Posted 02/07/2024
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

At Lake Panorama, beautiful homes are built near a scenic body of water. This setting attracts many homeowners. Unfortunately, it also attracts Canada geese.
If someone were to design the ideal habitat to attract Canada geese and convince them to stay year-round, it would include easy access to water, large and easily accessible areas of short grasses, few predators and no hunting. Unfortunately, this is what Canada geese find when arriving at Lake Panorama. Because of that, the number of resident and migrating geese has swelled, causing various issues as people and geese interact.
“LPA is no stranger to the fact that we have a lot of geese on the lake, but, as far as fixing that problem, there’s just not a lot that we can do,” Lane Rumelhart, project manager for Lake Panorama Association (LPA), said. “We’re technically a residential area, so we can’t allow hunting on the water.”
Rumelhart said that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tracks the geese population and other information about the species.
“Every year, I give the DNR permission to band geese here,” Rumelhart said. “And every year, they seem to get around 30 to 60 banded. Some years, they’ve done more than 100.”
Regarding efforts to scare geese away or minimize their impact, Rumelhart said, “We tried some things in the past like running drones. I think they had some predator calls that were supposed to scare off the geese, but none of them have proven to be effective.”
Rumelhart said the LPA has a beach groomer that is used to pick up the geese “stuff” out of the sand.
“We usually do that about once a week during peak season and then once every couple weeks when the beaches are frozen in the winter,” he said.

The impact
The problems caused by the geese fall into two main categories: mere nuisances and environmental impacts. The nuisances include the sheer number of geese present at certain times of the year and the related damage to gardens, lawns and crops. Also, occasionally, Canada geese become aggressive, especially when protecting a nest or goslings.
The main environmental concern has to do with goose feces. Not only can the amount of droppings cause an unsightly appearance on lawns, docks and beaches, but the content of the droppings may lead to unfavorable water quality.
“The geese love the green, manicured lawns that they can graze on,” DNR officer Jeremy King said. “Obviously, there’s a huge problem with their defecation. They create quite a mess.”
The primary concern is that goose droppings are high in phosphorus, which can increase the algae growth in bodies of water. Geese do not produce phosphorus; they simply deposit it in their droppings. If geese are predominantly eating vegetation in a lake or pond, and then their droppings fall into that same body of water, the phosphorus level would not change significantly. But if geese are eating in fields and then coming back to the lake, phosphorus levels can climb. However, unless there is a very large year-round population of geese, most phosphorus in bodies of water may be from agricultural runoff.
“It’s no secret that the geese love Lake Panorama,” King said. “There are a few species, but the Canada geese are the predominant one.”
King says the geese tend to prefer more urban areas like Des Moines, Ankeny and Waukee, on small ponds with houses. He notes that the number of geese on traditional marsh areas or wetlands has gone down.
“The geese are adapting,” he said. “When they’re sitting at the Jordan Creek Mall pond, they aren’t getting hunted. Nobody’s harassing them. They go where there’s less pressure. When they go out to Lake Panorama, granted they can’t get hunted on the lake out there, but as soon as they fly out and feed in the fields in the morning or evening, they can get hunted in certain areas.”

History
The Iowa DNR website states that Canada geese nested throughout Iowa prior to European settlement but were mostly eliminated from much of the Midwest, including Iowa, by 1900. The Canada geese restoration program initiated in 1964 by the Iowa Conservation Commission, the forerunner to the Iowa DNR, has successfully restored this species to most of its former nesting range in Iowa. According to the DNR’s most recent estimate, Iowa’s Canada geese population is about 90,000.

USDA data
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, geese and other waterfowl can cause problems because they feed on a variety of plants, as well as crops, including corn, soybeans, rice, lettuce, winter wheat, barley and rye. Birds can also endanger aircraft on or near airports. In fact, one goose or duck can seriously damage an aircraft.
However, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and state laws protect all native waterfowl in the United States, including migratory and resident Canada geese. Under these laws, it is illegal to hunt, kill, sell, purchase or possess migratory birds, except in specific cases.
To prevent or minimize problems with geese, one of the best suggestions, according to the USDA, is to avoid feeding them. Even goslings are capable of finding enough food to survive. If geese become accustomed to being fed, they are likely to become dependent on this food source, and they may stop migrating.
Another suggestion is to modify landscaping. Geese and ducks are grazers and need short, green grass for food. Along water edges, planting less-attractive vegetation, such as pachysandra, periwinkle and euonymus, may help discourage geese from staying in the area. The most effective tools for controlling waterfowl movement are fences, hedgerows and other physical barriers.

Hunting
The Iowa DNR currently has designated a “No Hunting Zone” for Canada geese in a portion of Guthrie County. The area includes Bays Branch and is bordered on the west by Highway 4 and on the south by Highway 44.
King acknowledged that some people may advocate for opening up more areas to hunting or extending the season, but he said those are not necessarily the best ways to control the population.
“Biologists’ concern is that if we start opening up everything in the Lake Panorama and Bays Branch area for shooting Canada geese, in a year or two, those geese will realize there’s a lot of pressure here, and they’re going to migrate over to the cities, and we’ll run them out of the area to where very few will get harvested.”

Migration
Although Canada geese are considered migratory birds, there is no single migratory pattern, and some geese no longer migrate at all.
“At times, Lake Panorama will house, during the peak of the migration in the winter, close to 20,000 geese in the area,” King said.
“Some of the Canada geese do, in fact, migrate here from Canada for the winter, but that’s not true of all the geese,” he said. “Currently, three have an attached radio transmitter. The last years, they have stayed at the Lake Panorama area the entire time. They summer here, they hatch little ones here, and they don’t migrate south at all. But we do have birds that are raised locally, on Lake Panorama, that we band, that are harvested in Oklahoma or southern Missouri or Arkansas. Certain ones migrate, and some don’t.”
King said the bird migration is fascinating.
“You just don’t know which way they’re going to go,” he said. “Weather events can cause different migrations. Typically, with Canada geese, when we get hard — like 30- to 40-mile-per-hour north winds — that’s when we see most of our geese come from the Minnesota and Canada areas up there.”
He added that Canada geese typically migrate following the snow line. So, in a late-starting winter, the geese stay up north longer.

What works?
King says the best way to minimize geese problems for homeowners is to have a dog.
“The dog is probably the best non-fatal option,” he said.
“I think members that have pet dogs and let their dogs out in the backyard, they do a pretty good job of spooking the geese onto the next property,” Rumelhart added.
“I’ve also seen folks with a single electric fence wire, about 8 or 10 inches off the ground,” King said. “That seems to work pretty well.”
King said predator decoys have limited impact but can work if moved around.
“I’ve seen folks with coyote decoys, but the birds kind of get used to them after a while,” he said. “But if you move it once in a while, you’ll see pretty good results from that as well.”
King points out that the geese are protected by the federal government. In the spring, when they are nesting, it is illegal to “mess with them.”
“We do have a federal biologist that we work with, and our local biologist, that can help you come up with solutions if you have a major issue going on,” he said.
King says the situation is a double-edged sword.
“We love having a lake here,” he said. “We love the beauty it provides, but it also provides a refuge for the geese. I couldn’t imagine a bunch of people out there shooting geese every day. Homeowners probably wouldn’t appreciate that. I know they don’t appreciate the geese either, at times.”
King reminds property owners that the geese are more of a seasonal concern.
“I think they’re typically more of a problem in the spring, because, in the winter, they usually keep a hole open in the middle of the lake, so they’re typically not in people’s yards,” he said.

Hunting
Hunting of Canada geese in Iowa is divided into three zones (north, central and south). Guthrie County is in the central zone, in which hunting ended Jan. 20. Each hunter has a bag limit of three Canada geese. According to DNR data, over the past three decades, the statewide annual harvest of Canada geese has fluctuated from 25,000 to nearly 80,000, with most years seeing a harvest between 45,000 to 65,000. Anyone with knowledge of illegal harvesting of Canada geese is encouraged to call the Iowa DNR’s “Turn-in-Poachers” line at 1-800-532-2020.

Nesting
In Iowa, Canada geese usually begin nesting between mid-March and mid-April. Females lay an average of five or six eggs (one per day) and will incubate them for 28-30 days before hatching occurs. It’s during this nesting time that the adult geese are most aggressive, as they try to protect the nest and their goslings.

Sharing nature
King encourages property owners to remember that the natural beauty of the Lake Panorama area includes wildlife like geese, deer, raccoons, foxes, mink, bobcats and other animals.
“I think a lot of folks need to remember that we have a beautiful lake, and we’re going to have wildlife that’s going to be around there,” he said. “We built homes in their home.”

Posted 02/07/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

More than five years after his death, Kim Lubeck’s dream of restoring a 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe four-door sedan came true.
Lubeck passed away Sept. 27, 2018, while waterskiing on Lake Panorama. He had been diagnosed with Lyme disease after being bitten by a deer tick. An autopsy stated his death was caused by a sudden cardiac event, with a likely link to Lyme disease.
In May 1973, Lubeck moved to Panora to work at the Panora Oil Company. In February 1974, he purchased the business, which he owned and operated for 42 years before retiring in 2016. His interest in the service station business had strong roots, since his father owned four stations where he worked during high school.
Kim and his wife, Maureen, were married in November 1974. The couple raised two children, Courtney and Phillip.
Maureen picks up the story of the 1939 Chevy.
“Kim’s dad bought the car for him in 1965 as a surprise for his 14th birthday. It was in a hay field in Nebraska and belonged to Kim’s aunt, who bought it new,” she says. “Kim’s dad paid his sister $40 for the car. Kim drove it through high school. He and his buddies had a grand old time in it.”
The last time the Chevy was licensed was 1968. For 25 years, it was stored in the Lubecks’ boathouse at Lake Panorama.
“You should have heard the neighbors when Kim used the tow truck to take it down the steep driveway and tuck it into the boathouse,” Maureen says. “It was quite the attraction with several of them shouting, ‘Kim, that thing won’t float!’ But with his usual expertise, he maneuvered it smoothly into place.”
Maureen says Kim had a dream of restoring the 1939 Chevrolet.
“I can’t tell you how many car shows and museums we went to over the years,” she says. “He loved talking to other gearheads, and he continued to formulate his restoration plan. I encouraged him to take it into the station where he could begin the process. I told him if it took him as long to restore it as it had been stored, I would never get to ride in it.” 
In 2014, Kim towed the car to the Panora Oil Company.
“So many of his customers had stories to tell about relatives or friends who had a similar car,” Maureen says. “They were so interested in his plans for restoration. Some of his customers and friends looked at the rust bucket condition and shook their heads, thinking he would never get it done.”
Yet, when the doubters came back to check on the progress, they were pleasantly surprised. He took the engine and bucket seats from an S-10 Chevrolet truck and installed those in the old car. He did lots of welding work on the chassis and flooring. The original car was equipped with a manual transmission, but Kim installed an automatic on-the-floor transmission.
“I can’t drive a straight stick,” Maureen says. “He tried to teach me when we were first married, but it was too painful for him to hear the gears moaning. He was looking forward to taking it to car shows and parades. We also had plans to take it on some trips, hence the automatic transmission for my benefit. Several car groups travel from place to place together, and we hoped to join them.”
Maureen says that Kim worked on the vehicle as much as time allowed.
“One of the benefits of him retiring in 2016 was he had more time to work on the car,” she says. “He researched parts, always thinking about his ultimate goal.”
Maureen says he even worked on it the morning he died.
“My memory tells me he said he put the windshield wipers, radio and instrument panel in,” she says.
After Kim’s death, Maureen thought about what to do with the 1939 Chevy. Kim had done the majority of the mechanical work needed, but the exterior and interior were in rough shape.
“It was such a special car for Kim,” she says. “If it hadn’t always been in the family, if he didn’t have high school memories in it, and if he didn’t have ambitious plans to restore it, I might not have been anxious to complete the task. Yet I truly felt I had to honor him and do my best to finish the job.”
She contacted Dennis Shroyer, who for many years owned the Panora Service Center. In 2019, when Lubeck’s Panora Oil Company building sold, the 1939 Chevy was towed to Shroyer’s nearby building.
“Dennis and Kim were good friends,” Maureen says. “He did the bodywork and painting. He told me this would be the last big job he did before retirement, and he did a wonderful job.” Shroyer sold his building and retired this past December.
In August 2023, the car was moved to Sam’s Upholstery in Winterset, where Sam Mapes did the interior restoration.
“I am amazed at the quality of his work,” Maureen says. “Both he and Dennis listened to my ideas and supported me. Several of Kim’s gearhead friends helped me with advice. I had joined Kim at enough car events over the years and listened to his dream, so I had a pretty good idea of what he would want.”
Shroyer painted the exterior of the Chevy the original color, a deep maroon. The interior is beige with maroon stitching. The original seats were covered with a horsehair fabric. The rear seat is the original seat, minus the horsehair fabric.
“One of the fun things Sam did was create a ‘suitcase’ to hide the battery, which is in the trunk behind the back seat,” Maureen says. “With my love of travel, it makes sense.”
Maureen Lubeck was able to bring the car to her Lake Panorama condo a few days before Christmas so family members could enjoy a ride when they visited. Most of the time, the car will be stored in a friend’s garage.
Lubeck plans to take the Chevy to some car shows and parades.
“It drives really well. It has some creaks and squeaks, but it is very comfortable. My biggest challenge is that it doesn’t have a backup camera,” she exclaims.
One final decision needed to be made about the 1939 Chevrolet four-door sedan. What should be used on the car’s vanity license plate? Daughter Courtney wanted the license plate to be Dad’s 39, but that was already in use. Maureen considered Kim’s 39 but didn’t want people to think she was Kim. The final wording is just as perfect as the restored car — His 39.

Posted 02/07/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased interest in home baking caused shortages of baker’s yeast in stores. Because sourdough bread is made from the natural occurring yeast and bacteria in flour, the attention of many turned to this bread that doesn’t use commercial yeast.  
Sonya Pierce of Panora is a more recent convert to the joys of sourdough baking.
“I began my sourdough journey in October 2023 after watching countless hours of TikTok videos, following many Facebook and Instagram accounts, and doing a lot of my own research on how to make sourdough starter and use it to bake bread,” Pierce says. “I had no idea this ancient way of creating bread was so unique and has such great history behind it.”
Pierce grew up in Panora and graduated from Panorama Community Schools in 2004. She met her husband, Kenny Pierce, in 2003.
“High school sweethearts, I guess. We’ve been together ever since and married for 14 years,” she says.
After high school, Pierce attended Grand View University to major in business administration. While in college, she wanted to become a commercial property manager.
“The 2008 stock market crash and job market had other ideas for me,” Pierce says. “I was manager of the Mercy West gift shop until 2013. For the last 10 years, I have been involved in finance and banking. I’ve worked for Guthrie County State Bank for the past five years, first as a universal banker and now as the marketing director and loan administrative assistant.”
Kenny Pierce is a salesman for a company based in Council Bluffs. The couple lived for a time in Menlo before returning to their roots in Panora. In 2021, construction began on their new home on Lake Panorama’s west side.
“For many years, Kenny and I struggled with unexplained infertility,” Pierce says. “We dreamed of having a baby in our new home, and while in the middle of building, we found out we were pregnant. In October 2021, we moved into our new home, and in February 2022, Paisley was born. She is 2 years old now, very rambunctious, and brings so much joy to our lives.”
With a full-time job at Guthrie County State Bank and an active 2-year-old, Pierce didn’t begin her sourdough baking hobby with plans to turn it into a business.
“My name was passed along by a coworker to Ignite Nutrition & Health in Panora to speak to a class about sourdough — what it is, how to start it and how to use it. I did a short presentation about what I’ve learned and experienced, which led to someone asking if I sell sourdough bread,” she says. “I had never thought about that, but I was intrigued. I posted on my Facebook page to see if there was interest.”
Within two weeks, beginning right before Christmas, Pierce had 38 orders.
“It was the best feeling to have the community support behind by new-found passion,” Pierce says. She created a micro-bakery under the name Midwest Sourdough Co.
“I always tell people the first ingredient in a sourdough starter is patience,” she says. “It takes quite a long time to establish your own starter if beginning from scratch. I’m always up for a challenge when it comes to baking, so I gave it a try. It was questionable at the beginning, but the process is easy — it’s just flour and water, no crazy ingredients. You just have to be consistent with the technique and trust the process. I had a period of five to 10 days when I thought I had killed it, but I kept up and now have a healthy and strong starter.”
Those who want to try sourdough baking can purchase dehydrated starter or have starter gifted to them.
“I do have starter for sale and include instructions on how to care for it,” she says. “Because it is a live organism, it does take some maintenance, but it’s simple.”
Pierce maintains her starter by “feeding” it once a day, since hers sits on a kitchen counter 24/7. It’s equal parts water and flour to a small amount of starter. As the day goes on, the starter feeds off the new flour and water, making it active to bake bread or other bakery items. Those who don’t bake as often keep their starter refrigerated, but the “feeding” process must continue.
“You can use sourdough in just about anything you bake, you just need to adjust the flour and liquid in your recipe,” Pierce says. “I have made regular bread, flavored breads, cookies, waffles, pancakes and cinnamon rolls. I am experimenting now with brownies, sandwich loaves, pretzel bites and tortilla shells, and expect some of these will be on my order list in the future.”
Pierce currently offers a variety of flavors for her artisan sourdough loaves, including original, rosemary and jalapeno cheddar.
“I will be expanding to others and am willing to take custom requests,” she says. “Prices vary between $12 to $15 based on what ingredients are included. Clients typically get a large loaf that weighs about two pounds. Those loaves can last up to a week and a half in the fridge, if it doesn’t get eaten sooner.”
For now, Pierce has Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as TikTok. A website is in the works where she will be able to create orders, keep clients apprised of their orders, and schedule pick up and drop off dates.
“My plan is to share my journey with sourdough — the good and the bad, because we all have fails while baking, along with tips on how to care for your starter. I plan to be at the Stuart Farmers Market this summer and would like to expand to other farmers markets as time allows,” Pierce says. “I’m also hoping to collaborate with local businesses to hold pop-up sales on occasion.
“Kenny and I are blessed to have amazing friends, family and neighbors so close to us in Panora and at Lake Panorama,” Pierce says. “I’d like to thank all those who have made this a success in such a short amount of time. We have an incredible community, and I look forward to continuing this as long as I’m able.” 
To ask questions or place an order, email pierce.m.sonya@gmail.com. Other options are to private message her or fill out the secure Google form in her bio on her social pages: Facebook — Midwest Sourdough Co.; Instagram — Midwest.Sourdough.Co.IA 

Posted 02/07/2024
Special to Panora Times

Restore Wellness Studio (RWS), a studio that houses multiple independent businesses, was able to give back this year through a “Coin War” with other chamber businesses. The month of October was declared collection month, and a total of $240.84 was collected and donated to Guthrie County Hospital Foundation for breast cancer advancement and treatment. Participating businesses included Tribe Boutique, Panorama Benefits, Bryton Insurance Agency and Restore Wellness Studio. RWS plans to continue a yearly give-back in October for breast cancer awareness.

Posted 02/07/2024
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

Landon and Lindsey Loftsgard are the new owners of Panorama Gardens in Panora. Their initial goal, according to Landon, is to keep things running the way that customers have expected during the 70 years that the business was run by the Olson family. Not only are there no immediate plans for drastic change, but there is a process in place to assure continuity.
“Panorama Gardens was in the Olson family, started by Dave’s father, since the early 1950s, and they’re staying on for the next couple weeks to do some training and ensure a smooth transition,” Landon said.
A grand opening event for the new owners is tentatively planned for the spring with the date and details to be announced later.
As the new owners settle in, some expansions are likely.
“Further down the road, we’re looking at bringing in some expanded garden products, like patio furniture and trees,” Landon said. “We’re definitely open to ideas.”

Posted 02/07/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

A good way to ease the winter blues is to make plans for the upcoming golf season. There are several options to participate in golf leagues in 2024 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 pass and an established USGA handicap. The cost of the handicap is $35 plus tax per person per year. With questions about LPN annual passes or the USGA handicap, call the LPN pro shop at 641-755-2024.
Men’s leagues are on Wednesdays. An 18-hole league begins at 11:30 a.m. This is individual play using the Stableford scoring system. Nine-hole, match play leagues are at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Players in all three leagues can choose to play the white, yellow or red tees. Cost of all men’s leagues is $105.
The men’s leagues kick-off is May 1. Members or potential members are invited to attend this event. Cocktails and munchies begin at 5:30 p.m. with a brief program and raffle drawing at 6 p.m. League play begins May 8.
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. Contact Kathy DeLucca, 641-757- 2844, deluccakathleen20@gmail.com, with questions.
Annual league dues are $105, which covers the kickoff dinner, post-season party and league prizes. A league kickoff event is May 2. It begins with “fun golf” at 5 p.m., drinks and dinner at 6:30 p.m., and a brief program and raffle drawing following dinner. League competition gets underway May 9.
The Nine & Wine Series for couples involves nine holes of golf at the LPN on eight Monday afternoons, June 3 and 10; July 1 and 29; Aug. 5 and 19; and Sept. 9 and 16. Cost is $120 for LPN couple passholders and $230 for Panorama West couple passholders. Check in at 3 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. tee off. The format is best shot, with teams assigned by a blind draw. There are weekly prizes and season-ending champions. After play, the couples gather in The Links for food and drink and to hear results.
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 golf pass or pay the $18 nine-hole green fee.
The women’s league is individual play, with weekly prizes and special events. Coffee and refreshments are served in the clubhouse before or after golf. Dues for the year are $30. A kickoff luncheon is planned for Tuesday, April 30. The location will be determined at a later date. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon. Make reservations with Nini VonBon, 515-321-4000 or vonbonjk@hotmail.com.
League play begins May 7 with a two-gal mixer at 9 a.m. The first day of regular play will be May 14 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. 20. A four-gal best-shot and awards luncheon will be Aug. 27. For more information, contact Peg Carr, 641-777-6770 or pganskecarr@gmail.com.
The Tuesday evening men’s league begins April 30 and runs through Aug. 27. 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 2 and continues for 18 Thursdays, skipping the Fourth of July. Weekly league play begins with an 8 a.m. shotgun start, followed by an optional scramble for $1. A shootout and awards luncheon will be Sept. 12. Dues of $25 covers regular play with weekly cash prizes and individual awards at the end of the 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.
There is one more opportunity for competitive golf at Panorama West in 2024 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 7, June 28, July 12, July 26, Aug. 16 and Aug. 30. 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 passholders 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 pass forms for both LPN and Panorama West, plus LPN golf league forms, are available at lakepanoramanational.com.

Posted 02/07/2024
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

Schreiber Family Chiropractic is approaching its 10-year anniversary, having opened in March 2014. Over those years, not a lot has changed, which is just the way Doctors Brandon and Bailey Schreiber like it. The pair recently took time to tell their story and the story of their business.
“I’ve always just wanted to help people, and I’m kind of fearful of blood and needles, so this is a very fulfilling avenue to be able to help people,” Dr. Bailey Schreiber said. “And I job-shadowed a lot to watch people come in, in pain, and come out feeling better, just by using your hands. I thought that was really cool.”
“I went to Grand View University and then to Northwestern Health and Human Sciences, up in Bloomington, and that’s where I met Bailey,” said Dr. Brandon Schreiber. “I grew up in Wisconsin. I went to UW-La Crosse for pre-med, and then ended up getting into chiropractic at Bloomington. We got married right before we graduated, and then we came down to live in Guthrie County.”
Brandon said he got into chiropractic due to a firsthand experience utilizing chiropractic care himself.
“I actually broke my neck playing high school football,” he said. “I had planned on going into more of the medical field, but once that happened, I had a chiro that really helped me and opened my eyes to what we could do with our hands without going the traditional medical route.”
Bailey and Brandon have two children, Merrick, 8, and Ainsley, 6. They also have a pet dog, Busch, who has become an integral part of the daily routine at their workplace at 603 ½ E. Main St. in Panora.
“Busch has become an office staple,” Bailey said. “People are upset when he’s not here.”
Brandon agreed and noted that Busch seems to have a calming effect on many of the younger clients at the clinic.
The Schreibers’ business originally was next door to their current location.
“Shortly after we had been here, we were approached by a doctor up the street, Doctor Pearson,” said Brandon. “He had practiced for almost 20 years, and he was looking to get out, so we ended up taking over his practice, and that’s what really got the ball rolling. And then Doctor Snyder ended up moving to Florida, so we took over her clientele as well.”
Brandon said their business specializes in patients of all ages, from zero to 100.
“It’s different being in a small town rather than Des Moines,” he said. “In Des Moines, a lot of them treat more of a niche. And we love that. We’re both small town people, so that really pushed us into wanting to practice in a smaller community.”
The Schreibers are glad to be in Guthrie County because, although it is a rural and smalltown area, they feel the community offers everything they need on a daily basis.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have a lot of things covered in a small town, and we’re also small enough that all of us can work together,” Brandon said.
Bailey shared one of her favorite success stories.
“One of my friends brought her baby in; she was trying to learn to crawl,” she said. “But her mom noticed that one leg was just not doing anything. She was just scooting across the floor without using that one leg. I did an adjustment on her lower back and pelvis, and there was a very loud noise, and she picked herself up and crawled. That was one of the coolest things. It was so instant.”
Bailey said she enjoys the partnering she and Brandon can do, as they bring each other in when needed since they each may have a different approach or skill set. Bailey recalled a funny moment of collaboration.
“We had one patient for whom it didn’t work well for Brandon, so I came in and did the adjustment,” she said. “And he said, ‘See, even the body knows not to argue with a woman.’ ”
Brandon told of the rewards in providing care.
“I would say the most rewarding thing for me is, we’re kind of a first line of defense for musculoskeletal pain,” he said. “A lot of times, people will come to us first with a health issue, and they don’t necessarily know what to do.”
Although chiropractic care is not the solution to every situation, Brandon says patients are often surprised at how well it can help with a variety of issues. He also says he and Bailey are quick to refer their patients to other levels of care when needed.
“We’ve had numerous situations when we’ve caught a pending heart attack or maybe a stroke,” Brandon said. “And they’ve gotten medical intervention quicker than they may have gotten otherwise.”
Besides themselves, the Schreiber Family Chiropractic staff also includes Jade Irlmeier, a licensed massage therapist.
Regarding Irlmeier, Bailey said, “She’s wonderful, amazing. The hardest working employee ever. She takes a lot of pride in her work.”
Acknowledging that there are unique challenges and benefits to working together, the Schreibers noted that they have usually taken shorter vacations (often just “a long weekend”) rather than extended time off, because they are aware that most of their patients would be unserved while they are away. Bailey said they also occasionally take time off individually, such as Brandon’s hunting trips or Bailey going horseback riding with her family.
The Schreibers also noted that, while working, they each have their own examination room and list of patients, so they mostly work separately, except when collaborating on a particular patient. Also, they have agreed to leave work at work so they can fully devote themselves to family time when home.
Regarding the philosophy of their practice, Bailey said it is recognizing that everybody is not the same.
“We learned right away that we wanted to have a wide variety toolbelt kind of thing,” she said.
“We use a variety of techniques here,” Brandon said. “There’s tool-based adjusting, and there’s manual adjusting, soft tissue release, and then we use the massage therapy. That sets us apart from some chiropractic clinics because a lot of them are based on certain adjusting techniques.”
The Schreibers recognize that chiropractic care is still a relatively new discipline, having begun only a century ago. Brandon pointed out that, as more long-term data is available, chiropractic care is being seen as an effective treatment for more and more issues.
Brandon said if anyone wonders whether chiropractic can help with a particular issue, they encourage that person to call and discuss it with them.
“We try to start as non-invasive as possible and work our way up from there,” he said.
Bailey said she hopes to educate younger people about the many conditions and issues that can be improved through chiropractic care.
“Why not give it a try? We’re not going to keep you here if it’s not working,” she said.
Looking ahead, the Schreibers do not have major changes planned for their clinic or their practice. They simply aim to provide quality care in the local community.
“We never really dreamed of having a massive practice,” she said. “We like that our patients feel comfortable. They come in, and we get to know them.”

Posted 02/07/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

There are 280 different species of squirrels in the world, 40 of which are tree squirrels. Most common in the Lake Panorama community are fox squirrels, named because of their coloration similar to red foxes that also inhabit the area.
According to the Iowa DNR, squirrel paws are hand-like, with little primitive thumbs and strong claws for grasping at tree bark. These features, combined with a squirrel’s ability to rotate its hind feet 180 degrees, allow the animal to descend head-first from a tree. These same paws also make it easy for squirrels to steal from birdfeeders.
Photographer Trish Hart snapped this photo of a fox squirrel with a front paw on the metal hanger for one of several birdfeeders at the home she and her husband own in Andrew’s Cove.
“This furry guy was pretty entertaining to watch trying to acrobat his way, upside down, to the feeder,” Hart says. “When he leaned over and spotted me at our kitchen window, his expression read, ‘Excuse me, ma’am, did you know your feeder is empty?’”
Hart offers custom prints of her photos on canvas, paper, metal and glass. Learn more by visiting Nature’s Canvas Photography on Facebook.

Posted 01/10/2024
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

“Watch out for deer” is common advice in Iowa, often said both as a cautionary reminder to drive carefully and as a way of indicating, “I care about you.” As more roads and homes are built, encounters with deer are inevitable. But it wasn’t always this way.

Iowa’s history with deer
When settlers were first arriving in the territory that would eventually become Iowa, deer were plentiful, according to data shown on the Iowa DNR website. But throughout the 1800s, the deer population was hunted extensively, and the population plummeted. In 1898, the 27th General Assembly provided complete protection for deer by closing the hunting season year-round. By this time, deer were nearly extinct in most areas of the state.
Deer were re-established in Iowa through the escape of animals from captive herds, trapping and transplanting programs of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the immigration of animals from neighboring states. In 1894, 35 whitetails escaped from a captive herd in Avoca, which provided the nucleus for future herds in western Iowa. In the early 1920s, about 60 deer escaped from a farm in Washington County and became established along the Skunk River. Another herd was established in Boone County at Ledges State Park in 1928 when two deer, purchased from Minnesota, were released. In 1947, the first statewide population estimate was made with deer herds reported in 58 counties containing an estimated 1,650 animals. Deer herds were reported in 89 counties in 1950, and the population estimate was expanded to 13,000. In 2020, the statewide estimate was 445,000.

Hunting as a solution to deer overpopulation
The rapid rise of Iowa’s deer population has led to concerns of crop damage when deer feed on corn, soybeans or other crops. Deer also cause damage in gardens and yards. Because of the swelling population and lack of natural predators, hunting is considered the best means to control the population. Without adequate hunting, the number would be balanced only through disease, starvation and roadkill incidents.
Local DNR officer Jeremy King pointed out that, although some people oppose hunting, animals harvested through hunting generally do not suffer long, whereas some of the natural diseases that arise in overpopulated herds lead to animals undergoing a long, painful death. The latest statewide harvest data shows that, for the 2019-2020 season, hunters harvested 109,544 deer in Iowa.
The whitetail deer situation at Lake Panorama mirrors the statewide status. Lane Rumelhart, project manager for the Lake Panorama Association, provided information on efforts to control the local deer population and minimize related problems.
“We have a hunting program for controlling the population, and we strongly recommend our members do not feed the deer,” Rumelhart said. “Obviously, feeding the deer is going to attract them to your house, and they’re going to stay in that general area more frequently, and you’re going to anger your neighbors. It’s best to just let the deer roam freely and find their food on their own.”
Rumelhart also discourages residents from putting out salt or mineral blocks for the same reason.
According to Rumelhart, the LPA and DNR have teamed up to develop specific hunting zones at the lake. The zones are changed periodically based on deer population changes, so Rumelhart encourages interested hunters to log onto the LPA website and then check in the Hunting folder for the current map of approved deer hunting zones.
“You have to be a member to sign up, or a guest of a member. It’s free for members but costs $50 for guests to register, and you have to sign up under a member who is registered to hunt,” Rumelhart said. Each member can have up to three non-member guests sign up under the member’s name.
“We typically get around 100 members signed up every year, and they shoot anywhere from 120 to 150 deer, so that program continues to be really successful for us,” he said. “We’d like to harvest over 100 each year. That number doesn’t seem to fluctuate much, and we’re really happy with it.”
Rumelhart notes that residing at Lake Panorama doesn’t offer any special permission. Hunters are still required to have a tag to hunt a deer and must be within one of the designated hunting zones. Deer tags can be obtained from any approved vendor in the state, including the LPA office.
Iowa has a variety of deer hunting seasons. For the 2023-2024 season, these include: Youth, Sept. 16 - Oct. 1
Disabled Hunter, Sept. 16 - Oct. 1
Archery, Oct. 1 - Dec. 1 AND Dec. 18 - Jan. 10
Muzzleloader Early: Oct. 14-22, Late: Dec. 18 - Jan. 10
Shotgun First: Dec. 2-6, Second: Dec. 9-17
Nonresident Holiday Dec. 24 - Jan. 2
Population Management, January Antlerless, Jan. 11-21
Excess Tag January Antlerless, Jan. 11-21.
Shooting hours for all deer seasons are one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset.

Dealing with dead deer
Rumelhart says he receives questions at times about how to deal with a dead deer on an LPA member’s property.
“If a deer dies on your property, then you need to call one of our Animal Nuisance control specialists,” he said. “We have those listed on our vendor list. Those folks can remove that animal for a fee.”
Rumelhart says, if feasible, the property owner can drag the deer to the nearest edge of the timber and let nature take its course.
“There are a lot of animals and critters around here that will take care of a dead deer rather quickly,” he said. “Some folks may find that a bit gruesome, but that’s just nature, and that’s where we live.”
And if a deer is seen in the water?
“If there’s a deer in the lake, just call the office, and either security or maintenance will go out and try to get that deer out of the lake with our barge equipment.”
Rumelhart said if a sick or wounded animal is seen to always call the DNR.
“They’re legally responsible for taking care of those animals,” he said.

Deer population trends at the lake
According to DNR officer King, the trends in the deer population at Lake Panorama are difficult to determine.
“People can drive around and see more deer than they did last year and assume the deer population is up. And, at the same time, another person might not see many deer and assume the population is down,” he said. “Really, the basis the DNR uses is harvest registrations. Anytime a hunter harvests a deer, they’re required by law to report the harvest by midnight the day after they kill it. Then we can look at that data and see what our harvest trend is like, and we can compare that to our hunter numbers as well.”
King said he worked with the DNR wildlife department and the LPA two years ago, and they came up with the deer management zone around the lake so that they were allotted their own number of tags.
“Prior to that, anytime a member of Lake Panorama wanted to hunt Lake Panorama ground, they bought antlerless tags, and those would come out of the countywide quota,” he said. “Two years ago, we established a quota just for Lake Panorama.”
Taking all factors into consideration, King feels the deer population around Lake Panorama is relatively steady. In determining what is a “proper” number of deer, King stressed that it depends on the observer. He said, for some citizens, even a few deer are too many, while for hunters, there may never be enough.
“Trying to find that social balance is a really difficult thing,” he said.

Nuisance deer
King said that, if a deer is eating your plants, you are not allowed to shoot it.
“There are processes to try to reduce or eliminate deer damage to property,” he said. “We have a deer biologist who specifically focuses on how to help landowners and homeowners deal with nuisance deer problems.”
King lives at Lake Panorama, and he is familiar with the many interactions with deer that happen regularly here.
“They like bird feeders,” King said, “They like going where there’s an easy meal. They are animals of survival. If people are having issues with deer around their house, maybe remove those bird feeders or elevate them high enough where deer can’t get to them.”
He added that deer will sometimes stand on their back legs to reach food, so they can reach as high as 8 feet. Other suggestions for preventing deer damage to plants and trees include putting a wrap or chicken wire around trees and installing a high fence around gardens. Also, some plants are known to emit scents that deer don’t like to approach. These include lavender, sage, yarrow, daffodil and marigold.
“Another simple thing you can do that usually works pretty well is add a dryer sheet with a paper clip or something attached to the plant or the area,” King said. “A lot of times, that will ward them off.”
King stresses that deer are quickly getting used to being around people.
“I’ve driven around Lake Panorama and seen deer literally lying against houses underneath the dryer vent where the warm air is blowing on them in the winter,” he said. “A number of animals have learned to become very adapted to humans. Whitetail deer is one of them, along with raccoons and Canada geese. Deer have just learned to live with humans.”
In addition to dealing with live deer, King acknowledges, as Rumelhart did, that occasionally a deer carcass needs to be removed. He said the standard practice for dealing with dead deer on a roadway is to drag it into the nearest ditch.
“If a landowner finds one, absolutely, they’re more than welcome to drag it off somewhere,” he said. “If you find a dead deer and you want the antlers, the way Iowa’s laws are, if the antlers are still attached to the skull, then you have to get a salvage tag before you can take them.”
King said the salvage tag is free and can be obtained through him by calling or texting his work cell phone number of 712-250-0061.

Deer and disease
King says Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Guthrie County has not been a problem.
“There are about seven to nine counties in Iowa that have it,” he said. “The nearest one is Greene County, where one deer has been sampled in the last two years that had CWD. This issue that we have is EHD, which is also known as ‘blue tongue.’ ”
EHD, which stands for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, is common in the county’s deer.
“It’s a disease the deer get by being bitten by a midge bug,” he said. “It basically causes their tongue to swell, and they run a fever, so they go to water. And usually within three to four days after they’ve been bitten, they die.”
Deer infected with the EHD virus will often be found dead in the water. King said over the past year, three deer carcasses were found at Lake Panorama from suspected EHD virus. He asks the public to inform him of any such carcasses so the DNR can use accurate data to help adjust hunting tag numbers to best balance the population.

Enjoy the deer
In summarizing how to deal with wildlife nuisance issues, King said, “We do have a federal biologist that we work with, and our local biologist can help you come up with solutions if you have a major issue going on. And I think a lot of folks need to remember that we have a beautiful lake…and we’re going to have wildlife that’s going to be around there. We built homes in their home.”
King encourages everyone to remember that the natural beauty of the lake area includes geese, deer, raccoons, foxes, mink, bobcats and other animals. His best advice?
“Pour an extra cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy it.”

Posted 01/10/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

In 2012, the Lake Panorama Association conducted a fundraising campaign to plant trees along Panorama Road at the main west entrance to the lake. In the early days of the lake development, pine trees lined both sides of the road north of where a guard shack was originally.
As those trees reached the end of their life span, they were removed, but no replacements were planted. LPA members provided the impetus for the fundraising campaign, and a number of trees were planted to replace those that were lost.
Ten years later, the same situation exists. At least a dozen trees along the west entrance have been removed with both storm damage and disease as culprits. The trees planted in 2012 helped cushion the blow of these more recent losses, yet gaps remain where trees once stood.
Some members have contacted the LPA to ask if there are plans to replace trees along this iconic entrance to Lake Panorama. In 2012, Friends of Lake Panorama, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, did not exist. Now LPA is working with Friends on a fundraising campaign that will give donors who itemize at tax time the opportunity to deduct their donations.
The LPA has partnered with Isom Tree Farm on a tree planting plan. It calls for 11 new trees to be planted along Panorama Road north of the guard shack. The plan also includes the addition of two trees near the sports court at Sunset Beach.
Five sugar maple trees would be planted with a tree spade with four along Panorama Road and one at Sunset Beach. Larry and Heather Isom, who live on Burchfield Cove and own Isom Tree Farm, plan to donate one sugar maple.
The plan also includes eight nursery trees — two red maples, three London planetrees and three autumn blaze maples. One autumn blaze maple would be planted at Sunset Beach, with the other seven along Panorama Road.
The average cost per tree is $400. Those interested in funding a single tree would make a $400 donation. Larger and smaller donations also are welcome. Once fundraising is complete, all donors will be recognized in a story in the LPA Prompt and the Lake Panorama Times. Donors of $500 or more can make their donation in honor or memory of someone and will be recognized on the Friends of Lake Panorama website.
The total cost of this tree-planting project is $4,500. It is hoped this goal can be reached by the end of March so trees can be planted as soon as spring conditions allow. The LPA will take care of watering, deer protection and fertilization.
Donations to Friends are tax-deductible; all donors receive a letter of thanks to use during tax preparation. Donations can be made by check payable to Friends of Lake Panorama and mailed to Friends, P.O. Box 488, Panora, IA, 50216. Donations also can be made through Venmo @Panorama-Friends, or by credit card at friendsoflakepanorama.org.

Posted 01/10/2024
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

A recent meeting of the Raccoon River Valley Carving Club found four of the members present at their workshop in the Conference Center at Lake Panorama. The room included a variety of machinery, tools and books related to wood carving, but the centerpiece was the four artists and friends sitting around the tables. Dennis Shepherd, Terry Sprague, Tom Schaefer and Dave Beidelman each worked on a current carving project as they socialized. Members not present were Ted Reeve, Rich Schumacher, Jim Sievers, Mike Halupnick, Tom Loeck, Jerry Armstrong and Frank Teale.
The group meets regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-11:30 a.m. and has been doing so for several years.
“Tom Jeschke gets the accolades for the group,” Shepherd said. “He started teaching classes in the community a long time ago, and he had a lot of students. This group hasn’t been here all that long, as far as meeting in this location.”
Dr. Jeschke passed away in March of 2023, and the four carvers agreed that he was a skilled instructor who helped each of them improve techniques and know-how.
In describing how Jeschke first started carving, Sprague said, “The story was that (Jeschke’s wife) Conni saw something that she liked, and Tom wasn’t going to pay that price for it, so he just decided to make it himself.”
Each of the four shared examples of how carving is a learning process and that mistakes are inevitable, but valuable, moments.
“(Dr. Jeschke) was very patient as a teacher, and meticulous,” Shepherd said. “He let you do your own thing, and he kept an eye on how you could improve.”
As the members talked, they showed what they are currently working on. Many of the projects are planned to be given to grandchildren or other family members. Figurines and Christmas tree ornaments are first carved, then sanded and painted. Most of the objects are carved from basswood, since it’s a soft and tight-knit wood with few cracks in the grain.
Although each member pointed to Jeschke as his instructor, the four have also become teachers to new carving enthusiasts. Shepherd told of introducing a Girl Scout group to carving.
“I introduced them to carving a yam, as Tom did with us,” he said. “It’s a lot softer and easier to carve than wood.”
The group keeps safety in mind, since the power tools and even the hand tools can easily cut deeply into flesh. The four also said they welcome anyone interested in carving to come visit them for advice and help in getting started.
The four chatted and joked as they worked on their projects and gave each other suggestions when asked. It soon became apparent that the friendship is at least as important as the craft.
“The group is kind of about fellowship,” Shepherd said.

Posted 01/10/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The phrase, “Like father, like son,” is well known. But in the case of Melissa Merical, the phrase, “Like father, like daughter,” fits. That’s because her love of Corvettes reflects the love her father had for Corvettes.
“I always wanted a Corvette when I was younger,” Merical says. “My father was a Corvette collector and had many Corvettes through the years. He was president of the Corvette Club of Iowa. He collected Corvettes and Dodge Vipers. He would take me with him to club meetings, parties and racing events.”
Now, Merical is the proud owner of a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The name of the car’s color is as fancy as the car itself — Hypersonic Gray Metallic.
“When the new C8 Corvette was introduced, I knew I had to have one,” Merical says. “I purchased it from Joel Hester at Karl’s Chevrolet in Stuart. I ordered it in 2020, and because of COVID delays, it arrived in 2022.”
When she was a child, Merical’s parents, Jim and Sandy Strong, had a condo on Lake Panorama’s main basin. Later, they had a home on the west side near Shady Beach, so she spent many years of weekends and summers at the lake. She grew up in homes in West Des Moines and Ankeny and graduated from Ankeny High School.
Merical has lived full-time at Lake Panorama since 2006 when she built a house on Donahey Drive. Merical’s father passed away in 2008. Her mother has a log cabin across the street from her, and her sister lives in a home nearby. Her three children and five grandchildren all live within an hour’s drive.
She is a self-taught artist and interior designer. Her website, Merical Creations, features a gallery of original paintings and large design projects. Beginning in 2012, Merical developed a portion of her family’s farm west of Panora that now is Twin Vines. She planted the vineyard and designed the house, barn and other structures. For a time, she had her art studio in the house.
Merical’s 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray features removable hard tops, an engine in the back, and a “frunk” in the front, where the engine is found on most cars. Online specs show the C8 Corvette can go from zero to 60 in 2.9 seconds and has a top track speed of 194 miles per hour.
This isn’t the first notable car Merical has owned.
“I had a 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T powered by a 5.7 Hemi,” she says. “That was a fun car to drive. I owned it four years and sold it when I got the Corvette.”
Merical’s Corvette is in a cozy garage attached to her home. It is climate controlled with geothermal and in-floor heating with a shiny epoxy floor that is kept as clean as the Corvette.
“My daughter Nicole says my Corvette is a ‘garage queen’ because I rarely drive it. She did convince me to drive her to the Jelly Roll concert in Omaha last year, and I even let her drive it back home,” Merical says. “I have been to the Guthrie County Cars and Coffee meets a few times. I’ve also been to several parades and area car shows. I really enjoy being with other car enthusiasts and talking cars and car-related topics.”
Does Merical plan any updates to her Corvette?
“I ordered the car fully optioned and have not made any additional improvements,” she says. “I am planning to have Detailer’s Eye in Panora give the car a ceramic coat in the spring, which will help protect the paint.
“I don’t consider myself a gearhead,” Merical says. “But I do enjoy driving a car with more than average horsepower. My dad was a pilot and enjoyed flying in the air as well in his Corvettes. I share that same passion.”
The vanity license plate on Merical’s Corvette references the word Mistletoe.
“My dad used to call me that when I was a little girl,” she says. “I thought this would be a good remembrance of him, because this is the kind of car he loved.”
As they say, like father, like daughter.

Posted 01/10/2024
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

After 32 years, Sharon Neel’s last day on the job at Lake Lumber was Dec. 28. At an open house that afternoon, customers and friends joined the Lake Lumber family in wishing Sharon well as she retired.
The Neel family has a long history in the lumber business. In 1900, George Neel and Sons purchased a lumberyard in Rippey. One son, Leonard, started Neel Lumber in Grand Junction in 1927. His son, Bob, took over the business in 1954. Bob and Dorothy Neel purchased Lake Lumber in 1977, and continued to operate the Grand Junction location until it closed in 1982.
Bob and Dorothy’s son, Tom, joined the business in 1984. When Tom and Sharon married and moved to Panora, Sharon worked for Midwest Landscaping. She joined the lumber business Jan. 2, 1992, taking over management of the hardware line. The Neels sold Lake Lumber to Kelvin Hafner in July 2021 and have continued to work there since the sale.
“I have greatly appreciated having Sharon stay on since I purchased Lake Lumber,” says Hafner. Hafner’s wife, Stephanie, joined the business in May 2022. She oversees the retail operation and manages the hardware line.
“Sharon is a wealth of knowledge,” Stephanie Hafner says. “She has been a valuable asset throughout the transition. Sharon has built an amazing hardware store for our community, with the goal of providing homeowners and contractors the resources to repair any project. She has graciously passed down her meticulous notes on products, vendors, tips and tricks for every department of the store.”
Sharon says while she is ready to retire, she will miss the relationships that have formed.
“We have the best customers, who have become friends. It’s like a reunion every time our seasonal friends return to say hello, shop and catchup on family,” she says. “I will miss my people, and that includes coworkers and salespeople. So many people supported and helped me during my 32 years at Lake Lumber.”
Neel places relationships at the top of her list of things she liked about working at Lake Lumber, but there is more.
“I also enjoyed the creative process of building displays and promoting amazing new merchandise,” she says. “Plus helping customers find what they came into the store to buy.”
Tom Neel continues to work four days a week with no set date for his retirement. Tara Rooney, who Sharon mentored for several years, now oversees the paint department. Brenda Wilson and Jessica Hein joined the Lake Lumber team in 2023, and also will help fill Sharon Neel’s shoes.
Neel’s retirement plans are extensive.
“First is to simply enjoy time at home and complete some furnishing and decorative projects. I also plan to unpack boxes to find lost items from our move to Lake Panorama from Panora five years ago,” she says.
Next up are travels to visit friends and family, volunteering, organizing years of photos and memories, crafting, watercolor painting, and perhaps picking up her guitar again. She might even consider a seasonal job at a greenhouse, nursery or floral shop to take her back to her horticulture roots.
Asked for a final comment, Neel returns to her customers.
“It was my privilege and a blessing to have met, known and been allowed to help so many awesome customers who chose to shop Lake Lumber,” she says.