By Susan Thompson
Posted 4/6/2020

The official announcement that things were going to change came March 14 when Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds reported the first case of coronavirus not connected to a known source, such as overseas travel. Called “community spread,” she cautioned residents not to participate in gatherings as large of 250 people and to stay home if not feeling well.

Then things started moving faster. Restaurants and bars closed, except for carryout. Universities and colleges switched to online classes for the rest of the school year. K-12 schools were asked to close at least until April 13, possibly longer. Recommended gathering sizes dropped to 10. Next came the closing of “non-essential” stores and services. Iowans were told to stay home, except for those who provide essential services such as health care, security and first responders.

Lake Panorama residents are rising to the challenges in many ways, keeping themselves busy, while helping others. Here’s a small sampling. 

LANCE AND GAYLE LEVIS
Lance Levis was an early cheerleader for the idea of people staying home to help slow the spread of the virus, creating a post on the Nextdoor Lake Panorama site that garnered many positive comments. He said the best current protection from COVID-19 is social distancing and shelter-in-place. Then he offered this formula: 1) At least one ounce of COMMON SENSE. 2) All the SELF DISICPLINE you have. 3) CONCERN for others. Mix well. Take one dose daily for at least 14 days, or until threat passes.

Levis went on to say this plan doesn’t take any special ability or skill.

“We can all do this. I appreciate that some have jobs or obligations that prevent them from being able to shelter/distance. This is something we can do to help THEM and the vulnerable they serve...and ourselves,” he posted.

Levis and his wife Gayle moved to Lake Panorama in November 2011 from their farm west of Audubon. To keep busy, they’ve been doing some home projects and organization.

“We’ve been here eight-and-a-half years,” he says. “We might even finish getting moved in and unpacked.”

The couple says they are fortunate to have three children and their families all in Iowa. They have visited weekly by phone and more recently by email and a phone messaging service called WhatsApp. Because as a family they have all chosen to shelter-in-place, they recently celebrated their grandson’s 10th birthday via an internet application called Zoom.
“We were able to see and hear each other on our tablets, and it was a real circus. Our grandson, who is 10, and granddaughter, who is 8, played the role of clowns. It was not like being together in person, but ‘a good time was had by all’ and we protected each other,” Levis says. “Our grandchildren learned something good. We all did.”

What positives are the couple seeing during this difficult time?

“We’ve witnessed so many acts and expressions of caring and kindness toward each other right here in our own community,” Levis says. “Probably the greatest is that folks really are practicing social distancing and shelter-in-place. Families, friends, neighbors and complete strangers are showing they care and are putting the health and wellbeing of others first.”

Levis says once the current crisis has passed, we should all want to look back and say “We did too much,” rather than “Why didn’t we do more?”

JERRY AND DIANE PIEPER
Jerry and Diane Pieper moved to Lake Panorama in May 2015 from the small town of Westside between Carroll and Denison. They used Nextdoor Lake Panorama to offer their help to others. Here’s what they posted:

“We live at the lake and if any elderly lake residents need groceries or supplies from the Hometown grocery store and don’t feel they can go out due to social isolation, send us an email with your name, address and phone number along with your list of needs and we will reply to let you know we received it. You can pay for the groceries and supplies when we drop off. There is no charge for delivery. We will do our best to get what is available.”

Their offer led to several others posting similar sentiments, or talking about ways they already were assisting elderly neighbors and friends.

“We have had a few calls for assistance,” Diane says. “If we get overwhelmed, we have lots of people who have offered to help.’

Besides helping with errands, what else is the couple doing to keep busy?

“We white-washed our fireplace last weekend, and Jerry is making fish habitats,” Diane says.

When asked what positives they see in the current situation, the couple says it has brought people together to help their neighbors and families.

“And it made us all step back from the busy world we live in to spend time at home with our families,” Diane says.

BRIAN AND JOANN JOHNSON
Facebook posts are one of the ways technology is helping people stay connected with friends and family during this time of self-isolation. On March 20, JoAnn Johnson posted a photo of a quilt she had just finished.

Johnson started the quilt 13 years ago while living in Alexandria, Virginia, serving a six-year Presidential appointment to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

“This one took me so long because it became tedious piecing 255 3-inch squares, each with 11 pieces,” she says. “The quilt uses 43 different Civil War era reproduction fabrics.”

“I inherited my love for quilting from my grandmother, who always pieced at least one quilt a year for the ladies at church to hand quilt for the annual bazaar. In fact, Grandma gave me my first quilt fabric to piece a ‘Trip Around the World.’ Her ladies hand quilted it, and then she gave it to me,” Johnson says.

It wasn’t until she moved to Virginia in 2002 that she took up quilting seriously. Her husband Brian continued to work in Iowa, so quilting became a way to keep busy in the evening. She estimates she created 15 quilts during that time.

After returning home and a two-year break, she was appointed by Gov. Branstad to serve as the Iowa Superintendent of Credit Unions. She retired after six years, and for the last three years has enjoyed not only completing another 15 quilts but time with the grandkids, gardening, golf, local organizations and driving the Guthrie County Hospital courtesy van as a volunteer one day a week.

“My quilts this past year have included a Quilt of Valor for my former NCUA executive director who served in Vietnam, assisting my sister and sister-in-law with Quilts of Valor for two of my brothers, three scrappy quilts made from my current stash of material, and a baby quilt for the upcoming Friends of Lake Panorama Beach Ball auction,” she says. “I have a couple more unfinished projects I’ve said I’m going to complete before buying more fabric, but we’ll see.”

 With the Iowa Legislature in recess, Brian, who lobbies at the Capitol, is keeping in contact with legislators and clients with regular phone calls.

“We are both using this unusual ‘shut down’ time trying to be productive, accomplishing some deep-cleaning projects that have been on hold, writing notes and making phone calls to check on friends and family, and enjoying a few luxuries such as expanded reading time,” JoAnn says.

BILLY AND EMILY DONOVAN
Emily Donovan works for the Heartland AEA, providing services to teachers and students in special education. Since school isn’t in session, she and her colleagues have been holding meetings virtually and doing their own professional learning.
“Our agency has prioritized each of their employee’s own wellbeing and safety and has asked us to put our families first during this time,” she says.

Billy owns Donovan Construction. He has limited the number of subcontractors allowed on a job to adhere to social distancing. Gloves are worn and some jobs have been postponed. Some subcontractors have stopped working and are self-quarantining.

“This is definitely slowing down progress on jobs, but as of right now, hasn’t completely halted things,” Emily says. “We feel lucky to work for patient and wonderful homeowners. And I’m hoping this will free up some time for Billy to knock off some things on my ‘honey-do’ list.”

The Donovans have two children. Natalie is 14 and in the eighth grade. Dylan is almost 12 and in sixth grade. They also have an exchange student from Spain staying with them, Alejandra, who is scheduled to return home June 14.

“She feels this is a good lesson for us to get closer to each other instead of putting technology between us,” Emily says. “She will be disappointed if she doesn’t get to go back to school, because she wants to say goodbye to her friends before she goes home. She also was really looking forward to prom.”

With Panorama and most other schools in Iowa taking at least a four-week break, Emily devised a “home school” schedule.
“I didn’t want them to sit around for four weeks on You Tube, Netflix and video games. Some of their teachers have posted optional activities for them to do on Google Classroom. They also have access to Khan Academy, which is a website that gives them extra practice with math concepts,” she says.

Emily and her three “students” have a schedule they loosely follow. “At 9 a.m. we try to do some kind of physical activity — go for a walk, yoga, take turns leading stretches, follow an exercise video. We ordered some pickle ball sets because the kids had been learning pickle ball in PE at school,” Emily says. “We’ve been using the new sports courts at Boulder Beach on nice days to try it out.”

From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., they catch up on Google Classroom activities their teachers have posted, Khan Academy math and free reading. The next hour is creative time and includes crafts and baking, followed by a half-hour for lunch and another half-hour for chores. Practicing the piano and free time take up the next hour-and-a-half, with a board or card game filling the last hour-and-a-half of their day. Free time starts at 4 p.m., with dinner preparation underway.

“I’m doing a lot more cooking, but we also are trying to do carry out a couple times a week to support local restaurants,” Emily says. “My house has never been so clean. Cleaning windows, organizing closets, game cupboards. We’re looking forward to warmer weather so we can power wash the patio and deck and get the outdoor furniture set up.”

Natalie received her driving permit recently and was supposed to start driver’s ed, but that went by the wayside when school was canceled.

“To get out of the house for a bit, I’ve been letting her drive around to get some practice in,” Emily says.

Are there some positives about the current situation?

“The dogs love that we are home all day and come along with us on our walks,” Emily says. “I’ve really enjoyed the ability to slow down and spend time with my kids. It felt like we had something scheduled every night and it was difficult to find time to eat dinner at the table together. We are enjoying our time together.”

But the family is missing their friends, and talk about how great it will be when they can get together again.

“Natalie is worried she won’t get to participate on Lake Panorama’s water ski team, depending on how long restrictions last. Dylan doesn’t like that the boundaries between home and school have been crossed, but he’s starting to get used to our new schedule,” Emily says. “We are just taking each day as it comes, and trying not to look too far into the future.”

STEVE AND JILLIAN ORTNER
The Ortners are another family with kids out of school, looking for fun things to do. They’ve been at Lake Panorama a few years, first buying a lot to build on, before buying a house on the east side of the Narrows. Their full-time home is near Danbury in northwest Iowa.

Steve is a fifth-generation farmer there, and Jillian owns a boutique. Their children, Wesley, 9, and Posey, 6, attend Danbury Catholic School. The school is closed through April 12, possibly longer. While Steve is getting ready for planting season, Jillian and the two children are at their Lake Panorama home.

Jillian says the kids have been enjoying online art classes, and testing their artistic skills with chalk art on their own driveway. In an effort to add a little more fun to their drawing, Jillian posted on Nextdoor Lake Panorama.

“We decided we would see if anyone would like some sidewalk chalk art drawn on their driveway,” she wrote. “They’re pretty not terrible at pirate ships, boats, houses, hearts, hearts turned into people, flowers, and the occasional unicorn.” She invited those interested to get in touch and received several requests with more coming in as time went along.

Their first day out, they visited four driveways, creating colorful pirate ships, rocket ships, kitty cats and other animals. Jillian says they now have a running list of other driveways to decorate, plus requests for return visits to their first round whenever they’d like.

Other activities have included reading books on Facebook for their friends, family and teachers. And they’re doing what Jillian calls “Iowa nature classes.”
“We’re enjoying the awakening of Iowa, after winter,” she says. “When it rained, we checked out earthworms. While filling bird feeders, we found a paper wasp nest. We took it inside to draw it on paper and watched a video about how paper wasps make their nests.”

 “We brought our border collie, Margo, with us, who needs lots of walks. We have looked at tracks and seen animals. There is a pheasant rooster that seems irritated with a red flag on one of the gravel roads nearby,” Jillian says. “We are watching the daffodils as they begin to open, and we keep a copy of ‘Birds of Iowa’ at our kitchen table, where we watch the birds on the feeder at meal time.”

And when rain isn’t in the forecast, Wesley and Posey enjoy their chalk art visits to Lake Panorama driveways.

JAY AND SUE MERRYMAN
On Sunday, March 22, Sue Merryman told her husband Jay she wanted to do something nice for neighbors and friends every Sunday they’re “locked in.” She proceeded to bake seven dozen cookies and made bags of eight chocolate chip cookies for nine different families.

“We figured out a map of delivery, then I rang doorbells and laid their cookies right in front of the door,” Sue says. “I backed away 10 feet and if they came right away, we visited at a distance for 5 minutes and were on our way to the next home. It was really fun seeing real faces.”

The next weekend, Sue made caramel popcorn to deliver to another nine families, using the same routine.

“It reminded me of all the times we did May baskets when our kids were young,” she says. “Again, it was so nice to see the smiles on everyone’s faces.”

Sue has started playing bridge online with her bridge buddies.

“One online group uses a program called Trickster Cards, and the other is Bridge Base,” she says. “On both of them, you get to pick your own group. Both are free, and Trickster Cards has lots of other card games besides bridge.”

Jay owns his own business, called Clonetrader, and is a risk manager who deals mainly with commodities. Since he was already running his business from home, he’s working as usual, although the commodity markets have been a little more volatile.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple had April plans for a Rhine River Cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland. The company cancelled the trip, offering either a full refund or 125 percent of their investment back with a voucher to use in two years.

“We took the voucher and now have a trip planned from Hong Kong to Bangkok for two weeks in 2022, and we rescheduled our Rhine River cruise for next April,” Sue says. “It’s fun to dream a little while sitting at home.”

The Merrymans have a son, Ben, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and another son, Josh, in Overland Park, Kansas, with a daughter, Molly, and her family living in Munich, Germany. All three are under shelter-in-place mandates. They also have a daughter, Abbey, who is a doctor in Iowa City.

“She is on the front line and keeps us up to date on what’s happening,” Sue says.
Technology helps keep the scattered family in touch.

“We FaceTime pretty often. One Sunday, our son Ben used Zoom to connect all of us, and we were able to see all the kids and grandkids at the same time. It was kind of crazy to get a word in, but so fun to see all,” Sue says.

More recently, son Josh found a program called Caribu.

“It lets us read and draw with our grandkids. It’s an app for mobile devices and we can schedule reading times with our grandkids. They get to choose the book and turn the pages,” Sue says. “When we draw, we both get to choose the colors we want to use. It usually costs money, but for the next two months, it’s free. It’s so fun to see and talk to them at the same time.”

What positive things have the Merrymans discovered while spending extra time in their home on Horseshoe Cove?

“I’m walking about 2 to 3 miles every day, and my dog is happy she gets to go for more walks. It’s made me slow down and read more,” Sue says. “Jay and I probably talk more. We’re just glad it’s not a real war and appreciate having a safe, warm home with plenty to eat.”

By Susan Thompson
Posted 4/6/2020

The coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the world has caused many changes at Lake Panorama and throughout Guthrie County. On March 17, formal announcements came from both the Lake Panorama Association and Lake Panorama National about new business procedures as a result of COVID-19.

LAKE PANORAMA ASSOCIATION
At the LPA, several new policies went into effect that day and will remain in place until further notice. To ensure the safety of members and employees, the LPA office is closed to walk-in traffic. LPA staff are working and assisting members via email or phone.

Members who require an in-person visit may contact LPA to schedule an appointment. LPA staff will work with those members on a case-by-case basis to ensure member needs are being addressed, while continuing to maximize social distancing. Appointments are offered only for situations that cannot be addressed via email or phone.

 Payments can be made by mail or by placing in the drop box located near the driveway at the LPA office, 5006 Panorama Drive. Staff check the drop box periodically throughout the day, Monday through Friday.

Boat stickers will be mailed, once payment is received. If requested, stickers can be placed in the LPA pick-up box, which is located by the office front door. The pick-up date must be coordinated with LPA staff. DNR boat registrations can be emailed, faxed or copies left in the drop box.

LPA’s primary goal during this time is to ensure its staff can continue to provide essential services to LPA members. To that end, LPA has implemented contingency plans to ensure the LPA water plant and LPA dam both are managed effectively in the event of staff absences. All other work requests will be handled on a priority basis, with essential services taking priority.

LPA Security remains on duty and will continue regular patrol of the lake development. If LPA Security is unavailable, call the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office at 911 or (641) 747-2214.
LPA Security is not an appropriate contact number for questions about COVID-19. Those questions should be directed to medical providers. In the case of a medical emergency, dial 911 or (641) 747-2214.
Building and land disturbing permit applications and accompanying documents can be placed in the drop box, or emailed to lpa@lakepanorama.org. Members are reminded seven to 10 days of lead time is recommended for all building permit requests.

While the LPA office has sold hunting and fishing licenses in the past, these also can be purchased online, so they are not available at the LPA office at this time. The DNR website for purchasing licenses is: https://www.iowadnr.gov/

LPA will update members through its email bulletin system. These updates sometimes are shared through social media platforms, such as Facebook and NextDoor. But LPA will focus its limited resources on sending email bulletin updates, responding to emails and answering phone calls. Responses to social media discussions and questions cannot be guaranteed on a real-time basis. Members who require a response from LPA should email lpa@lakepanorama.org or call (641) 755-2301.

LAKE PANORAMA NATIONAL
At the LPN, the Links Restaurant is open for carryout only. A special carryout menu has been developed, and hours of operation trimmed to meet demand. As of April 1, the restaurant is closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Takeout orders are available Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and again 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call (641) 755-2100 to place an order, which will be brought to you at your car door. Only credit card and Diners Club payments can be accepted. The special carryout menu is here: https://lpnresort.com/carry-out

All events scheduled at Lake Panorama National Resort on or before April 12, 2020, have been canceled or rescheduled. This includes the Easter Brunch that was planned for April 12. Decisions on events planned after April 12 will be made as dates approach, and announced in the LPN Resort Weekly e-newsletter and on Facebook.

Both the Panorama West Golf Course and the Lake Panorama National Golf Course and driving range remain open. LPN is taking some precautions and making recommendations to golfers.

Keep 6 feet of separation between you and your playing partners. Refrain from handshakes and high-fives, and sanitize hands regularly.

Members should use their own private carts during their round. LPN rental carts will be provided with the option of one cart per person. Rental carts will be sanitized after each use. Walking also is an option.

Disease transmission points are being reduced by keeping bunker rakes, ball washers, water coolers and garbage cans off the course.

Leave the flagstick in. Cups have been installed upside-down to allow for low-contact ball retrieval.

The LPN pro shop will be open as traffic dictates. Call for tee times at (641) 755-2024.

In response to Gov. Reynolds’ State Public Health Emergency Declaration March 26, a decision was made to close the LPN pro shop to retail sales. The pro shop doors are locked, and golfers are asked to check in at the pro shop counter window. Golf balls and gloves will be sold through this window, on request.

The Panorama West Clubhouse is not yet open, and rental carts are not available. Guests can pay green fees at the kiosk. Once open, the clubhouse can be reached at (641) 755-2250. Until then, direct any questions to the LPN Pro Shop at (641) 755-2024.

At this time lodging, remains open through Lake Panorama National. The staff has always provided the highest standard of sanitation, but now some additional procedures have been implemented. These include:
• The fitness facility is closed until further notice.
•All guests will be given a screening questionnaire before check-in.
•Keys will be available for pickup from the after-hours cabinet outside.
•Maid service policies have been adjusted, with additional information provided in units.
•Anyone who needs to reschedule or cancel a reservation may do so without cancellation fees on or before April 12, 2020.

The LPN front desk/lodging desk continues to be staffed Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but hours on Saturday and Sunday have been reduced to 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call the front desk at (641) 755- 2080.

FIRST “LAKE PANORAMA 101” CANCELED
A group of volunteers recently decided there should be an organized way to welcome new property owners to Lake Panorama. The result is a program titled “Lake Panorama 101.”

Two initial sessions were planned, but the first one scheduled for Friday, April 24 has been canceled. The second session is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 10-11 a.m. The meeting will last one hour, and be held at the Lake Panorama National Conference Center.

Topics covered will be the Lake Panorama Association, Lake Panorama National, perks and amenities available to LPA members, and ways to learn more. There will be time for questions, and refreshments will be available.

If it seems conditions will allow this public gathering, invitations will be sent in May to new owners who have purchased within the last 18-24 months. Lake Panorama 101 sessions aren’t limited just to those who receive invitations, or who are new property owners. Any LPA member interested is welcome. Those planning to attend the June 6 session can reserve a spot by calling the LPN front desk at (641) 755-2080.

LAKE PANORAMA FIN & FEATHER
In light of COVID-19, the officers of Lake Panorama Fin and Feather made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 annual banquet, which was originally planned for May 9 at the Lake Panorama National Resort. This decision was made due to public gathering restrictions, which hampered committee planning activities, in combination with a lack of suitable dates for rescheduling the event.

The committee thanks those who have already purchased 2020 membership/banquet tickets. Donations, tickets or other payments already paid will be carried over to 2021, and personal contacts are planned to confirm this with individuals. Those who prefer to have a refund instead of carrying over memberships or donations will be able to do so.

PANORAMA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recommended Iowa school closures for four weeks beginning March 16 until April 13. Panorama Community Schools is following this recommendation and is closed with all events and activities scheduled to take place during that time canceled.

With school not in session, free meals are being provided in “grab-and-go” style to those 18 and younger on Mondays and Wednesdays. This began March 23 and will continue until school resumes session. Students are provided two breakfast meals and two lunch meals and do not need to be present; a family member is allowed to pick up the meals.

Drop off is 11:30-11:45 a.m. at five locations. Look for Panorama Community School District vehicles parked at these locations with the drivers staying about 15 minutes. Pickup locations are the Bagley Community Center; Yale Memorial Park, next to the Community Building; Linden Post Office/Library on Main Street; Jamaica Park next to ToJo’s; and the Panora Library.

GOVERNMENT OFFICES
The Panora City Hall is closed to walk-in traffic, but staff is available via phone or email. The Panora Library, Community Center and Veterans Auditorium also are closed until at least April 13.

The Guthrie County Courthouse closed to all visitors on March 17. All staff continue to work Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those needing to do business at the facility can call or email each department. A contact list has been placed outside the main entrance on the east side of the building. Each department also can be contacted on the Guthrie County website here: http://guthriecounty.org/

The Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management agency has created a website that contains the latest preparedness, response, and public information for Adair and Guthrie counties regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. It is available here: https://www.adairguthriecountycovid.org.