults will be chatting and all will be patiently waiting for the table to be set.
If you’re visiting and making memories with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while, there are few things better than diving into a marvelous Easter spread.
While eyeing the table, you notice all the colors popping off the dishes. Fruits and veggies make the feast come to life, but a warm Easter dip paired with rolls for dipping is a perfect way to start the festivities.
These Easter Bunny Rolls with Spinach Dip are as eye-catching as they are delicious. Not only will the kids love its shape, but the layers of taste will wow your Easter crowd.
To make this recipe, start by combining a 16-ounce package of frozen spinach, cream cheese and garlic in a skillet. Once heated, add mayonnaise, salt, onion powder, chili powder and Italian seasoning.
Add in Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses then stir until combined.
Next, roll out crescent rolls. Stretch the dough then cut into 24 rolls.
Form the bunny shape and scoop your spinach dip mixture into the center of the bunny and its ears. Sprinkle the spinach dip with mozzarella cheese before baking at 375 F for 18 minutes.
This dish is made for a crowd, served warm and full of cheesy goodness. You can watch as your family dips into the spinach and one-by-one, before you know it, the rolls will have disappeared and the dip will be devoured. Find more Easter recipes at Culinary.net.

Easter Bunny Rolls with Spinach Dip

Serves: 24
16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 crescent roll tubes (8 ounces each)

Heat oven to 375 F.
In skillet, over medium heat, cook spinach, cream cheese and garlic 3-4 minutes until cream cheese is melted. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, onion powder, chili powder, pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Keep skillet on burner over low heat.
Remove dough from tubes. Leaving dough intact, roll and stretch into 18-inch ropes. Cut each rope into 12 pieces for 24 total.
On baking sheet with parchment paper, form bunny head by placing one piece of dough in middle then surrounding it with six more pieces. Use 13 pieces to form round body. Use remaining pieces to form ears on top of head.
Scoop hot spinach dip into center. Spoon small portions on each ear. Sprinkle ears and belly with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake 18 minutes, or until crescent dough is golden brown and thoroughly cooked.

BUSINESS
PANORA STORE CATERS TO COLLECTORS
Most items in Linda Burgess’ Reborn store are for sale, and the inventory changes constantly.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

A Panora woman who says she has always liked “old stuff” is the owner of Reborn. This June, Linda Burgess will begin her seventh year in the store located at 132 West Main St. Reborn’s Facebook page says the shop “offers quality antiques, vintage, and stained glass at small town prices.”
Burgess has spent most of her life in the Panora area.
“I’ve always had an appreciation for antiques and collectibles,” she says. “When I was a kid, I loved all the old stuff my grandmother had.”
In the 1960s, Burgess worked in three different office locations as Lake Panorama developers sold shares and lots. She’s a history buff who worked for a dozen years at Living History Farms in Urbandale. Much of her time was spent as an on-site interpreter in the 1876 town of Walnut Hill, dressed in clothing of the era. Later, she worked at the Guthrie County Historical Village and Museum on the south side of Panora.
Before Reborn, Burgess rented the basement in the building just west of her current location, where she created stained glass pieces and had some vintage items for sale.
“I signed up for an adult education class, and 45 years later, I’m still doing stained glass,” she says.
When that building sold, she purchased the building where Reborn was born. She moved her stained glass studio to a back room. A wall was removed, remaining walls were painted, and the Reborn sign Burgess created was hung on the front of the building.
“I’ve been collecting things for many, many years,” Burgess says. “When I first opened the shop, I started mostly with things I already had. As those sold, I started buying things to keep up the inventory. I’m always looking and try to follow trends of what people are collecting.”
Linda and her husband, Marshall, live in a restored Victorian home less than a block from Reborn. “Sometimes I still buy something I like and take it home, then later decide I’m ready to bring it to the shop,” she says.
The couple has two daughters. Heather Robson lives in Waverly. Julie Burgess lives in Panora and works full-time from home. As time allows, she helps her mother by keeping the Reborn Facebook page active. Plus, the two of them “pick” together.
“Julie and I pick a lot,” Linda says. The pair frequents garage sales and estate sales in search of good deals. Sometimes people bring collectibles to Reborn to see if she’s interested in buying.
“We don’t go to auctions or do any online purchasing,” Burgess says. “Part of the fun is seeing what we can find on our own.”
Not everything Burgess has on display is for sale. For instance, there is a half-wall covered with advertising pieces and photos related to long-ago Panora businesses.
“I call this my Panora collection,” Burgess says. “People love to stand here and look at the old photos and advertisements.”
A poster promotes a movie showing at the Star Vu drive-in theater, once located on the west edge of Panora. There’s a framed newspaper ad for Bokirk’s department store, which was located in the building across the street from Panora Telco.
Most items in Reborn are for sale, and the inventory changes constantly. Pottery, crocks, copper boilers, wooden boxes, AE and Flynn dairy milk bottles and boxes, furniture, toys and games, jewelry, tin cans, framed prints, purses, hats, lamps, baskets, record albums, and so much more.
“We try to buy quality items,” Burgess says. “We focus more on quality than we do on quantity. It’s so neat when someone comes in and discovers something they’ve been looking for a long time. I love seeing the joy on people’s faces.”
Reborn closes each year right before Christmas and reopens by April 1. Once the shop opens for the season, Burgess is there Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I love getting here each morning and seeing what the day brings,” she says.
After six years in the business, Burgess says she has a lot of regular, repeat customers.
“But every week I have new people come in,” she says. “We’ve developed a nice following through our Facebook page. Being on a major state highway helps. Sometimes people who travel a distance do a lot of research, and sometimes people just stumble onto us.”
Reborn is a member of the Iowa Antique Network, an online resource that provides information on antique shops across Iowa. Summer brings an uptick in business, but Burgess says being open three days a week means those three days are almost always busy.
Burgess is a big believer in shopping locally.
“There aren’t a lot of small antique shops like Reborn open anymore,” she says. “We have unique, one-of-a-kind items, and we enjoy sharing those with customers.”
Messages can be sent to Reborn through the shop’s Facebook page, but Burgess prefers people call the number listed. That’s her cell phone, which allows her to talk directly with potential customers about pieces that interest them. She’s also happy to make appointments, if the regular store hours don’t work for someone.
Give her a call at 641-757-0631. If she doesn’t answer, try again later. She’s probably busy picking another treasure for her store.

ORIENTATION SESSION WILL BE APRIL 29 FOR NEW LPA MEMBERS

Posted 4/5/2022
The third Lake Panorama 101 session will be Friday, April 29, 5-6 p.m., in the dining room at the Lake Panorama National Conference Center. Refreshments will be available, and drinks may be brought in from the Links bar.
The idea for Lake Panorama 101 came from a group of volunteers who believed there should be an organized, face-to-face opportunity to welcome new property owners to Lake Panorama. The first two sessions were held in spring and fall of 2021, with more than 30 people in attendance at each.
Topics covered during the presentation portion are the Lake Panorama Association, Lake Panorama National, amenities available to LPA members, and resources for learning more and getting involved. There will be time for questions.
A flyer describing this project, along with the date and time for this upcoming program, is included in the packets new property owners receive from the LPA office. Yet the Lake Panorama 101 sessions aren’t limited to those who see the flyer in their new member packet or who are new property owners. Any LPA member is welcome to attend.
The book “Lake Panorama – The First 50 Years” will be available for purchase at a reduced price of $25. The full-color, hardcover book includes both historic and contemporary photos. Book chapters describe six decades of planning and development. There are special topic chapters on Lake Panorama’s two golf courses, infrastructure and water quality efforts.
Those planning to attend the April 29 session are asked to RSVP by calling the LPN front desk during daytime business hours at 641-755-2080.

Q&A:
LPA BUILDING CODES, WETLANDS AND MORE
LPA Project Manager Lane Rumelhart gives updates on key projects.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Lane Rumelhart is in his third year as project manager for the Lake Panorama Association. He graduated from Central College in Pella in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and minors in biology and business management.
As LPA project manager, Rumelhart is responsible for managing the LPA building codes. He also manages some projects financed by the Lake Panorama Rural Improvement Zone (RIZ) and assists with LPA communications, the annual deer hunt program, and campground and beach management. In this month’s Q&A, Rumelhart highlights the LPA building codes, plus talks about some ongoing and upcoming projects.

Q. What projects require a building permit or land disturbing permit?
A. LPA requires permits for new homes, additions, detached and attached garages, storage sheds, gazebos, sun shelters, fences, pools, decks, three-season rooms and permanent docks. LPA also requires a land disturbing permit for any landscaping, new driveways, culverts, clearing, firepits/fireplaces, or any other project that will disturb dirt within 100 feet of the water or over 1,000 square feet of area. Members do not need permits to re-side or re-shingle a home, or to do inside renovations.
If a project does need a permit, the process is a bit different for each project and depends on both the nature of the project and the permit applicant’s level of preparedness. The first step should always be to contact me. I will get members and contractors all the necessary information on what I need to be able to approve a permit.
Between the months of March and October, members should expect a longer wait time. If a member and/or contractor has everything in order, we can process larger permit requests (homes, additions, garages) in 7-10 days. Smaller projects usually take 3-5 days. Once I have everything I need, it doesn’t take long to check lot stakes and a few other things to get members approved. The key to a smooth permit process is working well ahead of your planned construction schedule to ensure all paperwork is completed in advance.
If a member has questions on what does or doesn’t need permits, they can call me at the LPA office at 641-755-2301 or email me at lrumelhart@lakepanorama.org.

Q. When can we expect the new restrooms at both Shady and Sunset beaches to be open?
A. The exterior of each restroom is complete. Kane Powell will be putting the metal roof on soon and then adding all the interior fixtures once the building is secure. These restrooms are one room and unisex. The previous bathrooms had issues with flooding and deterioration. These new buildings have concrete walls and a tin roof, making them maintenance free. These new restrooms should be completed before Memorial Day and ready for peak summer usage.

Q. The Lake Panorama Rural Improvement Zone (RIZ) has been instrumental in the construction of three wetlands that help protect Lake Panorama from sediment. What are your responsibilities for the ongoing operation and management of these wetlands, and are any new ones in the works?
A. The Helen’s Cove wetland was built in 2016 and is on the east side of Sage Trail, northeast of the LPA east campground. The Hughes Cove wetland was built in 2017 and is north of 200th Road, near the Fin and Feather building. The Smith wetland was built in 2019 and is on the north side of 180th, north of Burchfield Cove.
In the spring, I watch the weather closely. If we are going to get a lot of rain in a short time frame, I raise the pool level on all three wetlands to catch as much water and silt as possible. I try to hold off on raising the pool level until the exposed perimeter of the pool has a chance to establish some vegetation. Certain plants that are native to wetlands help capture nutrients in the water. Blue Green algae blooms we see in the summer are a result of high concentrations of phosphorus in our lake. More plants to absorb these excess nutrients can really benefit the lake’s water quality.
We will be adding a smaller wetland, which will be 3 acres in size, north of the west fork of Burchfield Cove. Our plans are to begin work later this summer or into the fall. This wetland won’t be as large as our previous three but still will capture sediment from roughly 584 acres of watershed. The wetland meets requirements for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and should be eligible for CREP funding. We have plans for one other wetland north of the Smith wetland but have had difficulties with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers getting it permitted. We will continue to work with the Corps in hopes of finding a way to complete this project.

Q. You provide assistance to projects that are led by Friends of Lake Panorama. For instance, what progress is being made on the Lake Panorama dog park?
A. Hopefully, the dog park will be ready to open sometime in June, or perhaps sooner. Right now, our biggest barrier will be to establish a good enough stand of grass to handle the wear and tear from dogs and their owners. Once the soil temperature increases a bit more, Brandon Brehmer will overseed the area in the coming weeks to help establish grass in some of the bare areas. We will need some rain and warm weather after he seeds to get good germination.
LPA will add rock on the east portion of the park just outside the fence to create suitable parking. We also have two picnic tables — one for each side of the park — ordered and on their way. Bryce Arganbright is finishing up the shelter and concrete pads around the park entrance. If Mother Nature is on our side, the park could open in late May. If we have drought conditions, it may be a while longer. We don’t want to open the park until the grass is in good enough shape that we don’t end up with muddy conditions.

Q. What else are you working on in the coming months?
A. I am leading a replanting effort on the LPN and Panorama West golf courses to make sure trees are put back after taking out more than 350 ash trees. Right now, we are looking at areas critical to play. This will amount to about 30 trees at LPN and nine trees at Panorama West. After we get through one playing season, we will reassess and evaluate where other trees may be needed.
I’ve wrapped up all of LPA and RIZ’s farm leases for the 2022 year. As the 180th Trail Basin expansion project gets going again, I will be monitoring progress with Spring Lake Construction, along with Mike Monthei, LPN maintenance supervisor, and the help of our engineers from Shive Hattery. The bulk of the work for this project will take place this summer, as the elevation of the basin is raised about 17 feet to retain more sediment discharged from our dredge.
The two campgrounds are open, although water isn’t guaranteed until May 1, and the beaches will be utilized soon. I’ve been seeing more people at the sports courts at Boulder Beach. Our new website is running smoothly and has proven to be a nice upgrade for our community.
Signs of spring are everywhere. I may do 10 different things every day of the week, but that’s what I enjoy about working for the Lake Panorama Association.

BEACH BALL SET FOR JULY 22 AT LPN
Event registration will begin in May.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Friends of Lake Panorama will host its fifth Beach Ball fundraiser Friday, July 22 at Lake Panorama National (LPN). The format for the event will be similar to previous years with seating available either in the LPN banquet room or outside under tents between the conference center and the golf course.
Plans are being developed including pricing for table sponsorships and admission tickets. Event registration will begin in May. Funds will be raised with a 50/50 raffle, plus both live and silent auctions. Items for the auctions are being accepted now. Anyone interested in donating auction items for the 2022 Beach Ball can email staff@friendsoflakepanorama.org.
The Friends of Lake Panorama seven-member volunteer board will meet April 25 to finalize plans for the 2022 Beach Ball. They also will discuss how profits from the event will be used. Projects chosen by the Friends board to promote at the Beach Ball will receive a percentage of pooled funds raised, plus all direct donations designated to a specific project.
One possible option is a basketball half-court at Sunset Beach. Mark and Karen Einck, who matched donations of $25,000 for the Boulder Beach basketball court, have pledged to match up to $20,000 for the Sunset Beach court. A goal of $40,000 has been set for this project.
A task force made up of both Friends board members and additional volunteers from the community is developing a proposal for recreational amenities on Lake Panorama’s south shore. The proposal will be presented to the LPA board this spring and is expected to include a disc golf course and walking trail, with additional amenities also considered. If approved by the LPA board, projects on the south shore could receive some 2022 Beach Ball profits.
The 2021 Beach Ball had a profit of $25,000. At that time, donations for the Lake Panorama dog park stood at $45,000. The Friends board voted to provide another $5,000 from the Beach Ball proceeds to reach the $50,000 goal.
Another $5,000 raised at the 2021 Beach Ball is being used for enhancements to an existing trail near Panorama West, with work planned this spring. Three swings will be added to the Sunset Beach playground this spring using $8,000 raised at last year’s Beach Ball.
The Friends board voted last fall to hold the remaining $7,000 in reserve until these three projects are complete, in case costs increase beyond what has been budgeted. If the funds are not needed for any of these three projects, the money will be applied to a new project.
Details on all past and current projects are available on the Friends website. Friends of Lake Panorama also has a Facebook page.
Tax-deductible donations can be made at any time by check payable to Friends of Lake Panorama, and mailed to Friends of Lake Panorama, P.O. Box 488, Panora, IA 50216. Donations also can be made using Venmo @Panorama-Friends, or by credit card on the Friends website at friendsoflakepanorama.org.

LAKE PANORAMA DOG PARK PROGRESSES
The park is located at the corner of Sage Trail and RV Road.

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Fundraising by Friends of Lake Panorama for a dog park kicked off in September 2020 after the Lake Panorama Association (LPA) board unanimously approved the plan at its August 2020 meeting. The park is located at the corner of Sage Trail and RV Road.
Construction on the park is nearly complete. Most of the work was done last fall with Bryce Arganbright of Arganbright Construction installing a 6-foot-high chain link fence 400 feet long and 150 feet wide. There are two sections, one for small dogs that are less than 15 inches at shoulder height, and one for large dogs that are at least 15 inches at shoulder height.
A single entrance is protected by a keyless lock. Once inside this gate, users can choose a second gate to either the large dog or small dog areas. Arganbright was able to get a shelter for this area built last fall before cold weather set in. By the end of April, he plans to finish work on the shelter, pour a concrete pad for the entrance and install the remaining fence and gates.
Crushed rock along the inside perimeter of the fence provides a walking path and a weed barrier and will keep dogs from digging near the fence. The LPA maintenance staff recently installed a gravel parking lot on the east side of the park. Some additional rock may be needed there as the ground firms up.
Last fall, Brandon Brehmer donated his time to seed and fertilize the fenced-in area. Despite the dry fall, seed germination did occur to get a turfgrass base started. Brehmer will be overseeding and fertilizing again this spring as soon as the soil temperature is warm enough for grass seed to germinate. Timely rains will be needed to get a turfgrass stand that can withstand the expected dog and human traffic. Opening of the park is planned for late May or early June and is dependent on how quickly the turfgrass establishment is complete.
Two sugar maple trees were planted last fall, donated by Larry and Heather Isom, who own Isom Tree Farm. If additional trees are desired, the Isoms have offered to donate one tree for each tree purchased, which could be planted in fall 2022.
The LPA has ordered two picnic tables and will be placing one in each of the two sections of the park. Water lines were run last fall for two dog water fountains that will be mounted on concrete near the park entrance, one on each side.
Four bag dispensers for picking up pet waste will be installed this spring with two near the park entrances and two in the far corners of each section. Two pet waste receptacles will be attached to the concrete pad within each side of the park.
A set of rules for responsible use of the dog park has been adopted and will be posted on a sign at the park entrance. A sign recognizing donors of $500 or more also will be posted at the dog park. Once a date for the park opening has been set, members will be able to call LPA Security to get the code to the main entrance gate.

CLINT DEARDORFF DECLARES FOR GUTHRIE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Posted 4/5/2022
Lake Panorama Times

Clint Deardorff is declaring his nomination for Guthrie County Board of Supervisors District 2. Deardorff will be seeking the Republican nomination for supervisor at the June 7 primary election. Under the newly established boundaries, District 2 will represent Yale, Jamaica, Bagley, the Victory Township portion of Lake Panorama and unincorporated areas north of Guthrie Center. Redistricting has resulted in District 2 being an open seat for the 2022 election.
Deardorff is a Guthrie County native, raised on the family farm near Yale. His wife, Heather, is employed at Farmers State Bank, and their three sons, Corbin, Connor and Carter, attend Panorama Schools. Clint is a fifth-generation family farmer who works closely with his father, Danny Deardorff, and uncle Greg Chaloupka on their farms in rural Yale.
Deardorff says there are several things Guthrie County does very well. It has a first-rate emergency medical service, several exceptional fire departments and a law enforcement community that is second to none. The county has been successful in encouraging new businesses such as the new locker being constructed in Guthrie Center. He hopes to see more businesses choose to make Guthrie County their home.
He is most passionate about the condition of some of the roads in our county, and he says that is one vital area that he would want to focus on.
“One of the biggest things I’d like to see improved in Guthrie County is the condition of our roads. I’ve traveled most of the roads in our county between checking pastures, raising crops and working for UPS, and I believe we have the ability to improve their quality for everyone without a huge influx of capital,” Deardorff said.
Deardorff enjoys being involved in varied organizations. He is a member of the BPOE, Calvary Chapel of the Raccoon River Valley, as well as serving on the Yale City Council. He is also passionately involved in the Heartland Highland Cattle Association (HHCA) based in Tunas, Missouri. He served five years on the board of directors, followed by a term as vice president and currently is the president of the association. The HHCA is a national organization that represents more than 600 member farms in 43 states.
“I’m very proud of the HHCA and the growth we have enjoyed as an organization. Through great teamwork with my fellow board members, our membership has grown exponentially during my tenure. These experiences have helped shape who I am today and will be an asset to me as a supervisor,” Deardorff said.
Deardorff also has gained a wide variety of experience and knowledge as an entrepreneur. He and his wife started their business, Deardorff Highland Cattle, 10 years ago. While developing this operation, he became well versed in running a business. He developed the full supply chain, from raising the cattle, to production of the beef used in their food truck, a true farm-to-table operation.
Deardorff designed their mobile retail operation as well as secured the best lockers to process their meat to ensure a consistent product. He has sales experience from booking a variety of quality events throughout the Midwest and selling directly to consumers.
“My experiences growing our small business from its founding to its success today will be an asset in helping my fellow supervisors prioritize projects that serve the best interests of the citizens of Guthrie County,” he said.
“I’m not just someone seeking a political position to glorify myself. I genuinely care about Guthrie County and the people that live here,” he said. “I believe that all the parts of this county are important to our vitality as a community. Whether you live at Lake Panorama, in one of our small towns, or in the rural areas of the county, your voice matters to me, and you all deserve a great place to call home.”

COVE CAT

Posted 4/5/2022
By Cheryl Temple
Lake Panorama Times

Name: Shortbread
Age: 8
Breed: Silver/Blue tabby with gorgeous green eyes
Available at: Panora Pets
Shortbread is active and loves to play. She would be an excellent companion for a home looking for an active, playful, affectionate and conversational cat. Shortbread would do great as an only cat due to her history, but she gets along well with dogs and children old enough to notice she can get overwhelmed. Once accustomed to her new surroundings and family, Shortbread would be a great fit for a household that likes energetic kitties.

LAKE DOGS

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Posted 4/5/2022
By Cheryl Temple
Lake Panorama Times

Name: Gus
Age: 6
Breed: English Bulldog
Name: Phoebe
Age: 15
Breed: Shih Tzu/poodle mix
Owners: Kevin and Lisa Wingert
The Wingerts’ oldest son brought Gus home from Stimson Bulldogs in Clarinda. Gus is loved by the entire family. They say he is sweet, gentle and laid back. He has been compared to the lovable donkey, “Eeyore.” The Wingerts have three young grandchildren who visit often. When the house gets too loud, Gus will find a back bedroom or closet to retreat to. Gus is not a fan of water, as he prefers a view of the lake from a shady spot. Phoebe is a typical small dog with a big attitude. She’s always been the boss. She and Gus have become good buddies. Phoebe came from Gina Lloyd (Art on State, Guthrie Center).

Trish Hart’s nature photo of the month

Posted 4/5/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Many of Trish Hart’s nature photos are of birds, which she captures with her digital camera as they sit on feeders on the deck of her home or in nearby trees. This month’s photo is a male American Robin, perched in a tree and enjoying winter berries.
According to the Audubon Society, robins winter as far north as Canada. With the breakup of flocks prior to the nesting season, when we Iowans see our “first robin of spring,” it may be a bird that has wintered only a few miles away, not one that just arrived from southern climates.
Robins run and hop on lawns with an upright stance, often nesting on porches and windowsills. Nests usually contain four pale blue or “robin’s-egg blue” eggs. Incubation by the female is 12-14 days, and fledglings leave the nest 14-16 days after hatching. The male may tend to the fledged young while the female begins a second nesting attempt. Pairs usually raise two broods per season, sometimes three.
The robin’s rich caroling is among the earliest bird songs heard at dawn in spring and summer, often beginning just before first light. In fall and winter, robins gather by the hundreds in roaming flocks, concentrating at sources of food.
Hart launched “Nature’s Canvas Photography” in January 2021, offering custom prints of her photos on canvas, paper, metal and glass. Visit NaturesCanvasPhotos on Facebook.

Student performance wins top award at speech festival
AC/GC high school student group won the Critic’s Choice award in the Musical Theatre category.

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Eight students from the Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center (AC/GC) high school won a top award at the Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) Large Group All-State Festival. The festival was held in Ames Feb. 19.
The student group, led by Kelsey Dinkla, won the Critic’s Choice award in the Musical Theatre category. In announcing his choice, Joel Waggoner, a Waterloo native and Broadway artist, said it was impossible to compare the musical theatre performances he had seen that day, but the one that touched him the most was “Come From Away,” performed by the AC/GC students.
Dinkla teaches vocal music for grades seven through 12 and is the head large group speech coach and theatre director at AC/GC. She grew up in Bayard and graduated from Coon Rapids-Bayard in 2008. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2011, went back to school for music in 2017, and is working toward a master’s degree in music education. She has been teaching for 10 years with nine of those in the Guthrie Center and AC/GC School District.
“If you had asked me in December if I thought we would be named the best musical theatre group in the entire state of Iowa, I would have laughed,” Dinkla says. “Not because I didn’t believe in my kids, but because I know the reality of being in a small school. My kids are stretched thin between work, academics and activities.”
In Iowa state speech competitions, schools aren’t divided by class size, as is done in athletics. There are four districts, with AC/GC in the southwest district. Dinkla terms it “the most competitive and difficult district in the state. If you scroll through the Southwest District’s All State Nominations list, you will see several large schools, including many from the Des Moines metro area.”
Musical Theatre speech performances contain singing, dancing or blocking, and dialogue.
“This category is very broad and purposefully left open for interpretation. Some schools choose to perform just one musical selection, while others may perform multiple pieces,” Dinkla says. “At the end of the day, students are judged on their ability to tell a story through music but how they accomplish this is left up to each group.”
The Broadway play “Come From Away,” conceived by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, is based on the book, “The Day The World Came To Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland” by Jim DeFede. It chronicles the events of 9/11 through the eyes of the local people of Gander, as well the 7,000 “Plane People” who were diverted to Gander when the U.S. airspace shut down.
“Because the rights to perform this show are not available yet, I wrote to Musical Theatre International and obtained special permission to use three songs from the show,” Dinkla says. “I chose the selections and crafted them together in such a way that would give audience members a small snapshot of the entire Broadway production.”
Around Thanksgiving last fall, the students began working on their performance. On Jan. 23, they received a Division I rating at the district contest at Ankeny Centennial High School. They advanced to perform at the state contest at Valley High School Feb. 5. On Feb. 7, they learned they would advance to the All-State Festival.
Musical Theatre performances can last 10 minutes.
“Our performance pushed the time limit, coming in at 9 minutes and 58 seconds,” Dinkla says. “It’s hard to put on an entire show in less than 10 minutes.”
Dinkla and her assistant coach, Colin Shawgo, have had groups nominated for All-State Large Group Speech each of the last five years, including three in 2022. Besides Musical Theatre, AC/GC students performed in both the group improvisation and group mime categories.
Dinkla says her goal for next year’s speech season is to continue to provide her students with a safe space to explore the art of communication through quality speech and theatre experiences.
“The awards and recognition are incredible, but that’s not why we do what we do,” she says. “Pulling together kids with different talents, abilities and experiences, getting them to rub shoulders with people they may have never dreamed of being friends with, and helping them conceptualize the true meaning of empathy in motion is the heart and soul of the AC/GC large group speech program,” Dinkla says. “I’m just lucky enough to be along for the ride.”

ASH TREES REMOVED FROM LPA GOLF COURSES
More than 200 trees were planted on the two courses over the past several years in anticipation of ash trees being lost.

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

It was 2008 when I wrote my first story for the Lake Panorama Times about the havoc the emerald ash borer (EAB) could cause on the two Lake Panorama golf courses.
The EAB is a dark green metallic beetle. It was discovered in southeastern Michigan in the summer of 2002. The pest probably arrived in the U.S. on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia.
Although adult EAB beetles feed on ash leaves, it is the larval stage that kills trees. These creamy white, flattened larvae feed just under the bark. They produce winding tunnels that cut across the vessels carrying water, minerals and nutrients throughout the tree. Trees infested by EAB larvae starve and die, usually within two to four years.
In that 2008 story, Dan Wollner, who at the time was the LPN golf course superintendent, said he’d been attending meetings and hearing about the EAB danger for several years.
“It’s not a question of ‘if’ this will happen, but ‘when’ it will happen,” Wollner said.
The pest was first found in Iowa in 2010 along its eastern border. Since then, it has been working its way west across the state and was found in Guthrie County in 2020.
All ash trees on the LPN and Panorama West golf courses were evaluated a few years ago. About 100 deemed to be in “critical locations” were chosen to receive a chemical treatment that has proven effective, in some cases, in fighting off EAB infestations. About $10,000 is being spent for this biennial treatment.
That left a total of 355 ash trees on the golf courses. The LPA board decided removing these trees was too big of a job for staff to take on. In January, seven bids were received for a project to remove 355 trees, with 304 of those at the LPN and 51 at Panorama West. Bids ranged from $148,000 to $409,000. The low bidder was Xtreme Tree Service out of De Soto.
Lane Rumelhart, LPA project manager, coordinated the tree removal effort.
“It was important to remove these trees now rather than wait a couple more years. Ash trees become much more brittle as they decay, and more dangerous to work with,” he says. “Most of our bidders said they would increase their price by about 20 percent each year for the removal of these trees, as clean-up would become increasingly difficult, and their crews would need to be more cautious.”
Rumelhart says by removing the untreated trees, the treated trees will have a much better chance at survival.
“Treated ash trees have a 70-80 percent survival rate. We hope by removing all the untreated trees, we will maximize that survival rate,” he says.
Work began in mid-January and ran through much of February.
“The timing was appropriate, as a number of trees were showing signs of emerald ash borer infestation,” says John Rutledge, LPA general manager. “During the pre-bid meeting, many of the attendees mentioned they had already taken on large ash tree contracts for other golf courses and municipalities. If we had waited, there was a good chance these contractors would have been booked, and the tree removal may not have taken place for several more years.”
Rutledge says Xtreme Tree employees did an excellent job, with the work completed while the ground was frozen so turf damage was kept to a minimum. He said this also will allow golfers to get on the courses right away this spring with minimal impact to play.
The LPA has ordered a stump grinder that can be attached to a skid loader. Once it arrives, LPA maintenance staff will grind the stumps, add dirt and coordinate seeding with the golf course turf staff.
Shortly after the Xtreme Tree trucks pulled out, members of the LPA and LPN staff gathered and toured both golf courses, making notes on where trees should be replanted. They estimated about 30 trees are needed on the LPN course and another 10 at Panorama West. Staff is working on a planting plan.
“These trees will go in areas that were most heavily impacted,” says Rutledge. “It’s important to remember more than 200 trees were planted on the two courses over the past several years in anticipation of ash trees being lost.”
Those trees came from a tree nursery established in 2009. Charles and Judith Schnack are avid golfers who financed the tree nursery and spent hundreds of hours over several years tending the trees and later getting them replanted to appropriate locations.
The idea was to purchase young trees at a lower cost and grow them for a few years before transplanting. In spring 2009, Charles Schnack worked with Wollner to establish the nursery in the “no mow” area west of the No. 11 tee box.
Schnack ordered tree seedlings from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He worked with LPN staff to kill the grass in the nursery area, dig holes and plant the trees. The Schnacks purchased 300 trees that first year, which included sugar maples, Norway spruce, white pine, sycamore and red oaks. They also took on the task of watering the seedlings.
The next spring, they purchased another 200 trees. The 2010 crop of seedlings included Kentucky Coffee trees, plus more Norway spruce and sugar maples. The Schnacks also added trees to the nursery in 2011 and 2013. Many trees in the nursery were lost to deer damage, but, in the end, more than 200 trees now on the two golf courses got their start in the Schnack nursery.
In the fall of 2010, 47 sycamore trees were transplanted on the LPN golf course. In 2015, another 100 trees were moved from the nursery to the LPN golf course. Fifty trees were transplanted in 2016, with some of those going to Panorama West.
“With those 200 trees already in place for several years, we are in pretty good shape,” Rutledge says. “We’ll add trees in key areas as soon as possible. The only issue is that it will take a number of years to enjoy the shade provided by the mature trees that had to be removed.”

Crews working for Xtreme Tree cut down 304 trees at LPN and 51 at Panorama West. The process involved throwing a rope up through the top of the tree. One person used a chainsaw to cut the base of the tree, with another person pulling on the rope to bring the tree down in the chosen spot.

The area at LPN where the impact of tree removal is most noticeable is around Spikes and near the back tees for the first and 10th holes. Eight large trees were removed, and planting new trees here will be a priority.

Taken in 2009, this photo shows Charles Schnack in the LPN tree nursery he and his wife, Judith, helped establish and finance. Over a period of years, more than 200 trees were moved from the nursery to spots on the LPN and Panorama West golf courses where it was known ash trees would someday be removed.

Branches from downed trees were run through a shredder and collected in the back of a large truck. This pile of wood chips near the LPN maintenance shed will be used for mulch on the golf course.

ON THE LAKE
More goose droppings, a vodka follow-up, and 3 jokes

Posted 3/7/2022
By Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher

Let’s start this column off with a little lake humor: I have a great idea for a new business, but the bankers don’t agree. They say making a boat out of stone would be a hardship.
Read it again. You will get it. More to come ...

O Canada!
The warmer weather has most all of us itching to get ready for summer. It won’t be long before the grass will need mowed, the docks will be back in the water, and the sound of boats will be heard across the lake. Oh, and the Canada (not Canadian) geese may move on. Yes, more on the Canada geese. After my column last month, I received information from Josh Gansen, a wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Regarding the Canada geese, he told me that one thing that is important to consider is that during major migration times in the fall and winter, geese must spend a significant amount of time foraging for food.
“This means a large portion of their time is spent in crop fields feeding,” Gansen said. “Also during the migration, a significant number of the birds stay on the Bays Branch Wildlife Management Area now that goose hunting is allowed on Lake Panorama.”
Gansen said that providing an alternative location where the geese are not exposed to hunting helps limit the total amount of time they spend on Lake Panorama. He added that the resident goose numbers have been steady to decreasing in the 10 years he has been involved here.
“Geese do contribute to the nutrient load in the system like everything else in the watershed; however, the contribution is insignificant compared to other factors in the systems,” he said.
LPA General Manager John Rutledge responded to the Canada geese manure question with, “This has been asked before. Some would like to use this argument to lobby for reduction in Canada goose population. Others use it to defend agriculture and cite other sources of nutrients in the water. LPA has found both debates to be very complex and larger than merely a ‘local issue.’ ”
Rutledge added that the Canada geese population is roughly broken into two categories: resident and migrating.
“The resident population isn’t nearly as high as what we see during the winter, when northern birds travel south,” he said. “Lower population coincides with summer lake use, which is good.”
He said the impact on the entire lake and river system is hard to quantify.
“But the impact to our beaches is obvious. The goose droppings are gross and increase bacterial counts in the adjacent swimming areas. For this reason, LPA operates a beach groomer to clean the beaches and minimize (not eliminate) this concern.”

Some more lake humor
A local dentist has been asking about opening an office on his boat on Lake Panorama. And what will be the boat’s name, you ask? The Tooth Ferry, of course.
Corn-based and intelligent
Several of you commented on our business feature last month about Dr. J. (Hans) van Leeuwen’s IngeniOz vodka and asked where it is available. Those of you looking for an alternative to Russian vodka may find this interesting as well. You can find IngeniOz vodka at Hometown Foods in Panora, most Hy-Vee stores in the Des Moines area (including the Hy-Vee Wall-to-Wall Spirits on Jordan Creek Parkway) and Central City Liquors on Second Avenue in Des Moines, among other places.

One last chuckle
Some of you may know that I started a boat-building business in the attic of my house. Sails are going through the roof.

More of this kind of stuff
If you enjoy my monthly musings, you can read similar columns by subscribing to our free email newsletter, The Daily Umbrella, delivered via email each weekday morning. Sign up at www.thedailyumbrella.com.
Have a great month, and, as always, thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

LPA COVENANTS VOTE is ON 2022 BALLOT
LPA by-laws, rules and regulations, and building codes draw authority from the LPA covenants document.

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The LPA annual meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, May 14 at the LPN Conference Center. On the ballot this year will be the proposed adoption of LPA’s Amended and Substituted Covenants and Restrictions, plus the election of three directors.
The covenants serve as the foundation of the LPA’s governing documents and are an essential piece of LPA’s organizational structure. The covenants were last adopted April 26, 2003, and must be renewed within 21 years. If approved, the updated covenants will be filed in the office of the Guthrie County Recorder and be in place until May 14, 2023.
Two informational meetings were scheduled to give members the opportunity to learn more. The first was Feb. 24 at the LPN conference center. Another will be held Thursday, April 28, 6 p.m., at the LPN.
At the Feb. 24 meeting, John Rutledge, LPA general manager, distributed copies of the proposed covenants.
“These proposed covenants don’t contain any substantive changes from the covenants currently in place,” he said. “Some formatting changes were made and some language cleaned up. But what these amended covenants say and do for the LPA hasn’t changed.”
Rutledge said the LPA by-laws, rules and regulations, and building codes draw authority from the LPA covenants document.
“It is a concise and to-the-point document that is essential to LPA’s continued success,” he said. “A vote in favor of adopting the Amended and Substituted Covenants and Restrictions will be a vote to continue the more than 50 years of success that is Lake Panorama.”
A mailing will be sent to all LPA members in mid-April. This will include the official announcement of the annual meeting, a full copy of the proposed amended and substituted covenants, the ballot, information provided by candidates for the LPA board of directors, a ballot on which members will vote on the covenants and board members, and a numbered envelope.
The question on the ballot will be: “Shall the proposed Amended and Substituted Covenants and Restrictions for Lake Panorama Subdivision be adopted?” Members will be asked to mark “yes” or “no.” A simple majority is needed to approve the adoption, but Rutledge said he hopes for a higher percentage of “yes” votes. “This will make the covenants document stronger, because it will demonstrate a high level of support by LPA members,” he said.
LPA members must return their completed ballot to the LPA office in the numbered envelope. Ballots in the numbered envelopes also can be brought to the annual meeting; however, members are encouraged to deliver to the LPA office in advance to allow ballot counters to quickly finish their jobs once the annual meeting is underway.
Members who want to compare the existing covenants with the proposed covenants can go to the LPA website at lakepanorama.org. The current covenants can be found under the “Documents” tab.

LPN Diners Club offers benefits to members

Posted 3/7/2022

The Lake Panorama National Diners Club offers many benefits to its members. First, join the club with an initial payment of either $250 or $500, and you’ll earn a 10 percent credit. That’s either $25 or $50 of free money. When your account gets low, add another $250 or $500, and you’ll continue to get that 10 percent credit on the prepaid portion of any future payments.
Members of the Diners Club have charging privileges at the Links Restaurant, the Spikes snack bar, and bar carts on the LPN golf course, so leave your cash and credit cards at home. Members can choose to have an automatic gratuity of 15, 18 or 20 percent added to their bills but always have the opportunity to add more to reward great service.
The LPN Diners Club is open to anyone interested, not just LPN golfing members. Credits never expire, and there’s no need to join annually. Just join whenever you like and look forward to ongoing benefits as long as you remain a member. Monthly statements show charges and balances plus a copy of each chit. Statements are emailed, unless a hard copy is preferred.
If you haven’t already, join the LPN Diners Club and start enjoying its many benefits. If you’re already a member, now may be the time to add another $500 to your account, so you’re ready for the 2022 golfing and dining season. Pick up an application form at the LPN, or print from this link: www.lakepanoramanational.com/dining

Q&A
COULTER’S PANORAMA MARINE PREPARES FOR 2022 BOATING SEASON

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The Lake Panorama Association began operating a small marina in 1970. Over the next few years, it was leased to four different operators, but none lasted. That changed in 1982. In this month’s Q&A, we hear from Lyn Coulter, owner of Coulter’s Panorama Marine, about the early days and more recent developments.

Q: Tell us how you became the operator of Lake Panorama’s marina?
A: In the summer of 1982, my brother John and I were right out of college and looking for a summer job. Prior summers were spent working at our father’s Sinclair service station in Linden. We knew the LPA had trouble with prior leases with the marina, and the membership was not happy.
The LPA leased us the gas dock for $1 if we promised to stock the dock with some basic marine accessories and keep consistent business hours. That summer we kept the gas dock open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, pretty much like we do now.
The first couple of years we lived with our parents and didn’t pay ourselves anything so we could invest everything into the business. We started our business in 1983 with the $7,000 profit we made from the first year running the gas dock. No bank would lend us any money to purchase boat inventory, so the Century Boat Company and Harris Flote Bote pontoons guaranteed our bank they would take back any boats if our business failed. Without those guarantees, our business never would have gotten off the ground.
When it came time to pay the $10,500 rent in December 1983, we didn’t have the funds to do so. The LPA Board decided to forgive the rent that year, but made it clear they would not ever forgive it again. Luckily the business took off in 1984 and we have not missed, or ever been late, on a lease payment to the LPA since.

Q. There have been ups and downs for your business. Was there one season that was tougher than the others?
A. Without question the toughest year we ever faced was 1993, the year of the Great Flood of ’93. It rained every single weekend that year. Most boats just remained unused on their lifts. No one was in the mood to buy boats or anything. The marina was like a ghost town on most weekends, as people simply stayed home trying to stay dry.
April through June of that year we cautiously watched as 8-to-12-inch rains pounded various parts of the state. On July 9, 1993, it rained 10 inches in Carroll, right in Lake Panorama’s watershed. The next morning, LPA general manager Red Lowe stopped by the marina and said, “A wall of water is coming in 24 hours — get ready.” In no way was it possible to get all the boats off the lake in that short amount of time. It would take weeks to do so. There was a lot of devastation to all the boats, docks and lifts because of that flood.

Q. How has the COVID pandemic impacted your business?
A. The COVID years of 2020, 2021 and now 2022 have raised havoc on the marine industry, just like it has on everything else in all our lives. It has been very difficult for us, as well as all other dealers, to get product to sell. Steel shortages makes it difficult to get trailers. Aluminum shortages makes it difficult to get pontoons. Microchip shortages meant General Motors, Mercury, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda couldn’t build enough engines to meet the demand. All manufacturing for everything marine simply stopped as factory workers were told to stay home during the virus outbreak. With nothing being built, we all know what that leads to —massive shortages of everything.
This year is a little better getting product. We ordered 32 Godfrey Pontoons, and we are actually going to receive all of them. We ordered 17 Mastercrafts but will receive just 11. We ordered eight Four Winns but will get only three. The biggest disappointment was with Kawasaki Jet Ski; we ordered 21 but only received six. As of the end of February, we have seven Godfrey Pontoons, two Mastercrafts, one Four Winns, and no jet skis available to sell. We did receive our order for 30 Shore Station boat lifts, of which six are still available. There is no problem getting VW dock. We are hoping product shortages will be over in time for the 2023 model year.

Q. Tell us about your staff and the facilities you manage.
A. Service to Lake Panorama boaters is the backbone of our business. It helps keep the marina financially steady, independent of boat sales. Boat service and repair, slip rental, fuel dock sales, and lift and dock sales are the most important aspects to our business. Of course, none of this would be possible without our dedicated fulltime employees.
I work in sales, and my brother John is the service and parts manager. Scott Kemble, who works in sales, has been with us since 1985. Our other fulltime employees all work in marine tech, with Brian Dorsett starting in 1986, Mike Webb in 1990, Mike Mobley in 1994 and Justin Boettcher in 2020. We also employ eight additional part-timers to operate the gas dock each summer.
The marina boat storage stores around 250 boats and uses nine buildings for inside boat storage. The LPA owns five buildings, and we own four. There are 122 LPA-owned slips and 40 jetty spaces. There are two sales buildings. The LPA owns the one at the marina. Coulter’s owns another sales location in Panora behind Panora Plaza, which is used to display pontoons.

Q. Let’s talk more numbers. Give me some statistics that help explain what Coulter’s Panorama Marine all is about.
A. Last year the marina sold 89,713 gallons of fuel. The record was in 2020, when 101,915 gallons were sold. For 2021, the marina paid the Lake Panorama Association $355,752 in rent. A formula to arrive at that figure has been in use since 1986, and includes a percentage of slip rental, boat storage, fuel dock sales, and sales office rent. Since the business opened in 1983, we have paid the LPA a grand total of $4,398,211 in rent.
We have sold 1,187 new Four Winns boats since we started selling those in 1986. A total of 317 Mastercrafts have been sold since 1988. We have sold 880 new pontoons from Godfrey and Harris Flote Bote. More than 1,300 used boats have been sold since 1983, and 490 Kawasaki jet skis have been sold since 1995.

Q. Anything else you’d like to add?
A. We are very grateful for the support we have received throughout the years from our customers and from the Lake Panorama Association. I know we have made mistakes over the years, but we do try to operate an open and honest business. We are so fortunate to operate a business that serves one of the very best clientele found anywhere in the world.

PAPER SHREDDING TRUCK IN PANORA APRIL 23

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Once the federal tax filing deadline of April 15 is behind us, most people are ready to clean out files and discard previous year’s tax returns. Again this year, the folks at the Panora Public Library are poised to help.
“We like the shredding truck to come after tax time, so people can safely dispose of old documents and tax-related forms,” says Kim Finnegan, director of the Panora Public Library. “This is a service we like to provide to the Lake Panorama, Panora and surrounding communities, because they support us throughout the year.”
Finnegan says there is no cost to individuals to drop off paper documents they want to have shredded. The Panora Public Library uses donated funds to cover the cost of this community service.
The “Shred-It” truck will be at the Panora Public Library Saturday, April 23 from 9-11 a.m. Those who plan to drop off paper to be shredded are asked to pull into the driveway north of the library.

JASON GRAY CONCERT MARCH 26 AT FAITH BIBLE CHURCH
Limited number of tickets are available for the American contemporary singer/songwriter.

Posted 3/7/2022

Faith Bible Church is hosting a concert Saturday, March 26 with Jason Gray, an American contemporary singer/songwriter. He has been featured on Sirius XM Radio’s “Acoustic Storytime with Jason Gray” and can be heard on major radio stations across the country. Recently, he has found a passion for just him, his guitar and the stories behind his songs.
Gray’s performance at Faith Bible Church, 2096 Highway 4, north of Panora, will begin at 7 p.m. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $25, which includes a 45-minute meet-and-greet with Gray that will begin at 5 p.m., followed by priority seating. The regular ticket price is $15, and doors open at 6:15 p.m.
Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase with all funds going to the Faith Bible Church/TRIBE Mission trip. Members of the church family will travel to Costa Rica June 6-12, where they will be involved in building homes for single moms, Vacation Bible School and other ministries.
There will be limited seating for Gray’s concert, so those interested are encouraged to purchase tickets online as soon as possible. If there are open seats the evening of the concert, tickets will be sold at the door. To purchase online, visit the Faith Bible Church website at fbcpanora.com, and scroll down to the Jason Gray Concert details and ticket link. Tickets purchased online can be printed from the confirmation email or saved to a smartphone for scanning at the door.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT LAKE PANORAMA?

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Following an informational meeting on proposed updates to the LPA covenants, John Rutledge, LPA general manager, provided project updates for the LPA, Lake Panorama National and the Lake Panorama Rural Improvement Zone (RIZ).

Key points related to the Lake Panorama Association:
The new LPA website is up and running. LPA did not secure a new vendor to replace the old website. Rather, the current vendor was purchased by a larger company and this was a cost-free transition to their platform.
The annual spring road embargo can be expected in early March and will run two to four weeks. The details of the embargo will be announced on a Thursday, and go into effect the following Monday. This gives the LPA time to coordinate bus pickup points with Panorama Schools and members the chance to get any last-minute deliveries. LPA limits vehicle weight to 5 tons during the spring thaw, while the frost is coming out of the ground and the roadbed is soft. This limited inconvenience for LPA members saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, which would otherwise be caused during this vulnerable time of year.
The water safety committee has a number of items on their 2022 schedule. No meeting date has been set, but it is expected to be sometime after the LPA annual meeting. This is a dynamic time in the watersports industry, and there is a lot for the committee to process. Most notable are recommendations on jet powered pontoons and the upcoming rollout of electric motors for personal watercraft, pontoons and ski/wakeboard boats.
The LPA is monitoring the redistricting of Guthrie County and how that will impact voting precincts. The Iowa Secretary of State’s office determined Guthrie County officials did not accomplish the necessary work in a timely fashion and now are handling this. The timeline will be compressed for candidates, but Rutledge said he expects the new districts and precincts will be fair for voters. He expects Lake Panorama to continue to be divided into two districts, because the development is spread across both Cass and Victory townships, and townships generally are kept intact.

Key points regarding the Lake Panorama National Resort:
A change in the organizational management structure has been made. The new structure splits management responsibilities between two people. Royce Shaffer, who has been LPN operations manager since December 2018, will continue to oversee all aspects of the golf operation, lodging, information technology, accounting and facilities. A new hire is David Chubb, food and beverage manager. He will oversee the LPN’s food and beverage operation, including the kitchen, Links Restaurant and Spikes snack shop. Rutledge said the LPA and LPN boards have been evaluating the LPN organizational strategy for several years. The conclusion, with the agreement of Shaffer, was the LPN Resort is too diverse and demanding for one individual to manage. Rutledge stressed this change in management structure was not performance related but rather the result of the mutual conclusion that it was unreasonable for one individual to manage everything.
The new wall along the south end of the pond on the fifth hole is complete, and staff is pleased with the final result. The hole has been closed to play since last fall and should reopen in the spring to good reviews from golfers.
A reminder the community room at Panorama West is a great facility for family gatherings, graduate parties, wedding receptions and other special events. Contact Maureen Lubeck, Panorama West manager, by leaving a message at the clubhouse – 641-755-2250.

Key points related to the Lake Panorama RIZ:
The RIZ board has determined installing riprap on the south shore is a project RIZ funds can be used for, as long as LPA continues to own the land and no housing development is allowed. Shive-Hattery is developing plans for this project, and a request for bids should go out this spring.
Land trades and acquisitions were completed in the past couple of years to position RIZ for additional wetlands and additional sediment basins. RIZ continues to pursue a two-pronged approach by investing in both sediment removal/storage, and the prevention of sediment entering the lake.
Two additional wetlands are planned, but one has been held up due to changing regulations by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Under these new regulations, the $450,000 cost of this wetland would increase by another $150,000. Iowa Senator Charles Grassley has been contacted with details, and RIZ will continue to work on this challenge. In the meantime, the wetland for the west fork of Burchfield Cove should be a 2022 project, and is not hindered by these regulatory changes.
The FY 2022-23 RIZ budget was approved at the RIZ Board meeting Feb. 24. RIZ expects to receive about $3 million in tax revenue this year.

RECIPE
Make Your St. Patrick’s Day Spread Green with Envy

Posted 3/7/2022
By Jolene Goodman

(Culinary.net) Freshen up your St. Patrick’s Day menu with easy, light sandwiches inspired by the traditional color of the festivities. These open-faced noshes can be perfect for lunch, snack time or even as an appetizer for get-togethers with friends and family.
Layered with a smooth cream cheese and mozzarella mixture then topped with crisp cucumber and a stem of green bell pepper, these St. Patrick’s Day Sandwiches are easy and cute, which makes them a fan favorite at nearly any green gathering. They’re also sprinkled with lemon juice to add a little acidity and create a nice, light bite.
Plus, this recipe is quick to make. When you’re in a rush to get everything on the table for the party, it’s easy to throw together and get on the platter in next to no time.
The sandwiches pop off the plate with their bright, seasonal garnishes. While sure to attract attention and have your loved ones asking “Where did you get this idea?” they’re also an easy way to sneak a few vegetables into your kids’ diets.
Find more festive recipes and ideas at Culinary.net.

St. Patrick’s Day Sandwiches

Yield: 8 sandwiches

8 ounces plain cream cheese spread, softened
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
salt
4 English muffins
24 slices cucumber
8 thin slices green pepper
fresh cilantro leaves
lemon juice
lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
In bowl, mix cream cheese spread, mozzarella cheese and salt well.
Split English muffins in half. Cut each muffin half into shamrock shape.
Spread cheese mixture over each muffin half.
Place three cucumbers on each “shamrock,” one on each “leaf.” Use green pepper slice as stem. Place cilantro leaf on top of each sandwich.
Sprinkle sandwiches with lemon juice and add lemon slices, for garnish, if desired.

Jolene Goodman is the advertising director for Lake Panorama Times and vice president of Big Green Umbrella Media.

BUSINESS
FAMILY KEEPS PANORAMA TIRE ROLLING
Tom and Sarah Smith didn’t have to look far for employees in their latest venture.

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Tom Smith of Yale has been in the tire business for 40 years. He started at the age of 20 with a small shop in Yale. Later he moved into a bigger building in Yale and also opened Smith Tire locations in Perry and Jefferson.
His latest venture, in partnership with his wife, Sarah, is Panorama Tire. They sold their other three locations to employees and, in June 2019, purchased the former Panora Oil Company building at 418 E. Main St. in Panora. They spent a couple of months renovating the building to better suit their needs.
Smith farms several hundred acres of row crops on both rented land north of Lake Panorama and land he owns in the Yale area. He also has a small Angus cow/calf herd.
He says he enjoyed the first few months in the building.
“We were able to get our own farm equipment here and everything fixed up,” Smith says. “Then, one by one, people started coming in to ask if we were open. We never advertised or had a specific opening date. We already had a tire machine and plenty of other equipment here, so we started to help people.”
They didn’t have to look far for employees. Tom’s daughter, Amanda Doran, works fulltime in the shop, changing tires and oil, and handling whatever else comes her way.
Besides working at Panorama Tire, Amanda helps Tom with his farm operation, and 2022 will be her second year managing 125 acres of row crops on land she rents from Tom and Sarah. Amanda is a 2003 Iowa State University graduate in animal science. She and her daughter Kylie, a junior at Panorama, live with Amanda’s significant other, Darrell, on his family farm near Yale. She has a small collection of animals including cattle, chickens, ducks, rabbits and pot belly pigs.
A grandson, Kade Arganbright, has been working in the Panorama Tire shop since it opened. He was in high school then. Now he’s specializing in auto mechanics at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and will graduate in August. He currently works in the shop Fridays and Saturdays. After graduation, he plans to work full-time alongside his grandfather and aunt.
Kade has two younger sisters who help out. Hallie, age 16, and Lillie, age 13, come after school and spend time cleaning, sweeping, resupplying product and other tasks.
“Tom likes to keep a clean shop, and they’re a big help doing that,” says Sarah.
Sarah took a different route to the family business. She moved to Yale in 2008 after buying the Yale Hotel. It was built in the 1890s near the railroad, which now is the Raccoon River Valley Trail. She began to renovate the hotel, which she named The Windsor, and planned to open it as a bed and breakfast when it was finished.
Tom’s shop was across the street from the hotel. They met, and as often is said, the rest is history. They’ve been married nine years. A decision was made to move The Windsor to Tom’s farm north of Yale and make it their home. Three guest bedrooms and bathrooms were created on the second floor. The couple operated The Windsor bed and breakfast for five years until early 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit.
“We had people from all over stay with us,” Tom says. “Germany, Bulgaria, Florida, plus people locally using it for reunions or special events. Some came to stay who were riding the bike trail. We met some really interesting people.”
Sarah calls those five years of running the bed and breakfast “really fun,” and says she hated to shut it down.
“But with all the issues surrounding COVID, it just made sense. Now we come to work each day, then go home at night to relax, not worry about getting ready for guests.”
Sarah works in an office adjoining the shop. She answers the phone, schedules appointments, handles the billing and taxes, and places orders for all tires and parts.
“I try to keep things at a nice, steady flow, and leave enough time between appointments in the schedule to take care of unexpected tire repairs,” she says.
About 20 percent of the business comes from a tire service truck Tom takes on the road when a call for help comes in. He lists Rose Acre Farms, UPS, Lake Panorama Association, Guthrie County Conservation, and semis stranded on Interstate 80 as some of the tire service calls he handles. Calls from area farmers are year-round but become more frequent during spring planting and fall harvest.
Before selling his shops in Yale, Perry and Jefferson, Yale was a hub for service calls, and he spent most of his days driving from job to job.
“This place allows me to be more in touch with our customers instead of in a truck all day,” he says.
Smith says he, Amanda and Kade do oil changes, fix brakes, work on air conditioners, handle some tune-ups and repair, replace and sell lots of tires and tire tubes.
“We sell most brands and sizes of tires, to fit anything from lawn mowers and trailers, to cars and trucks, up to tires on ag equipment that are 7-feet-tall,” Smith says.
He used to work with three specific tire suppliers.
“When COVID hit, we couldn’t keep enough tires in inventory, so we had to expand. Now we have up to nine tire suppliers we work with to make sure we have what our customers need,” Smith says.
Business has been increasing 10 percent each year.
“People have been really friendly, and we’ve enjoyed meeting more people in the area,” Smith says. “This seemed like a good opportunity, and Sarah knows I like taking chances.”
Sarah smiles. “This was a big undertaking, and I wasn’t sure at first. But we do enjoy working together, so here we are,” she says.
Panorama Tire hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

GRANTS AWARDED TO NEW DAYCARE CENTER IN PANORA
Panorama Daycare Center, LLC, is co-owned by Amanda Creen and Christine Litwiller.

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

In mid-January, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds awarded nearly $37 million in Child Care grants to 108 projects in 72 communities that will create nearly 5,200 new child care slots across Iowa. Two projects in Panora and one in Guthrie Center were among those receiving funding.
A new facility, the Panorama Daycare Center, was awarded $450,000. Panorama Daycare Center, LLC, is co-owned by Amanda Creen and Christine Litwiller, both Guthrie County residents. Creen is a licensed nursing home administrator with a bachelor’s degree in business management. She has six years of experience managing licensed long-term care centers. Creen will serve as chief financial officer for the child care center.
Litwiller has an associate degree in early childhood development and is a registered certified nursing assistant. She has two-and-a-half years of experience as a supervisor in a licensed childcare center with one additional year of experience as a teaching assistant. Litwiller will be the director of the Panorama Daycare Center.
The pair negotiated a purchase agreement for a building at 1301 E. Church St., which had been part of the Brokers International training complex. Because the area is zoned light industrial, the purchase was contingent on receiving a zoning variance, which was approved at a Feb. 15 meeting of the Panora Board of Adjustment.
With the appropriate renovations, the building is expected to provide 80 daytime childcare openings. A tiered opening approach as construction allows would have the facility open by the summer of 2022 and grow to maximum capacity by the end of the year.
The owners say they plan to expand to weekend, evening and maybe even overnight daycare options as they grow. Next steps are to secure financing for the property and its renovation, receive program and licensing approval, recruit and train staff members, and implement quality educational metrics.
At capacity, the daycare will provide 20 new jobs, including assistant directors, teachers, helpers, culinary staff and overnight housekeeping. Applications for both jobs and child placements will be available later this spring. Those interested in learning more can email panoramadaycarecenter@gmail.com. Follow the facility’s progress on Facebook at Panorama Daycare Center.
The Little Panther Daycare, located near the Panorama Elementary School, received $230,610 to help support a 1,440-square-feet addition to the current facility. Construction is underway, and when complete, it will increase the daycare’s capacity by 15 children.
Little Charger Early Learning Center in Guthrie Center received a total award of $449,850. It is the only licensed childcare provider in Guthrie Center and currently is licensed for 30 children in its existing building and 15 children at the school for before and after school care. This funding will support work on a new building on an adjacent property, increasing the center’s capacity from 45 to 77.

NEW LPA WEBSITE NOW ACTIVE

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The new website for the Lake Panorama Association (LPA) launched in early February, replacing a site that had been in place since 2009. The new website is simpler to use while continuing to provide LPA staff the ability to communicate directly with members and provide important documents members need.
There are both public and private sides to the new website. The home page on the public site includes information about Lake Panorama and the LPA. The private side of the website, which is termed the LPA Portal, is restricted to Lake Panorama property owners.
The LPA had more than 1,300 unique member email addresses tied to the former website. Emails were sent to all existing addresses with details on how to set up new accounts. By the end of February, about 600 members had created accounts to gain access to the LPA Portal.
The website address remains the same as the old site — www.lakepanorama.org. The home page has tabs for “Resident Sign-Up” and “Resident Sign-In.”
LPA members who had not registered for the old website wouldn’t have received an email invitation, or emails may have been lost in spam folders. Whether a member received an email or not, they can set up an account through the “Resident Sign-Up” tab and gain access to the private side of the website after being verified as an LPA member.
The home page of the new LPA website features scrolling aerial photos. Several tabs below the photos take visitors to a brief history, a list of frequently asked questions about Lake Panorama and the LPA, and multiple documents that include LPA’s boating regulations and buoy map locations; building codes and applications; rules and regulations and related schedule of fines; by-laws; covenants; and home rental rules.
Under the “helpful links” tab, visitors will find such things as the LPA water safety video and links to websites for Coulter’s Panorama Marine, Lake Panorama Rural Improvement Zone (RIZ), Lake Panorama National Resort, Friends of Lake Panorama, Fin & Feather, and more.
The “contact us” tab takes the viewer to a page with LPA contact details. There also is a link to email the LPA office directly or a form to complete and submit electronically to LPA staff.
LPA members who establish an LPA Portal log-in will find additional documents there that cannot be accessed on the public website. These include such things as LPA board of directors meeting agendas and minutes; variance applications for building permits; a “Who To Call” list with contact information for area service providers; camping and dock registration forms and information; miscellaneous membership forms; hunting information; yard waste site maps and information; and current and past issues of the weekly Panorama Prompt.
Anyone who needs help getting an account set up or has questions can call the LPA office at 641-755-2301 or email staff at lpa@lakepanorama.org.

LAKE PANORAMA INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS JULY 2
Generous community support and donations make this one of the best fireworks displays around.

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The date for the 2022 Fire in the Sky fireworks display has been set for Saturday, July 2. This will be the 27th year this Fourth of July holiday tradition at Lake Panorama has been organized by the Joe Scheiring family. Joe passed away in August 2014. Family members continue to organize the event to honor his memory.
The fireworks are launched from Shady Beach beginning around dusk. Rita Scheiring, Joe’s widow, moved to Polk City in 2017. Her daughter Stephanie Hummel, and granddaughters Maddie and Evelyn, have a home at Lake Panorama.
In the past, the annual fireworks display was on the Fourth of July, but the Scheirings heard from people who were disappointed they couldn’t attend when the holiday fell on a weekday. Now the display is on a Saturday either before or after the official holiday with the date chosen on a year-to-year basis well in advance for planning purposes.
The Scheiring family says generous community support and donations make this one of the best fireworks displays around. Donations for the 2022 Lake Panorama fireworks display can be sent to Rita Scheiring/Fire in the Sky, P.O. Box 605, Panora, Iowa, 50216. Or via Venmo at @Rita-Scheiring.

GUTHRIE CENTER CHAMBER DELIVERS HEALTHCARE WORKER APPRECIATION PACKAGES

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce celebrated its city’s healthcare professionals. With the two-year anniversary marking the beginning of the pandemic, the Chamber decided it was time to say thank you to the committed healthcare teams in the community.
Each healthcare professional received $10 in Chamber Bucks that could be used at any participating Guthrie Center business. In addition, a “Healthcare Professional Survival Kit” accompanied the certificates with things such as a Snickers bar “to remind you that laughter is the best medicine” and a Lifesaver “to remind you of the many times you’ve been one.” Some of the more humorous ones were an Andes Mint “for when you need a little extra encourage-MINT” and a Starburst “for a burst of energy when you need one.” Aside from candy items, the survival kit also included things such as a crayon “to color your days cheerful and bright,” a band aid “to aid you in the important work you do” and ending with a puzzle piece “because you’re an essential part of our community,” bringing the concept together that it takes many people working together to keep the community healthy and safe.
Chamber member Melissa Borgeson of The New Homestead created and assembled the 272 survival kits to hand out to 10 total businesses in the Guthrie Center community. Chamber member Kristen Crouthamel of GCSB Investment Center, along with Borgeson, handed out the kits on Monday, Feb. 28. Businesses recognized were Guthrie County Hospital, The New Homestead, Hospice of the Midwest, Guthrie County Public Health, Dowd Drug, Guthrie Family Medicine Center, Springbrook Family Dentistry, Allen Family Chiropractic, Central Iowa Family Eye Care, and the nurse for AC/GC Schools in Guthrie Center.
As the pandemic continued on, the Chamber wanted to do something to recognize the healthcare professionals within the Guthrie Center community. They were thrilled everything came together right at the two-year mark to really make sure the healthcare community knew how appreciated they are during these unprecedented times.
The Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce advocates for and supports the economic success of its members by leading the effort to grow and retain business. The Chamber had a record 84 paid members in 2021, which included 76 businesses and eight residential/family memberships. If you’d like to become a Chamber member either for your business or personally, contact gcchamberofcommerce@gmail.com for an application and for more information.

Allen Family Chiropractic (from left to right): Kristen Crouthamel – Guthrie Center Chamber, Dr. Andy Allen, Michelle Heckman, Cindy Denniston

Dowd Drug (from left to right): Zach Garton, Rhonda Stanley, Aimee Noland, Jeannene Willms, Christina Wilson, Johnnie Downing, Julie Priestley, Melissa Borgeson – Guthrie Center Chamber

Guthrie County Public Health (from left to right): Abby James, Cheryl Jensen, Lonnie Harris, Kristen Crouthamel – Guthrie Center Chamber

Hospice of the Midwest (from left to right): Barb Jacobsen, Madison Onstot, Allie Dorpinghaus, Carly Fry, Robyn Van Zee, Sara Segreto, Nancy Buttry, Chaplain Kelly Gafkjen, and Kristen Crouthamel – Guthrie Center Chamber

Springbrook Family Dentistry (from left to right): Daffnie Kemble, Gina Arnold, Dr. Dan Nelson, Ashley Miller, Maddi Lynch, Kristen Crouthamel – Guthrie Center Chamber, Ollie Nelson - front

NEW VOTING PRECINCTS AND SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS ADOPTED FOR GUTHRIE COUNTY

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

At their meeting March 3, the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors approved a state agency’s plan for new voting precincts and supervisor districts. The number of voting precincts has been reduced from eight to six, with the number of supervisor districts remaining at five.
Supervisor districts are redrawn every 10 years to reflect the most recent census numbers to ensure each supervisor represents an equal portion of the county population. With the 2020 census information delayed because of the COVID pandemic, the redistricting that should have been completed in 2021 dragged into 2022.
Guthrie County had submitted a plan to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office that proposed reducing the number of voting precincts to six, along with five supervisor districts. That map was rejected, due to conflicting interpretations of technical requirements associated with a new redistricting process. The Legislative Services Agency (LSA) and Secretary of State took over to ensure the process could be completed before the candidate filing window.
The total population of Guthrie County is 10,623. With five supervisors, the ideal population size for each county supervisor district is 2,125. In the LSA plan, each county supervisor district has a population of between 2,104 and 2,146 people.
The Lake Panorama Association has been monitoring the redistricting process and how the final plan would impact voting precincts and supervisor districts. The plan does split the lake community into two supervisor districts, which had been expected because Lake Panorama is spread across both Cass and Victory townships. During redistricting, townships generally are kept intact.
“We feel the 2022 process was handled fairly and does not put Lake Panorama at any intentional disadvantage,” says John Rutledge, LPA general manager.
“Guthrie County continues to see a population shift from the west to the east. Unfortunately, this results in some voters having to travel farther than desired,” he says. “Voters in the Victory portion of Lake Panorama will have to travel to Yale or will need to vote in advance via absentee ballot. Lake voters are not alone in this challenge, as several other regions of rural Guthrie County also will have to travel. I believe the county did the best they could with a very difficult task on a short timeline.”
Lake Panorama will be split between the Yale precinct (Supervisor District 2) and the Panora precinct (Supervisor District 3). Both of these districts represent open seats, since none of the five incumbent supervisors live in these newly drawn districts.
Brian Johnson has announced his candidacy for the Supervisor District 2 seat. Maggie Armstrong has announced she will be a candidate for the Supervisor District 3 seat. The window for filing papers for county office opens March 7 and closes March 25.

Maggie Armstrong announces run for Guthrie County Supervisor

Posted 3/7/2022

Panora area native Maggie Armstrong declared her intention to run for a seat on the Guthrie County Board of Supervisor. Armstrong seeks to fill the County’s 3rd Supervisor District, which is currently an open seat due to redistricting. The 3rd Supervisor District includes the town of Panora, the Cass Township portion of Lake Panorama, and surrounding rural areas.
“Eastern Guthrie County has a strong, established economic base in the county and provides a vibrant quality of life and a fulfilling, rural lifestyle for the people who live here. These are just two of the many reasons why my husband and I chose to move back to this area in 2015,” Armstrong said.
“We do many things well in our area, and it is vital to continue improving on the pillars of what makes Guthrie County so special. We need to ensure we have well-equipped law enforcement and public health departments, secure physical and digital county-wide infrastructure, ample economic development opportunities, affordable housing and daycare options, thriving school systems and diverse spaces for recreation,” Armstrong continued. “These priorities need to be achieved while ensuring taxpayer dollars are managed responsibly and transparently.”
Armstrong has worked at the local corporate level and is currently a small business owner with experience in budgeting and planning. She grew up at Lake Panorama and now lives in the rural Panora area with her husband, Garret. She is active in the community and focuses her involvement in areas that can make a difference. She belongs to 10-Squared Women of Guthrie County, the Guthrie County Magistrate Commission, chairs the Prairie Woodland Conservation Foundation, and coaches basketball for Panorama Community Schools and the Panora Parks & Recreation Department. Armstrong also supports economic and business development, serving as director and vice-president in the Panora and Lake Panorama Area Economic Development group (PRIDE). Armstrong is also a member of the Panora Chamber of Commerce.

Brian Johnson running for Guthrie County Board of Supervisors

Posted 3/7/2022

On March 4, longtime Guthrie County resident Brian Johnson announced his candidacy for Guthrie County Supervisor in District 2. Johnson will be seeking the Republican nomination for supervisor at the June 7, 2022, primary election. Under the newly established boundaries, District 2 will represent Yale, Jamaica, Bagley, the Victory Township portion of Lake Panorama, and unincorporated areas north of Guthrie Center. Redistricting has resulted in District 2 being an open seat for the 2022 election.
Johnson spent 12 years in education before switching careers and representing a variety of entities at the Iowa Capitol. Brian has been a passionate volunteer for community enhancement and served as a basketball coach both while he was an educator and as a volunteer. He and his wife, JoAnn, are residents of Panora and Lake Panorama. Both are active in the community and enjoy their grandchildren, all of which live in the area.
“I am running first and foremost out of concern for the taxpayers in Guthrie County. My career has been spent watching government work, and I believe my experience would make me an effective Guthrie County supervisor,” Johnson said. “I firmly believe government should provide full transparency and efficient organization to the taxpayers. I will be an advocate for a positive working environment and am committed to cooperatively addressing the concerns of Guthrie County residents. To grow and prosper in a rural county, we must all work together.”
Johnson is a member of Guthrie County 10 Squared Men; Sons of the American Legion; the Guthrie County Judicial Magistrate Commission; the 2011 Guthrie County Redistricting Committee; and a Board Member of Panora Retirement Homes. Johnson maintains a relationship with several associations, including the Iowa Taxpayers Association and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. Brian has also been a volunteer for the Guthrie County Auditor, processing absentee ballots on Election Day.
Johnson noted his priorities include supporting public safety, supporting the local agricultural and business economy and ensuring sound fiscal management of the county’s finances.

LAKE DOGS

Posted 3/7/2022
By Cheryl Temple
Lake Panorama Times

Name: Rocky
Age: 10
Breed: Teacup Yorkie
Owner: Galen Redshaw

Rocky terrorizes the squirrels around the lake and, when going fishing with Galen, turns into a protector from the crappies. He enjoys taking long naps on lazy lake days.

Name: Myko
Age 1.5
Breed: Mini Bernedoodle (1/2 poodle and 1/2 Bernese Mountain Dog).
Owner: Galen Redshaw

Myko enjoys boat rides and running in open spaces — taking lake life to its fullest!

COVE CAT

Posted 3/7/2022
By Cheryl Temple
Lake Panorama Times

Name: Bane
Age: Approximately 4 or 5 years old
Available at: Panora Pets
More than two years ago, one of the volunteers at Panora Pets was attempting to live-trap a young kitten that had been hanging around her house. What she got instead was a big strapping handsome guy they named Bane. Although he was not feral, he wasn’t too sure of humans either and spent months in a foster home before moving to the shelter to continue his socialization with new experiences and people. With a little time and patience, Bane acclimated well into one of the free-roaming kitty rooms at the shelter. He is the epitome of the strong, silent type and would do best in a less active home without young children who will give him all the time and space he needs to trust and feel comfortable. Bane would be a wonderful companion for someone who wants to share a home with a self-sufficient kitty that minds its business and does not feel the need to be all over you or begging for attention. Bane is a BIG boy in stature with a stunning dark tabby coat.

Trish Hart’s nature photo of the month
BLUEBIRDS STAY IN IOWA FOR MEALWORMS

Posted 3/7/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Male Eastern Bluebirds are vivid, deep blue above and rusty or brick-red on the throat and breast. Females are grayish above with bluish wings and tail and a subdued orange-brown breast.
When nature photographer Trish Hart posted pictures of bluebirds in mid-February, commentors asked about this bird species and its migratory patterns. Trish and her husband Scott live full-time in a home on Andrew’s Cove and have several different types of bird feeders on their deck.
“We see many bluebird families year-round but don’t routinely feed them until the colder winter months,” says Hart. “They love dried mealworms. We keep their feeder stocked in the frigid Iowa winter months, so they can count on a consistent food source.”
The Eastern bluebird is found in all North American states east of the Rockies. Many in northern states migrate south in the winter, but some remain near their nesting areas, if they can find a reliable food supply. Besides mealworms, they enjoy berries and seeds.
“They are such beautiful, colorful birds and a treat to watch,” says Hart.
Eastern bluebirds pair up and mate for life. In spring and summer, bluebirds nest in holes, either in trees or in special houses put up for their use. Male bluebirds are in charge of gathering nesting materials for the female, who arranges these into a nest.
The bluebird is a symbol of hope, love and renewal. It is a favorite of gardeners because in addition to the beautiful colors, they provide a natural source of insect control. Bluebirds can reach up to 17 mph in flight.
Hart offers custom prints of her nature photos on canvas, paper, metal and glass. For more information, visit NaturesCanvasPhotos on Facebook.

10 SQUARED WOMEN PRESENT FIRST CHECK OF 2022

Posted 3/7/2022

Guthrie County, Iowa – The 10 Squared Women of Guthrie County held their first quarter 2022 meeting both live and with the option of virtual attendance and voting. Three very worthy organizations were presented to the group. First, Robyn Corkins spoke on the Bayard Community Center, which is in need of many repairs and upgrades. It is used for many community events, both public and private. Next, Stacey Wedemeyer and Colleen Conrad presented for the Casey Service Club. The Casey Service Club is the organization tasked with fundraising and organizing volunteers to bring revitalization and recreation opportunities to residents and visitors of the community of Casey, Iowa. They have a lot of ambition projects and the top of their list is to complete a walking path at the city park. Last but not least, Paulette Chambers spoke on behalf of the Panora Garden Club. After hearing all three presentations, the group is proud to announce a lump sum of $11,000 was presented to Panora Garden Club. This consists of 10 Squared Women member donations and several employer matches.

“The Panora Garden Club is excited and eager for spring so we can begin working on Heritage Park, thanks to the generous donation of the 10 Squared Women!” said Paulette Chambers, President of the Club. As the north entrance into Panora, beautification of Heritage Park has been a long-time project for the Garden Club, but this donation will help us realize our goals of having a working water fountain for the thousands of bikers and walkers along the Raccoon River Valley Trail, dressing the walkways, removing over-grown brush, and planting new drought-resistant perennials.”

Comprised of approximately 40 volunteer members, the Panora Garden Club primarily focuses on making a positive impact on the Panora community by maintaining the landscaping at Heritage Park, Michael Mills Park, the Panora Library, and planting/decorating the pots along Main Street. Planning has begun to sponsor a Garden Tour of Lake Panorama in June via pontoon boat, stay tuned for details! The Club recently became affiliated with National Gardeners of America, which provides members with educational information on gardening techniques, an invitation to attend their annual conference, and a 501(c)3 designation for fundraising purposes.

Meetings are scheduled by a consensus of the members for workdays, field trips, and programs. The Club welcomes anyone from the community who is interested in beautifying the area, no experience in gardening is required, only the desire to enjoy the comradery! Annual dues are $20, and if interested in joining, check out our Facebook page, Panora Garden Club, or contact Paulette Chambers at 712-304-0077 or JoAnn Johnson at 515-975-9407. Thank you again, 10 Squared Women, for the impact you are having on our communities.

10 Squared Women is focused on helping and donating to local organizations that vow to put those funds to work, right in our back yards. The funds are used in various projects to benefit Guthrie County community’s projects and residents. To date, the group has donated $228,450 in since inception in 2017.

The 10 Squared Women’s group holds meetings quarterly, typically at Lake Panorama Conference Center, the fourth Tuesday in February, May, August and November, subject to change. The next meeting for 2022 will be on Tuesday, May 24th. Members in attendance hear from three nominated organizations, drawn from “the hat” of member-nominated organizations at random, and vote on the winning cause that night.

The group currently has approximately 105 members, 20 organizations nominated and strongly encourages additional philanthropic organizations and new members to come forward. These have included Cities of Yale and Jamaica park improvements, City of Bagley (Library project), Daycare & Preschool programs in Adair and Guthrie Center (Little Charger) and Panora (Little Panther), Guthrie Center and Panora Fire Departments, School Backpack programs a AC/GC, West Central Valley and Panorama, as well as programs that benefit residents from all corners of Guthrie County: Guthrie County Helping Hands (habitat for humanity projects in Stuart, Casey, Guthrie Center, Adair, Panora, Yale, Menlo, Jamaica, and Bagley), New Opportunities, Panora P.E.T.S., Guthrie Activity Center, Tori’s Angels Foundation, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Chaplains, Guthrie County Historical Village Foundation, Guthrie County Hospital Foundation, Guthrie County Arts Council, St. Thomas More Center, Guthrie Center Christmas Lights project, Guthrie Center Revitalization, and now, Panora Garden Club.

10 Squared Women members are encouraged to talk to their friends, neighbors and family about the group, and to share the group within their social circles. Members are not required to attend meetings, however, in order for their vote to count, must be in attendance at the live meeting or virtually. All members are expected to write their donation checks whether they can attend the meeting and vote or not.

One newer (and generous) member is so excited about what the group is doing, she has presented a challenge for existing members. At the May meeting, she will pay the first $100 worth of drinks (promoting to arrive early) and offer a drawing for two $25 gift cards to Bella Sorella! For each new person brought to the meeting, the member and the guest each get their name put into the drawing for the gift card. Members are encouraged to reach out to their networks with invitations. She strongly believes this can help build the group up, really make a difference in these communities and have a little fun, too!

The group is continuously looking for new members who are excited about helping their communities and Guthrie County! There may be some exciting announcements about upcoming meetings in 2022, so, to learn how to get involved, you can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/10squaredwomengc, or email them at 10squaredgc@gmail.com. Membership Forms and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on their Facebook page or by contacting them through Facebook or email.

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEUR ENJOYS LAKE PANORAMA HOME
Hans van Leeuwen’s discovery about purifying ballast water and ethanol production wastewater led him to develop his own vodka brand.

Posted 2/8/2022
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

It seems most everyone who owns property at Lake Panorama has an interesting story to tell about how they found their way to the lake community. Yet the story J. Hans van Leeuwen tells has more twists and turns than most.
Born in 1946 in the Netherlands, and raised in South Africa, van Leeuwen attended the University of Pretoria in South Africa, earning bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in engineering.
Fast forward to 11 years ago. Van Leeuwen was a professor in the Iowa State University Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, a position he accepted in 2000.
He’s on a private plane, traveling from Ames to Nebraska to check on a research project there.
“Lake Panorama was very impressive from the air,” van Leeuwen says. “It looked like a beautiful place, and I thought to myself that perhaps we could buy a house there.”
They connected with a local Realtor, who took him and his wife, Marina, on a boat ride. That sealed the deal, and they purchased a home on Horseshoe Cove. They co-own it with their daughter and son-in-law, Lelahni and Tim, who have three children.
“We love living on the water,” van Leeuwen says. This is a second home for them, with Hans and Marina in a house in Clive, and their daughter and her family in another house a few blocks away.
The family’s road to Lake Panorama was long. Van Leeuwen spent decades living and working in South Africa and Australia before emigrating to Iowa in 2000. His early research focused on water reclamation from wastewater and included the recovery of byproducts from liquid wastes and sediments and fungal treatment of food processing wastewater.
He was on the faculty at the University of Pretoria in South Africa for more than 10 years. After moving to Australia, he was a professor at Griffith University for three years, and at the University of New England for four years.
While in Australia, he began work with others, including a PhD candidate, now Dr. Darren Oemcke, on a project to treat ballast water, which is held in tanks and cargo holds of ships. Ballast water provides stability when ships aren’t carrying cargo, or when more stability is needed because of rough seas.
The team developed a process to treat ballast water with ozone, which killed invasive species such as zebra mussels, the same threat that faces Lake Panorama. Since ballast water is released into coastal waters when no longer needed, treating the water before it is released prevents the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species.
Van Leeuwen and his team received four U.S. patents for the process in 2008 and additional patents in 14 other countries over the next several years. The ozone process has been in use on international tanker ships since 2009.
Another major area of interest for van Leeuwen was ethanol production. Since the United States is the world leader in ethanol production, he was advised he should move to this country. More specifically, it was suggested he move to Iowa, which is the largest ethanol producing state in the U.S.
He researched Iowa ethanol production from afar, started looking for a job, applied for the position at Iowa State University, and was hired. Once in Iowa, he applied for and received many federal, state and private grants to support research on ways to add value to ethanol production.
“Corn fermentation to produce ethanol leaves five times as much water, containing lots of organic material,” van Leeuwen says. “This water needs to be reclaimed for reuse. My fungal process uses filamentous fungi in suspension in the wastewater stream, called thin stillage, to remove the excess organic material from this stream.”
Van Leeuwen’s process creates a high-quality animal feed.
“Growing fungus on the leftover corn found in ethanol production provides for good energy feed for livestock animals, such as pigs and chickens, and also can reduce energy needs,” he says.
More importantly, the fungi can be harvested and used as a resource for biochemicals, including amino acids, oils, glucan and chitin.
“The chitin can be converted to chitosan, a valuable biochemical used in medicine, agriculture and water treatment, which is otherwise made from the exoskeletons of crustaceans,” van Leeuwen says. “The fungal chitosan is of a better quality and can be produced all year, while crustaceans are seasonal. All these additional byproducts will make a corn processing plant less dependent on ethanol and its volatile prices.”
What van Leeuwen discovered about purifying ballast water and ethanol production wastewater led him to develop his own vodka brand.
“Everyone claims their vodka is free of impurities,” he says. “But after years of research, I was able to produce an impurity-free vodka made from Iowa corn.”
The result is IngeniOz, which is distilled and bottled at a production facility in Clive. The process includes the use of an ozone generator, plus various filtration systems. Ozone gas is pushed through 190-proof ethyl alcohol, which alters impurities in the alcohol and makes these easier to absorb. The alcohol then is filtered through activated carbon to remove the impurities.
“This totally removes any contaminants, creating this ultimate premium vodka,” van Leeuwen says.
The vodka was launched in 2014. He sees a sales boost when he hosts tastings at the four HyVee stores nearest his Clive home, where he signs bottles for buyers. His vodka also is available at Hometown Foods in Panora.
“I have a core group of real believers who appreciate the smooth taste and know the lack of impurities lessens any hangover effects,” van Leeuwen says. “Every couple of months, I go to the production facility to create IngeniOz. Everything has to be done in a specific way. The ingredients aren’t a secret, but the exact methodology is critical, and that’s something only I know. I have put written instructions in an envelope for my daughter to open if something happens to me.”
Van Leeuwen retired from Iowa State in 2017 and now is an emeritus professor there, where he still has office space and access to labs if he has a need to go to campus. In 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, he used some laboratory space to research purifying fuel grade ethanol for hand sanitizer.
He continues to be an entrepreneur in the area of ethanol co-product development and was issued another three U.S. patents between 2008 and 2017 for his discoveries. He’s currently working with ClonBio, an Irish company building an ethanol plant in Hungary.
Van Leeuwen poses the question he knows some are thinking.
“Why did I go to Europe with this, when there are so many ethanol plants in Iowa? Because most U.S ethanol plants are owned by farmer cooperatives,” he says. “While there was much interest in my process, nobody was prepared to put up the millions of dollars still required for further development.”
ClonBio is financing this project.
“They had read about our work at Iowa State,” van Leeuwen says. “This isn’t a pilot plant but 100 times larger and includes the reactor for harvesting the fungi used in the distillation process. This private company is prepared to take on the cost burden of the further development and build the full-scale equipment.”
Van Leeuwen has a good working relationship with ClonBio owners and staff. The intention is to establish a joint venture company in which he will be a shareholder.
“So far, everything is developing well,” he says.
In the meantime, life goes on for Hans and Marina. She is an artist with their modern home on Horseshoe Cove featuring some of her paintings. Besides their daughter in Iowa, they have a son and a daughter who live in South Africa and another son in Australia. They also have seven grandchildren in those two countries plus the three in Iowa.
Because of the COVID pandemic, traveling overseas to see family members has been on hold the past two years, but they hope to visit both South Africa and Australia in 2022. And they look forward to another summer on Lake Panorama, watching the lake from their waterfront deck, and cruising in their pontoon. Plus, Van Leeuwen says, “We hope to live long enough to see our great-grandchildren and enjoy the fruits of my patents.”

Block finds rewards in serving patients in Manhattan
Panorama High School graduate reflects on how internship fueled her passion for career as a physician assistant now working in a city of 8.2 million.

Posted 2/8/2022
Courtesy of Buena Vista University

Emily Block’s experience as an intern in Buena Vista University’s Undergraduate Rural Medicine Education and Development (URMED), a landmark medical internship program created to help serve rural areas underserved by medical providers, led her to a profession as a physician assistant.
Where her career started might surprise you. The former URMED intern works in another geographic region underserved by medical professionals: Manhattan, one of the most densely populated places in the U.S.
“There’s a parallel to URMED and what I’m doing now, as both places (rural Iowa and Manhattan) have great demands on the healthcare system,” Block, a 2016 BVU graduate, says. “There’s a need for more medical professionals and more support in both areas.”
Block, 27, started her collegiate career at a larger institution but transferred to BVU after the first semester. She met the faculty of BVU’s School of Science, signed up for track and field, and made the switch.
“I ran in track and field, but I ran pretty poorly,” she says with a self-deprecating laugh. “But I competed for one year and met a lot of people.”
Block worked on campus, serving as an academic assistant who directed study sessions in anatomy and physiology. She participated in Student Activities Board. She coached gymnastics in Storm Lake.
Professors such as her advisor Dr. Kristy McClellan, who now serves as Associate Professor of Anatomy at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Utah, and now-President Brian Lenzmeier made a difference for Block, as did URMED, whose genesis can be traced to BVU alum and Professor of Biology Emeritus Dr. Richard Lampe.
“I had great URMED experiences at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center and the Pocahontas Community Hospital,” Block says. “It was a diversity of experiences, job-shadowing in surgery, OBGYN, and dermatology. I met and saw firsthand the work of dieticians, physical therapists, and physician assistants.”
After graduating, Block worked as a nursing assistant in a neonatal intensive care unit in Iowa City, gaining hours needed for acceptance in the St. Ambrose University Physician Assistant Program. Following her 29 months in PA school and rotations throughout Iowa and Illinois, Block applied for dozens of neonatal ICU positions across the country. Officials at New York City Health + Hospitals/ Bellevue asked if she’d come interview.
Block flew to New York and spent two days in interviews. She was offered the job one month later and reported to work in “The Big Apple” in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I love my work,” Block says. “It is so gratifying to go to work each day and know you’re going to be helping the most helpless.”
Block has cared for multiple preemies who weigh 1 pound.
“My first day at work in New York we had a baby delivered that weighed less than 1 pound,” she remembers. “That baby ultimately went home breathing on their own, needing no extra respiratory support. Their fight to survive is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
Away from work, Block spends time getting to know New York City.
“I live two blocks from Central Park, and that’s where I run,” she says. “Broadway just reopened, so my boyfriend and I are going soon.”
And while the mode of transit to and from work is different than it was in Iowa (Block is thankful she doesn’t have a car in Manhattan; she runs to work or takes public transportation), the parallel in serving a geographic region under stress remains.
“The parallel is in the provider-to-population ratio,” she says, comparing rural Iowa to all the boroughs that make up the New York metropolitan area. “With the massive amount of people here, there is demand placed on the healthcare system. There’s a need here for more medical professionals and more support, as there is in rural Iowa.”

LAKE PANORAMA 2022 GOLF LEAGUE PLANS

By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

There are several options to participate in golf leagues in 2022 at the two courses owned by the Lake Panorama Association. Both courses are operated by the LPN, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the LPA.
At the 18-hole Lake Panorama National, all league players must have an LPN annual membership and an established USGA handicap. The cost of the handicap is $30 plus tax per person per year. With questions about LPN memberships or the USGA handicap, call the LPN pro shop at 641-755-2024.

LPN Men’s Leagues
Men’s leagues are on Wednesdays. For the 18-hole noon league, members can play from the white, yellow or red tees. This is individual play, using the Stableford scoring system. Nine-hole, match play leagues begin at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Players in the 3 p.m. league can play from either red or white tees. Players in the 6 p.m. league can play from either yellow or white tees. Cost of all men’s leagues is $80.
The Men’s Stag on May 4 will kick off the league season. Members or potential members are invited to attend compliments of the LPN. Cocktails and munchies begin at 5:30 p.m. with a brief program and raffle drawing at 6 p.m. League play begins May 11.

LPN Women’s Leagues
For women, Lake Panorama National offers both a 9-hole and an 18-hole league on Thursdays. The 9-hole league uses a two-person, match-play format. It begins with registration at 4:45 p.m., announcements at 5 p.m., and a shotgun start at 5:15 p.m.
The 18-hole league begins at 2:15 p.m. with assigned tee times and individual play using the Stableford point system. The 18-hole league is limited to 24 players and is close to being full. To ask questions or become a member of this league, or join a waiting list once it is full, contact Kathy DeLucca, 641-757-2844, larryba@netins.net; or Linda Reis, 515-490-1454, linda.reis@gmail.com.
Both women’s leagues gather in The Links after play for weekly food and drink specials and to recognize special event winners. Annual league dues are $80, which covers the kickoff dinner, post-season party and league prizes. A kickoff dinner planned for May 5 begins at 5:30 p.m. with a brief program and raffle drawing following dinner. League competition gets underway May 12.
The Nine & Wine Series involves nine holes of golf at the LPN on seven Monday afternoons, June 6; July 11 and 25; and Aug. 1, 22 and 29. Cost is $90 for LPN member couples and $195 for Panorama West member couples. Check in at 3 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. tee off. The format is a 4-person, 2-couple best shot, with teams assigned each week by a blind draw. There are weekly prizes and season-ending champions. After play, the couples enjoy wine and food specials in The Links.

Panorama West Leagues
At Panorama West, there is a Tuesday morning women’s league, a Tuesday evening men’s league, and a Thursday morning men’s league. League members must either purchase an annual Panorama West membership, or pay the $16 daily green fee.
The women’s league is individual play with weekly prizes and special events. Dues for the year are $30. A kickoff luncheon is planned for Tuesday, April 26 at the LPN conference center. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon. The cost is $15. Make reservations with Nini VonBon, 515-321-4000 or vonbonjk@hotmail.com.
League play begins May 3 with a two-gal mixer at 9 a.m. The first day of regular play will be May 10 with a shotgun start format. Players will choose their desired tee times in advance, with options being 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., or 11 a.m. The last day of regular play will be Aug. 23. A four-gal best-shot and awards luncheon will be Aug. 30. For more information, contact Ann Chambers, 641-990-4363 or lakelivin@hotmail.com.
The Tuesday evening men’s league begins April 26 and runs through Aug. 30. Dues are $20 to cover weekly prizes, plus individual scores are turned in for prizes at the end of the year. Play begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Jay Merryman at 641-751-5957 or jaypmerryman2@gmail.com; or Bill Eby at 515-240-7652 or wheby@stineseed.com.
The Thursday morning men’s league begins May 5 and continues for 18 weeks. Weekly league play begins with an 8 a.m. shotgun start, followed by an optional scramble for $1. A tournament and wrap-up luncheon will be Sept. 8. Dues of $25 covers regular play with weekly cash prizes and individual awards at the end of the season. Beginning with the 2022 season, league members who are 75 and older can choose to play from the forward tees. For more information, contact Virgil Hoehne at 641-757-0962.

Fore Fun Fridays
There is one more opportunity for competitive golf at Panorama West in 2022 as couples are invited to participate in six “Fore Fun Friday Couples” competitions.
This two-couple scramble with fun twists and strategies will be held June 3, June 17, July 8, July 29, Aug. 12 and Aug. 26. Play begins at 5 p.m. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m., with couples asked to arrive early to learn about that week’s event, get hole assignments, and pay the $1 per couple entry fee. Those who aren’t Panorama West annual golf members also will need to pay green fees.
No preregistration is necessary, but those who need a cart should call the Panorama West pro shop at 641-755-2250 to reserve. Entry fees are returned as prize money as players gather on the deck after the round. For more information, contact Bill and Karen Eby at 515-480-4633.
Annual membership forms for both LPN and Panorama West, plus LPN golf league forms, are available at www.lakepanoramanational.com.

GCH to add Ophthalmology Services and Cataract Procedures

Guthrie County Hospital welcomes Dr. Brandon Menke, who will be providing ophthalmology services and cataract procedures starting in March 2022.
Menke is a graduate of University of Iowa, where he attended the Carver College of Medicine for medical school. After completing his surgical residency at UnityPoint in Iowa, he headed to South Carolina to complete an Ophthalmology residency at the University of South Carolina.
His findings have been featured in numerous publications, and he has received several awards and accolades for his vision and innovation. When Dr. Menke isn’t working or researching, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Psychologist Kristen Menke, and their two daughters, Sloane and Blaire.
Menke will be consulting with patients and performing cataract and glaucoma surgeries. He will be accepting new patients beginning in March 2022. For more information on this service, call the Surgical Services Department at (641) 332-3858.

10 SQUARED WOMEN PRESENT FINAL CHECK OF 2021

Posted 2/8/2022
The 10 Squared Women of Guthrie County held its fourth quarter 2021 meeting both live and with the option of virtual attendance and voting. Three organizations presented to the group. First, Diane Flanery spoke on the Guthrie Center Revitalization Group, whose current project is rehabilitating the historic Williams Building in Guthrie Center. Next, Shannon Neff-Muell presented for the Casey Service Club, the organization tasked with fundraising and volunteers to bring revitalization and recreation opportunities to residents and visitors of the community of Casey. Last, Erika Willms spoke on behalf of the AC/GC High School Fitness facility. The new 8,000-square-foot AC/GC Fitness Facility was opened earlier this year and still has many needs and equipment they would like to be able to purchase for the facility. After hearing all three presentations, the group announced a lump sum of $10,400 to be presented to Guthrie Center Revitalization Group. This consists of 10 Squared Women member donations and several employer matches.
The Board of Guthrie Center Revitalization was notified of the monetary donation from 10 Squared Women of Guthrie County. Board President Terry Laughery told the members that the funds would be helpful in continuing work on the Williams’ Building Project that is ongoing. COVID restrictions placed a “hold” on many community items, including working on community development. This should help jumpstart things going into 2022.
The long-term view of the Williams’ Building renovation includes installing new windows, remodeling apartments, and installing an elevator to bring the building up to ADA Code. While the current tenants provide sufficient income to handle the overhead, these funds will provide much-needed flexibility to push into those upcoming projects. The Board, in conjunction with efforts from the City Council, helped jumpstart the downtown renovations.
“As a Board, we take great pride in being one of the catalysts for that action. COVID took some of the wind from those sails, but we remain committed to making 2022-2023 the best years yet. Our organization could not exist without the benevolent action of volunteers, donors and assistance from other community organizations like 10 Squared Women, and we remain committed to being part of revitalizing, not just our rural community, but rural life in general,” said President Terry Laughery.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, he also stated, “The last 18 months or so have shown us how important community resources are. We are so thankful for the donation and plan to use the funds to give back to the community in the same way we have since our Board started. Thank you, 10 Squared Women, for being committed to that same goal.”
10 Squared Women is focused on helping and donating to local organizations that vow to put those funds to work, right in our back yards. The funds are used in various projects to benefit Guthrie County community’s projects and residents. To date, the group has donated $217,450 in the four years since inception in 2017.
The 10 Squared Women’s group holds meetings quarterly at Lake Panorama Conference Center the fourth Tuesday in February, May, August and November, subject to change. The first meeting for 2022 will be on Tuesday, Feb, 22 Members in attendance hear from three nominated organizations, drawn from “the hat” of member-nominated organizations at random, and vote on the winning cause that night.
The group currently has approximately 101 members. Twenty organizations have been nominated and the group encourages additional philanthropic organizations and new members to come forward. These have included Cities of Yale and Jamaica park improvements, City of Bagley (Library project), Daycare and Preschool programs in Adair and Guthrie Center (KidZone) and Panora (Little Panther), Guthrie Center and Panora Fire Departments, School Backpack programs a AC/GC, West Central Valley and Panorama, as well as programs that benefit residents from all corners of Guthrie County: Guthrie County Helping Hands (habitat for humanity projects in Stuart, Casey, Guthrie Center, Adair, Panora, Yale, Menlo, Jamaica, and Bagley), New Opportunities, Panora P.E.T.S., Guthrie Activity Center, Tori’s Angels Foundation, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Chaplains, Guthrie County Historical Village Foundation, Guthrie County Hospital Foundation, Guthrie County Arts Council, St. Thomas More Center, Guthrie Center Christmas Lights project, and now, Guthrie Center Revitalization.
10 Squared Women members are encouraged to talk to their friends, neighbors and family about the group and to share the group within their social circles. Members are not required to attend meetings, however, in order for their vote to count, they must be in attendance at the live meeting or virtually. All members are expected to write their donation checks whether they can attend the meeting and vote or not.
The group is looking for new members who are excited about helping their communities and Guthrie County. To learn how to get involved, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/10squaredwomengc, or email 10squaredgc@gmail.com. Membership Forms and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on their Facebook page or by contacting them through Facebook or email.

About Lake Panorama Times

Lake Panorama Times and lakepanoramatimes.com are a monthly newspaper and website of Big Green Umbrella Media, a locally owned publishing company. The print version of Lake Panorama Times is mailed to the home address of every property owner and home owner on Lake Panorama for free each month, making it the strongest method to deliver news and information to residents of the lake. This website offers additional news items and archives, all available for free.

8101 Birchwood Court, Suite D
Johnston, IA 50131

Phone: 515-953-4822

Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 5:00pm
Saturday - Sunday: Closed

LAKESIDE VILLAGE RECEIVES GRANT FOR SUMMER INTERNS

TOM FLANERY CANDIDATE FOR GUTHRIE COUNTY SUPERVISOR

JUNE 7 PRIMARY VOTING LOCATIONS ARE NEW FOR MANY RESIDENTSThe county map approved March 3 by the Guthrie County supervisors cut the number of voting precincts from eight to six, with the number of supervisor districts remaining at five.

COVE CAT

LAKE DOG

TRISH HART'S NATURE PHOTO OF THE MONTHGreat Crested Flycatcher

LPA MEMBER’S LOVE OF GOLF LEADSTO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITYClint Peters acquired Sniper in 2019 and expanded the company with new offerings.

DONATIONS BEING SOUGHT FOR SHADE SAILS PROJECT AT LPN Both the LPA and LPN board of directors recently approved this project, as long as the $22,000 needed can be raised with private donations.

ON THE LAKESatisfaction, simplification and one fewer lake dog

LPN ANNOUNCES NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Royce Shaffer will continue to oversee the golf operation, lodging, information technology, accounting and facilities, and David Chubb is now the food and beverage manager.

LPN EASTER BRUNCH APRIL 17

LAKE PANORAMA FIN & FEATHER BANQUET WILL BE MAY 14

2022 LPA ANNUAL MEETING UPCOMINGOn the ballot this year will be the adoption of LPA’s Amended and Substituted Covenants andRestrictions, plus the election of three directors.

Dennis Flanery

Mark Jorgensen

Dirk Westercamp

RECIPEEaster Dip Goodness

BUSINESSPANORA STORE CATERS TO COLLECTORSMost items in Linda Burgess’ Reborn store are for sale, and the inventory changes constantly.

ORIENTATION SESSION WILL BE APRIL 29 FOR NEW LPA MEMBERS

Q&A:LPA BUILDING CODES, WETLANDS AND MORE LPA Project Manager Lane Rumelhart gives updates on key projects.

BEACH BALL SET FOR JULY 22 AT LPNEvent registration will begin in May.

LAKE PANORAMA DOG PARK PROGRESSES The park is located at the corner of Sage Trail and RV Road.

CLINT DEARDORFF DECLARES FOR GUTHRIE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

COVE CAT

LAKE DOGS

Trish Hart’s nature photo of the month

Student performance wins top award at speech festival AC/GC high school student group won the Critic’s Choice award in the Musical Theatre category.

ASH TREES REMOVED FROM LPA GOLF COURSESMore than 200 trees were planted on the two courses over the past several years in anticipation of ash trees being lost.

ON THE LAKEMore goose droppings, a vodka follow-up, and 3 jokes

LPA COVENANTS VOTE is ON 2022 BALLOTLPA by-laws, rules and regulations, and building codes draw authority from the LPA covenants document.

LPN Diners Club offers benefits to members

Q&ACOULTER’S PANORAMA MARINE PREPARES FOR 2022 BOATING SEASON

PAPER SHREDDING TRUCK IN PANORA APRIL 23

JASON GRAY CONCERT MARCH 26 AT FAITH BIBLE CHURCHLimited number of tickets are available for the American contemporary singer/songwriter.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT LAKE PANORAMA?

RECIPEMake Your St. Patrick’s Day Spread Green with Envy

BUSINESSFAMILY KEEPS PANORAMA TIRE ROLLINGTom and Sarah Smith didn’t have to look far for employees in their latest venture.

GRANTS AWARDED TO NEW DAYCARE CENTER IN PANORAPanorama Daycare Center, LLC, is co-owned by Amanda Creen and Christine Litwiller.

NEW LPA WEBSITE NOW ACTIVE

LAKE PANORAMA INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS JULY 2 Generous community support and donations make this one of the best fireworks displays around.

GUTHRIE CENTER CHAMBER DELIVERS HEALTHCARE WORKER APPRECIATION PACKAGES

NEW VOTING PRECINCTS AND SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS ADOPTED FOR GUTHRIE COUNTY

Maggie Armstrong announces run for Guthrie County Supervisor

Brian Johnson running for Guthrie County Board of Supervisors

LAKE DOGS

COVE CAT

Trish Hart’s nature photo of the monthBLUEBIRDS STAY IN IOWA FOR MEALWORMS

10 SQUARED WOMEN PRESENT FIRST CHECK OF 2022

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEUR ENJOYS LAKE PANORAMA HOME Hans van Leeuwen’s discovery about purifying ballast water and ethanol production wastewater led him to develop his own vodka brand.

Block finds rewards in serving patients in ManhattanPanorama High School graduate reflects on how internship fueled her passion for career as a physician assistant now working in a city of 8.2 million.

LAKE PANORAMA 2022 GOLF LEAGUE PLANS

GCH to add Ophthalmology Services and Cataract Procedures

10 SQUARED WOMEN PRESENT FINAL CHECK OF 2021

JUNE 7 PRIMARY VOTING LOCATIONS ARE NEW FOR MANY RESIDENTS
The county map approved March 3 by the Guthrie County supervisors cut the number of voting precincts from eight to six, with the number of supervisor districts remaining at five.

TRISH HART'S NATURE PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Great Crested Flycatcher

LPA MEMBER’S LOVE OF GOLF LEADS
TO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Clint Peters acquired Sniper in 2019 and expanded the company with new offerings.

DONATIONS BEING SOUGHT FOR SHADE SAILS PROJECT AT LPN
Both the LPA and LPN board of directors recently approved this project, as long as the $22,000 needed can be raised with private donations.

ON THE LAKE
Satisfaction, simplification and one fewer lake dog

LPN ANNOUNCES NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Royce Shaffer will continue to oversee the golf operation, lodging, information technology, accounting and facilities, and David Chubb is now the food and beverage manager.

2022 LPA ANNUAL MEETING UPCOMING
On the ballot this year will be the adoption of LPA’s Amended and Substituted Covenants and
Restrictions, plus the election of three directors.

RECIPE
Easter Dip Goodness

BUSINESS
PANORA STORE CATERS TO COLLECTORS
Most items in Linda Burgess’ Reborn store are for sale, and the inventory changes constantly.

Q&A:
LPA BUILDING CODES, WETLANDS AND MORE
LPA Project Manager Lane Rumelhart gives updates on key projects.

BEACH BALL SET FOR JULY 22 AT LPN
Event registration will begin in May.

LAKE PANORAMA DOG PARK PROGRESSES
The park is located at the corner of Sage Trail and RV Road.

Student performance wins top award at speech festival
AC/GC high school student group won the Critic’s Choice award in the Musical Theatre category.

ASH TREES REMOVED FROM LPA GOLF COURSES
More than 200 trees were planted on the two courses over the past several years in anticipation of ash trees being lost.

ON THE LAKE
More goose droppings, a vodka follow-up, and 3 jokes

LPA COVENANTS VOTE is ON 2022 BALLOT
LPA by-laws, rules and regulations, and building codes draw authority from the LPA covenants document.

Q&A
COULTER’S PANORAMA MARINE PREPARES FOR 2022 BOATING SEASON

JASON GRAY CONCERT MARCH 26 AT FAITH BIBLE CHURCH
Limited number of tickets are available for the American contemporary singer/songwriter.

RECIPE
Make Your St. Patrick’s Day Spread Green with Envy

BUSINESS
FAMILY KEEPS PANORAMA TIRE ROLLING
Tom and Sarah Smith didn’t have to look far for employees in their latest venture.

GRANTS AWARDED TO NEW DAYCARE CENTER IN PANORA
Panorama Daycare Center, LLC, is co-owned by Amanda Creen and Christine Litwiller.

LAKE PANORAMA INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS JULY 2
Generous community support and donations make this one of the best fireworks displays around.

Trish Hart’s nature photo of the month
BLUEBIRDS STAY IN IOWA FOR MEALWORMS

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEUR ENJOYS LAKE PANORAMA HOME
Hans van Leeuwen’s discovery about purifying ballast water and ethanol production wastewater led him to develop his own vodka brand.

Block finds rewards in serving patients in Manhattan
Panorama High School graduate reflects on how internship fueled her passion for career as a physician assistant now working in a city of 8.2 million.