Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Lake Panorama began to fill with water on June 8, 1970, when the gate for the newly built dam was closed. The lake mainly is fed by the Middle Raccoon River; there also are many small streams within Lake Panorama’s 433-square-mile watershed that eventually drain into it.
An ongoing dredging program is the main line of defense that keeps Lake Panorama from filling with silt. In recent years, steps have been taken to slow the flow of sediment into the lake before it needs to be dredged out.
Three wetlands along streams that lead into Lake Panorama now are in place to help protect water quality in the lake. These sites are effective at reducing the movement of nitrogen but also have a positive impact on sediment and phosphorus, which fuels the blue green algae blooms that generally occur each summer.
The Helen’s Cove wetland was built in 2016 and is on the east side of Sage Trail, northeast of the Lake Panorama Association (LPA) east campground. The Hughes Cove wetland was built in 2017 and is north of 200th Road, north of the Fin and Feather building. The Smith wetland was built in 2019 and is on the north side of 180th Street, north of Burchfield Cove.
“Certain native plants create an environment that reduces nutrients in the water,” says Lane Rumelhart, LPA project manager. “The blue green algae blooms we see in the summer are a result of high concentrations of phosphorus in our lake. Reduction of these excess nutrients can really benefit the lake’s water quality. Vegetation also helps stabilize the wetlands from any erosion on large flow events.”
Water levels are controlled by taking out or adding stop-logs in the outlet structure at each wetland.
“Each spring, I raise the pool level on all three wetlands to catch as much water and silt as possible,” Rumelhart says. “I try to hold off raising the pool level until the exposed perimeter of the pool has a chance to establish some vegetation. In the fall, we lower the pool level to reduce risk of ice damage on the outlet structures.”
Josh Gansen is a wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He serves nine counties, including Guthrie County. This summer, Rumelhart reviewed each of the three wetlands with Gansen and says he received some good management tips.
“One strategy I plan to use beginning next season will be periodic draw downs in the months of July and August to encourage more vegetative growth. The plan is to reduce the pool level by 6 inches every two weeks beginning in mid-July through mid-August. This will gradually lower the water level a couple of feet over the course of four to six weeks, allowing plants that need a saturated environment enough time to get established.”
Rumelhart says this timeframe is outside of the typical high-flow parts of the year, putting the lake at less risk of taking on overflow sediment in the case of a big rain event. More cover around the edges of the wetland also helps keep more excess nutrients out of the lake, providing better water quality.
Is there a way to measure the effectiveness of the wetlands?
“We do not currently test nutrient levels coming in and out of the wetlands,” Rumelhart says. “We used to work with Iowa State University to track these numbers, but the process proved to be very time-consuming for LPA staff. We would welcome a conversation with anyone interested in volunteering to take on testing in one or all three wetlands.”
The Hughes Cove and Helen’s Cove wetlands have a sediment forebay. Water slows down as it flows into these wetland basins, allowing sand and silt to settle before making its way into the main wetland channel. These forebays allow sediment to be dug out periodically using a long-stick excavator.
Besides improving water quality for Lake Panorama, Rumelhart says the wetlands offer exceptional wildlife habitat for many creatures that would otherwise search for shelter in and around the lake itself.
“The buffer strips also provide excellent cover for pollinators to have pollen available on different spring, summer and fall forbs,” he says. “This allows the pollinator species to thrive throughout the year.”
Waterfowl and upland hunting are allowed at the Smith and Helen’s Cove wetlands. Hunters must read the signage at these locations for special regulations; for instance, no lead shot is allowed. All rules, regulations and seasons set by Iowa DNR are in effect for those who choose to hunt these areas. No hunting is allowed at the Hughes Cove wetland.
Since 1998, the Lake Panorama Rural Improvement Zone (RIZ) has made it possible for Lake Panorama home and lot owners to use a portion of their property tax dollars to fund erosion control and water quality efforts.
RIZ has funded all three of these wetlands. There have been partners along the way, such as Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, and the USDA.
RIZ has plans for two more wetlands. One would be directly north of the Smith wetland. The other will be located northwest of the West Burchfield Cove, between Rose Avenue and Panorama Drive. RIZ has acquired the land necessary for these projects but needs permits from the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE).
“USACE refuses to deem the drainages that run through these proposed wetlands as intermittent or seasonal streams and is requiring RIZ to increase construction costs 30-40% for mitigation credits,” Rumelhart says. “This is an ongoing issue that RIZ, Shive Hattery Engineers, and other partners continue to work through. These hurdles have set back RIZ’s timeframe, and no date has been set to start these projects.”
Rumelhart encourages LPA members to take a drive to visit any or all of the wetlands.
“These are very successful projects, have incredible wildlife, and, in my opinion, the month of October is the best time of year to view these areas,” he says. “The weather tends to be cooler, the native grasses are in their fall color, and there are plenty of chances to see waterfowl, otters, muskrats and many other wildlife species.”

Posted 10/11/2023
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

Betty Minick of Lake Panorama bowls in the Monday Afternoon League at Incredi-Bowl in Guthrie Center.  But she’s not there just for her personality and winning smile. She knows how to knock the pins around, even at the age of 92.
In fact, on Sept. 25, Minick ended up with a single-game score of 197. When asked if that’s her highest score ever, Minick said, “No, I’ve been over 200 a few times.”  Her 197 game included an impressive four strikes in a row, which is sometimes called a “four-bagger” or a “hambone.”  But that’s something most bowlers never achieve.
“I started (bowling) about 61 years ago,” Minick said.
Obviously, all that practice has paid off, since Minick currently has the second-highest women’s single-game score listed on the wall at Incredi-Bowl. The top score listed for this season is 213, just 16 points higher than Minick. Based on recent results, that position might be in jeopardy.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Shane Goodman
Lake Panorama Times

The Guthrie County Community Foundation and the Panorama Alumni Association held a press conference at the Panorama High School Board Room on Oct. 1 at 4:30 p.m. to announce a $270,000 gift from the Panorama Scholarship Foundation (PSF) to the Panorama Alumni Association. The PSF, founded by Bill and Pat Deal in 1992, provided scholarships anonymously to Panorama High School graduates for more than 30 years. Students who received PSF scholarships could earn up to $6,000 over four semesters if they met grade qualifications.
The Panorama Alumni Association scholarships program began when current alumni president Jerry Armstrong and his wife, Nancy, wanted to see the Panorama Alumni Association give back.
“We believed in the importance of supporting students who are graduating and attending college,” said Armstrong. They began an annual golf tournament to fund a Panorama Alumni Association scholarship program, which awarded $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors from Panorama High School.
With the additional funds transferred from PSF, the Alumni Association will now have assets managed under the umbrella of the Guthrie County Community Foundation, which will provide the Panorama Alumni Association with 501(c)(3) status and allow for tax-deductible donations from others to the organization for scholarships.
“This is a dream come true,” said Panorama Alumni Association board member Andy Arganbright. “With this generous gift from Tammy Deal and Cyndi (Deal) Atkins, we will be able to fund scholarships for many years to come. And this is just the beginning,” said Arganbright, “as we will continue with our fundraising in other ways as well. Anyone interested in learning more about how to donate should contact the local Edward Jones representative, Dave Grove, who will service the Panorama Alumni Association scholarship account, or anyone on the Alumni Association board.”
Association board members hope that additional donations from other alumni will grow the scholarship fund even larger for more students to benefit.
“We want to build on what the Deals created and continue to expand the scholarship fund,” said Arganbright. Growth in the percentage of students who need financial help, coupled with changes to financial aid eligibility, make these scholarships ever more important.
“Our parents believed in the importance of education,” said Tamara Deal, who also serves as the Guthrie County Community Foundation president. “And we are pleased to continue with that effort.”
The Panorama Alumni Association is one of the longest running alumni groups in the State of Iowa going back to graduates of the original Guthrie County High. Started in the late 1800s, the Alumni Association has continued to meet annually in Panora over Panorama Days to honor the many students from Panora, Linden, Bagley, Jamaica and Yale who have become members of the association.
The Guthrie County Community Foundation has awarded $1.6 million in total grants to 59 Guthrie County organizations since 2005. More than $208,000 was awarded in 2023 alone. For more information, visit www.guthriecountycommunityfoundation.org.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The third annual Raccoon River Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s was held in Panora Sept. 16. There were 125 participants on 28 teams, and more than $34,000 was raised. Participant and team numbers were higher than last year’s, as was the amount of money raised.
The walk began at the Michael Mills Memorial Park. The two-mile route had walkers heading east from the park, north to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, and south on the trail before looping back to the park.
These Alzheimer’s Association fundraising walks are held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide. There are 19 walks scheduled in Iowa this fall, with Panora being the smallest town to host one.
Alzheimer’s kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. More than 6 million Americans are living with the disease. In 2023, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the United States $345 billion, a number that is projected to rise to more than $1 trillion in 2050.
Tom Reil of Guthrie Center, who said both his grandmother and his father Bob suffered from the disease, was the emcee for the opening ceremony.
Edward Jones is a national presenting sponsor of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, having raised more than $5 million this year. Dave Grove, an Edward Jones financial advisor based in Panora, was instrumental in getting the local walk started.
During the opening ceremony, Dave Grove was recognized as the 2023 Volunteer of the Year for Development by the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. After the event, Grove expressed his thanks.
“It was a beautiful morning,” he said. “We are so thankful for the support of walkers and local businesses that made this year a great success.”
Spinning flowers in four colors were available for walk participants to place in a Promise Garden. Reil asked various people in the crowd to show each colored flower, and explained its meaning. Blue – someone living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Purple – someone who has lost someone to the disease. Yellow – a person currently supporting or caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s. Orange – a person who supports the cause and the Alzheimer’s Association’s vision of a world without the disease.
Leo and Norah Grove, whose parents are Dave and Sara Grove, displayed a white flower, which will represent the first survivor of Alzheimer’s, once a cure is found. Sue Bump of Reshape Fitness Studio led walkers in warmup exercises before the two-mile walk.
The goal for this year’s Raccoon River Valley Walk was $30,000, which has been surpassed by $4,000. However, donations can continue to be made online to the 2023 Raccoon River Valley Walk through Dec. 31, at act.alz.org/rrvwalk.
In addition to Edward Jones, sponsors of the local walk included Lakeside Village, New Homestead, Guthrie County State Bank, Care Initiatives, Iowa Trust and Savings Bank, Panora Fiber, Nutriom and Dallas County Hospital. At registration, Crafty’s Coffee provided coffee, and Hy-Vee provided bananas and bottled water.
Committee members were Dave Grove, Mel Borgeson, Mary Jane Carothers and Bob Grove. Many other volunteers were present to help the day of the event, including members of the Panora Garden Club. Plans are in the works to hold a fourth Raccoon River Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s in fall 2024.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

It’s been more than two years since Kelvin Hafner purchased Lake Lumber in Panora from the Neel family. The transfer of ownership was announced to Lake Lumber employees July 19, 2021, in a meeting that involved owners Tom and Sharon Neel and Hafner.
Today, the Neels continue to be part of the Lake Lumber team. Tom works remotely most days, and the couple’s four-day work week allows them to enjoy more vacation time.
There are several new faces at Lake Lumber. Kelvin’s wife, Stephanie Hafner, came on board in May 2022. She oversees the retail operation and manages the hardware line.
“We continue to expand the retail department to offer a greater selection to serve the community’s needs,” she says.
Ryan Wambold is the new construction blueprint designer and estimator. This is one of several expanding services Lake Lumber now offers to customers. Another new service includes pole barn design provided by Lake Lumber team member Patrick Malloy, who has been with the company since 2020. Troy Bergeson is the company’s new accounting manager.
The Hafners are in growth mode.
“The pieces are coming together for growth,” Kelvin says. “Two years ago, there were 13 employees here; now we have 19. As our customer base has grown, we have added the necessary staff and equipment to support the growth with a focus on efficiency and improving the environment for staff and customers. We expanded our storage options by adding new racking systems and leasing a nearby building. We cleaned out the basement and added racking to organize and stock our retail inventory.”
Renovations on the building began a few months ago.
“We redesigned the existing footprint to offer employees more amenities and customers a more robust shopping experience. Our future growth plan includes adding another building with a dock to assist with receiving and deliveries,” Hafner says.
The entrance on the west side of the building will provide direct access into the new design center and offices. The design center will include a larger showroom for customer selections of Bertch and Waypoint cabinets, Marvin and ThermoTech windows, Therma Tru Doors, and other interior and exterior finishes. A new conference room for client selection meetings will enhance the customer experience. There also will be a new contractor and building material checkout area.
“The items showcased in the design center are a huge part of our business,” says Stephanie Hafner. “Our competitors have showrooms to help customers with the selection process; we want to provide our customers with a beautiful showroom to spotlight the products customers can select for their homes.”
The renovation on the north end also allowed for an expanded breakroom with more space to accommodate the growing staff. One bathroom has been added, and two existing bathrooms will be remodeled.
Discussions about these recent renovations began last February, as the Hafners made the decision to switch from their current hardware supplier to Do it Best. Founded in 1945, Do it Best is the only U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry.
“We made the decision to switch to Do it Best because their business model was more aligned with ours,” Kelvin says. “Currently, the hardware store is 10% and the lumberyard is 90% of Lake Lumber. Do it Best is 60% building materials and 40% hardware. Our new partnership with them, and the plans for growth we developed with them, led to the store redesign.”
“Do it Best allows us to further expand the number of retail items available,” Stephanie says. “It is customer-focused, proactive, and has insight into what products to offer. They are a national vendor with great volume discounts, which allows us to offer more competitive pricing to our customers.”
In November, exterior updates to the main Lake Lumber building will be done with a new front entrance created. A new sign along Highway 4 will be installed.
To prepare for the new retail area, offices along the west wall will be removed, as will the current counter and checkout area. This work, combined with other renovations, will expand the retail space by about 600 square feet.
In January, a team of Do it Best employees will spend about three weeks resetting the retail area. Display areas will be stocked, lighting updated and new signage added. Two new, more traditional checkout lanes will be installed. There will be a new “Color Bar” in the paint department where direct purchases of paint and related items can be made. The store will remain open during the reset.
“We know our customer base and know many live in the chaos of a remodel or new construction,” Stephanie says. “We’ll be doing the same thing, living through what may seem like chaos, but our focus will remain the same: to provide our customers with quality customer service.”
By April, the Hafners expect to be settled in and plan to host some “reopening” events that target various segments of their customer base.
Hafner says his purchase of Lake Lumber has been everything he hoped for, and more.
“The transition with the Neels has been great,” he says. “Our business growth has been consistent and strong. I’m excited where we are right now, and excited about the remodel and the new partnership with Do it Best. We look forward to serving our customers as we continue to grow.” 

Posted 10/11/2023
By Lynn Kuhn
Special to Lake Panorama Times

Last month, I offered three low-maintenance landscapes that have awesome lakeside appeal, and I have two more to share this month. What is “low maintenance”? For this list, I picked perennials that satisfy my definition of low maintenance and are attractive as well. The plants must check all boxes to make the list.
• little or no watering once established
• not picky about soil
• deer and rabbit resistant (most of the time)
• optional dead-heading
• not invasive
• long blooming
• good looking foliage
These additional ones are also tough, tried and true. I think you’ll love them.

Sedum
(Russian Stonecrop)
Thunderhead (24-30”x24”) large fuchsia heads
Back in Black (20-24”x24-30”) striking dark foliage
Neon  (12-18”x12-18”) chartreuse foliage, compact
Autumn Fire (18-24”x18”) long lasting crimson blooms
Kamtschaticum (4-6”x18”) perfect filler around other plants to discourage weeds, many varieties are available
Angelina (4-6” x 1-2’) chartreuse spiky leaves, apricot fall color, semi-evergreen
Dazzleberry (6-8”x12-18”) smoky blue-gray foliage with raspberry pink flowers
There are 400 to 500 species in the sedum family, not to mention hundreds of cultivars within the species. There has been a flood of new cultivars introduced into the market in recent years. My list includes both new introductions and oldies that have been around forever.

Designer Tip: Use Sedum kamtschaticum around the base of taller cultivars. Put Angelina at the base of plants with burgundy or dark green foliage. Pair Dazzleberry with Standing Ovation Little Bluestem for a stunning tone-on-tone combo with contrasting texture and touches of burgundy.

Stachys
(Betony, Lamb’s Ear)
Hummelo (18-24”x18”) thrives in heat and poor soil
Big Ears (12”x24-36”) larger leaves than traditional lamb’s ear, pruning off blooms is optional based on personal preference

When you hear lamb’s ear, you may envision small fuzzy gray low growing foliage. Big Ears is similar but with much larger leaves. Hummelo comes from a different species within the family and doesn’t look anything like traditional lamb’s ear. It’s known for stunning pink spiky blooms and was selected as Perennial Plant of the Year in 2019. If you see one called Helen Von Stein, then buy it. It is identical to Big Ears.

Designer Tip: Use Hummelo as a substitute for the invasive and now illegal pink lythrum that used to be so popular. Yes, it’s shorter, but you still get beautiful bright pink spikey blooms.
Give these a try at the lake house.

Written by Lynn Kuhn, author of “Conversation Gardens: Where Conversations Flow and Relationships Grow.” She is a landscape architect, speaker and owner of Conversation Gardens (formerly Outdoor Transformations). You can reach Lynn at lynn@conversationgardens.com or www.conversationgardens.com.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

This year marks the 14th season of the Iowa Hawkeyes Kid Captain program. It is a partnership between University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital and the Iowa Hawkeyes football program to honor pediatric patients with incredible stories. Twelve current and former patients are selected each year to have their stories highlighted throughout the football season.
Chloe Dinkla, adopted daughter of Alex and Megan Dinkla, is one of the 2023 Kid Captains. She and her family will be recognized at the Iowa vs. Rutgers football game Nov. 11. Chloe was born Oct. 12, 2012, in Pingliang City, China. In January 2014, she came home to Iowa and the Dinkla family.
“We adopted through the special needs program in China,” says Megan Dinkla. “Chloe’s diagnosis on her adoption file was single club foot. This was something we felt more than comfortable with. From what we could research, she would need some casting on her foot and then would go on to live a normal, healthy life. She was the first, and only, referral we saw from our adoption agency, and we instantly knew she was our daughter.”
Chloe did have a club foot. She was seen by an orthopedic doctor in Des Moines in February 2014.
“We talked to our pediatrician after that appointment, and she referred us to Iowa City. Her first appointment in Iowa City was at the end of March. Everything went quickly after they located the mass in her back,” Megan says.
Once she was examined at the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, she was diagnosed with several serious conditions. Chloe had scoliosis, a curvature of the spine; spina bifida, a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine; tethered spinal cord, when the spinal cord abnormally attaches to the wall of the spinal canal; and a bony mass that split her spinal cord. Her club foot was neurogenic and caused by her spine issues.
In April 2014, Chloe had an 11-hour neurosurgical procedure to repair her spinal cord. Other surgeries followed, in June 2014, December 2014, October 2018 and April 2022. One surgery involved the placement of MAGnetic Expansion Control TM (MAGEC) rods, to minimize the progression of scoliosis. Chloe also has been treated for an eye muscle disorder, and Duane syndrome, a congenital eye misalignment that causes difficulties in the eyes moving side to side.
Dr. Stuart Weinstein, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, is Chloe’s primary doctor.
“There are different types of scoliosis, but this is called congenital because she was born with it,” he says. “If she hadn’t had the advantage of modern treatments, it would have affected her lung function and potentially her longevity. She also could have become quite deformed.”
The MAGEC rods came on the market in 2014.
“The spine is not fused, so you can stretch it,” Dr. Weinstein says. “We are able to take an externally applied device, which spins a magnet in the rod, and as it spins the rod, the rod gets longer. Before these rods, we’d have to take the patient back to the operating room every six months and make it longer to keep up with growth. Now the kids come to clinic three times a year, we apply the magnet and the rod lengthens.”
Chloe will have at least one more spinal surgery, to remove the MAGEC rods and replace those with permanent rods.
“We keep the movable rods in place until children get through the majority of their spine growth and allow their lungs to develop more normally,” Dr. Weinstein says.
Megan Dinkla says because of Chloe’s physical limitations, there is a lot she can’t do.
“No sports, dance, gymnastics. When we heard about the Kid Captain program during a visit to Stead Hospital, Chloe was instantly interested,” she says. “Her words? ‘Then I’ll be famous like Taylor Swift!’ She asked every day if we had heard from them. We were all shocked when we got the call that she had been selected.”
The University of Iowa football team hosted its annual Kids’ Day at Kinnick Aug. 12. There was an open practice at noon, with pre-practice activities in the Krause Family Plaza. The 2023 Kid Captains joined the players on the field for photos following an exclusive inside look at Kinnick Stadium.
On Nov. 11, Chloe and her family will go onto the field during pregame as her story is shared. Chloe also gets to pick the song to play that day during the Hawkeye Wave. At the end of the first quarter, football fans turn to the children’s hospital to wave to the pediatric patients and their families watching the game. This is the second year the Kid Captains have been asked to help select a song to accompany the Hawkeye Wave.
Alex Dinkla was born and raised in Guthrie Center, the adopted son of Dwight and Brenda Dinkla. Megan lived in Menlo.
“We were high school sweethearts and lived in Guthrie Center from 2000 to 2003,” Megan says. “We moved when Alex got a job as a police officer in Panora. Later he was hired by the Adair County Sheriff’s office, before joining the Iowa State Patrol in 2007. In 2008, he was able to get transferred to his home area, and we moved back to Guthrie Center.”
Megan says because Alex was adopted as a newborn, adoption was always on their hearts.
“Although I never guessed we would adopt from China,” she says. “I had a third-grader in my classroom one year who was adopted from China, and her family was in the process of adopting another child from China. Something about her story and how amazing she was made us look into adoptions from China.”
Megan says having Chloe’s file state her only health issue was a club foot turned out to be a blessing.
“We know we would never have been presented her file if her paperwork had the correct information on it,” she says. “Thank goodness the paperwork was wrong. We would have missed out on having the opportunity to raise one of the most brave, resilient and beautiful girls we know.”
Once Chloe joined the Dinkla family, Megan started advocating for other children in China still waiting for a family, specifically those with spina bifida.
“That’s how we saw our sweet Molly for the first time. We never planned to adopt a second child from China, but after Molly’s first adoption family backed out, we knew she was ours, and nothing would stop us from bringing her home,” Megan says. Molly joined the Dinkla family in June 2016. She has spina bifida and hydrocephalus but has not required any major surgeries.
The Dinkla family moved from Guthrie Center to Winterset in May 2015. Alex is a sergeant with the Iowa State Patrol, and Megan continues as a third-grade teacher. Megan also continues to advocate for special needs children in China who need a family.
“Since we moved to Winterset and adopted Molly, eight other children have been adopted by local families in Winterset. It’s been such a beautiful thing to be a part of,” she says. “People tell us all the time that Chloe and Molly are so lucky we adopted them. We completely disagree; we are the lucky ones to have the blessing of them in our family.”

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

About 40 LPA members attended the Sept. 22 GM Coffee to hear updates from John Rutledge, Lake Panorama Association (LPA) general manager. Rutledge started by providing some history on his various roles at Lake Panorama National Resort.
Rutledge was hired in 2007 as the LPA general manager, which also included him having a lead role with the Lake Panorama Rural Improvement Zone (RIZ). He became LPN director of operations in December 2018.
“Doing all three proved to be too much for one person, but transition during the pandemic wasn’t practical,” he said.
Rutledge said Royce Shaffer, who has been LPN operations manager for nearly five years, was appointed LPN director of operations Sept. 1.
“I remain involved from a financial standpoint, as LPN is one of LPA’s most substantial and important assets,” Rutledge said. “But I have stepped back entirely from day-to-day activities. This is a move that was recommended by me and Royce, and which was fully supported by the LPN board of managers and the LPA board of directors.”
Shaffer introduced himself, saying he had been with the LPN/LPA organization in various roles since 2003, with the exception of a year-and-a-half beginning in 2006 when he managed the Majestic Hills golf course in Denison.
Shaffer reported 2023 was busy for both the Lake Panorama National and Panorama West golf courses. Through August, LPN paid rounds of golf were up 26% over 2022, with paid golf rounds at Panorama West up 21% over last year.
“Fall turf maintenance has begun,” he said. “Aerification has been completed at both courses, with fall chemical sprays and fall fertilization next. Also, this time of year we struggle with raccoons and skunks digging for grubs. Grub control is sprayed with our summer fertilizer application. Unfortunately, this is not 100% effective. The turf team is looking into alternate grub control options for 2024.”
Shaffer talked about a membership survey underway to gather input on The Links restaurant operation. Information gathered from this survey, plus a second one designed specifically for golf outing coordinators, will be reviewed with the LPN food and beverage task force, and shared with Nick and Lynn Kuhn, 2023 food and beverage tenants.
Shaffer closed his report by encouraging anyone not receiving the LPN Resort Weekly email to get signed up. This newsletter typically is sent each Monday and highlights upcoming LPN events and other information. To sign up, go to the LPN website, lakepanoramanational.com, scroll down to the “Get the Latest News” section, and enter an email address.
Turning to RIZ, Rutledge said the 2023-24 fiscal year began July 1. Projected tax increment financing revenues for this fiscal year are $2.94 million.
Expansion of the old CIPCO sediment basin, which has been renamed the 180th Trail Basin, continues. The project is expected to exceed $4 million in total cost once completed. This basin will be used for dredging spoils once the current basin is full.
RIZ operated a pilot program for cover crop incentives in 2022, working with two neighboring landowners in the Lake Panorama watershed.
“We are expanding this effort with other local producers this fall,” Rutledge said. “Cover crops address erosion vulnerability and nutrient runoff during the period between fall harvest and spring planting and crop emergence.”
Rutledge said dredging is ongoing above the debris trap.
“We traditionally relocate below the debris trap after Labor Day, but will remain upstream this year as we are in a productive area,” he said.
RIZ continues to work on mid-term and long-term plans. “Replacement of the dredge soon will be a topic for the budget,” Rutledge said. “Although the physical equipment itself has a long lifespan, the technology does not.”
Rutledge said RIZ is planning to issue $9.9 million in debt certificates this fall.
“The public notice will list $14 million of authority, but the intent is to pursue $9.9 million. This is contrary to the way we would run a business or our personal finances, but TIF (tax increment financing) requires indebtedness to ensure full use of funding,” he said. “Please know Lake Panorama RIZ’s financial health is very strong; debt issuance is simply how Iowa’s TIF works.”
The FY 2022-23 RIZ audit is complete.
“It was a clean audit with no audit comments,” Rutledge said. “We work very hard to ensure accuracy and transparency, and I want to compliment all of our team members for doing a great job.”
Rutledge said legislative issues remain a top priority.
“Property tax reform was one of the hot issues for 2023, and there is discussion the Iowa Legislature will revisit that with another round of property tax reforms,” he said. “TIF reform would impact RIZ; we’ve already been involved with key legislators and Gov. Reynold’s office to set a foundation for future discussions and input to protect RIZ.”
The LPA Water Safety committee met Sept. 19.
“We received requests to add more no-wake areas or to consider reducing some speed limits from 10 mph to 5 mph. The concern is a two-part concern, about both speed and wake,” Rutledge said.
“Boats can go 10 mph or less and still create a measurable wake. After discussion, the committee recommended no changes to the 2024 buoy map. They believe expanding the no-wake zones would push more traffic into a tighter portion of the lake, creating larger safety concerns for the main channel,” he said. “This is a tough issue as our lake is limited in size. We recommend members be courteous about creating large wakes in coves.” (Note: At its Sept. 26 meeting, the LPA board approved the committee recommendation of no changes to the 2024 buoy map.)
Another topic discussed at the water safety committee was boats that cause larger wakes.
“Wakeboats and surfboats continue to generate a lot of discussion, with some members being strong advocates for these and some being strong advocates against,” Rutledge said. “We will revisit our 2020 survey to determine if more education or a follow-up survey is needed to help balance these competing member concerns and interests.”
Sta-Bilt completed 7.5 miles of seal coat on LPA roads this year.
“We’re pleased with the results, although the price continues to ratchet upwards. This year the cost was about $30,000 per mile,” Rutledge said.
Rutledge shared a reminder about LPA’s rules regarding home rentals.
“Members are able to rent their home once every four weeks. This can be for the entire four-week period or just a couple of days,” he said. “The rules try to balance what is best for the neighborhood with the desire of members to rent their home for some occasional income.”
The LPA deer hunting program was finalized in July, and remains much the same as the last several years. The only notable change is the south shore is off limits until Nov. 1 to allow for recreational and Panorama Schools cross country use of the property.
Rutledge said the LPA annual contract with the U.S. Geological Survey that renewed Oct. 1 cost $28,970. The contract allows the LPA to receive information from river gauges to help staff understand incoming and outgoing flow, and to make adjustments to the dam based on that information.
“It also provides LPA with an independent and trusted recordkeeper,” he said. “The information we gain from these river gauges is very important for us, but this is an example of how expensive some things are in our budget,” he said.
Rutledge said work is underway on the 2024 LPA budget. He said the membership can expect a 5% dues increase and a potential ballot measure in the coming year about dues restructuring.
Other topics covered:
LPA tests annually for zebra mussel veligers, which are an early warning sign this invasive species could become established. No veligers were present in this year’s testing.
A new policy is in place that LPA Security officers will not tow boats unless there is an immediate health emergency or a life-or-death situation. Those who need a boat towed should call Coulter Marine. Rates are Main Basin to Shady Beach, $100; Shady Beach to Burchfield Cove, $150; and Burchfield Cove to North Basin, $200.
The planned Chimra water main replacement is complete. Restoration work will be done in the spring, once the backfill has settled.
Guthrie County Public Health inspects septic systems at Lake Panorama every four years. In the past, an $80 invoice was sent to property owners the year of inspection. Now $20 invoices will be sent annually, with inspections continuing every four years.

LPA STATEMENT ON TRANSITION OF PANORAMA MARINA OWNERSHIP 
Lyn Coulter, owner of Coulter’s Panorama Marine, and Phil Watson Jr. have entered into a written agreement for Watson to purchase Coulter’s Panorama Marine. Watson is developing a boat sales, service and storage facility north of Lakeside Village, on the west side of Highway 4.
This was a voluntary sale that Coulter and Watson negotiated privately. LPA’s role is to consent to the new marina tenant. On Sept. 26, the LPA board of directors approved a 2024-2028 lease between LPA and Watson for operation of the LPA-owned marina.
LPA management is pleased to report Watson and Coulter are focused on ensuring a smooth transition for both the LPA membership and Coulter’s staff. Boat lines currently carried by Coulter’s will continue to be carried by Watson, and Coulter’s staff will have the opportunity to work for Watson’s organization.
The transition will occur in the offseason. Coulter’s will continue to provide service through the end of this year, including their normal winterization and storage services.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Construction of a nine-hole disc golf course on Lake Panorama’s south shore began in early October. The course is one part of a package of low-impact recreational amenities developed by Friends of Lake Panorama and approved by the LPA board of directors at its July 25 meeting.
John Worth, an LPA member who in 2019 volunteered to design a disc golf course at Lake Panorama, is working with LPA and Friends staff on this project. He designed the course to fit on land that is nestled between two sections of the Lake Panorama walking trails system.
“Due to the type of area the course is being built on, all pretty deep woods, this will be a bit of a non-typical course,” Worth says. “First, all the holes are shorter than probably an average course. The guideline is 200 to 400 feet, but the holes on this course run from 150 to 300 feet. This type of course is called a ‘technical’ course, which means distances aren’t as long, and fairways are tighter, so your aim needs to be good.”
Each hole will include a concrete tee pad and chained basket target. Participants will bring their own discs. A sign near the first tee will include a course map, rules and other details.
To help finance the disc golf course, tee box sponsorships are available for a one-time donation of $1,000. Colored tee signs are 9 inches by 12 inches and will include the hole number, distance between the tee pad and basket, and a graphic of the fairway between those two points. Tee box sponsor signs will be 9 inches by 4 inches and mounted on the same metal posts as the tee signs.
Tee box sponsorships will go to the first nine businesses, families or individuals who agree to make a $1,000 donation by Dec. 31, 2023. Those interested in being a tee box sponsor can make arrangements by contacting Susan Thompson, 515-240-6536 or thomcomm@netins.net.

LAKE PANORAMA TRAIL SYSTEM
Construction on a fence that leads to a fenced parking lot was completed in early October. Wood was used at the entrance and surrounds the parking lot, with barbless wire used along the road to the parking lot. There is a walk-through gate to enter the recreation area. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the south shore beyond the parking lot. A gate at the west end of the road allows access by LPA staff. 
As users enter the recreation area from the parking lot, there will be a single picnic table on a concrete slab, plus a small shelter with four corner posts and metal roof. A welcome sign will be at this location and include general rules, a list of south shore donors who give $500 or more, and directional arrows to the disc golf course, which will be to the right, and the beginning of the Lake Panorama trail system, which will be to the left.
A sign at the Lake Panorama trailhead will include specific information about the trail options and trail markers, plus a map. Visitors will be encouraged to snap a photo of the map to help them stay on the trail.
Those who do the full loop down to the shoreline and back up through the meadow area to return to the parking lot will have walked 2 miles. In addition, four places where the riprap contractor widened existing trails to get to the shoreline will be offered as trail options.
People who start at the trailhead and choose the first option will walk sixth-tenths of a mile. The other three options offer distances of 1.1 miles, 1.6 miles, and 2 miles. This final loop results in walking the same distance as the original loop, but the terrain and views provide a different experience.
Brown fiberglass trail markers will be installed at each “junction” of the trail system, along with arrows and distances back to the trailhead. It’s hoped these trail markers can be installed yet this fall. The larger metal signs planned for the shelter and starting points for disc golf and the trails will be finalized over the winter.

PANORAMA CROSS COUNTRY TRAILS
The Panorama Schools cross country trails use some of the same sections as the Lake Panorama trail system, so blue fiberglass trail markers can be seen in some areas. The cross country trails begin and end on school property with all bus and spectator parking and bathroom facilities on school property. For the middle school, a distance of 2 miles has been mapped. For the high school, the trail is 3.1 miles.
On Sept. 14, Panorama Schools hosted its first cross country meet on the new trail with 23 schools and 650 runners involved. Greg Thompson is the Panorama Schools head cross country coach.
“We received many compliments on the scenery the course provides. Many runners appreciated having boats out on the lake and supporting them by honking their horns and ringing cowbells,” Thompson says. “Very few cross country courses are near a body of water; those that are near water are usually a small pond or river. The lake shore also made it much cooler for the runners.”
Thompson says the course had some rough spots and washouts from rain earlier in the summer on the parts that don’t have much grass growing yet.
“The dry, hot weather took a toll on the grass and made the ground very hard,” he says. “We feel we can improve those areas over the next year or so with some landscaping work and more moisture. There are going to be growing pains when developing a new cross country course, but this was a very positive, initial meet.”
Thompson says the combination of the trails for the runners and the Lake Panorama trails that go to the lake shore worked well together.
“I saw spectators on the shore by each of the side trails,” he says. “I think as we work together to develop the trail systems, this will be a premiere hiking destination for LPA members, and teams will want to come compete in our meets.” 

BENCHES AND BIRDHOUSES
Two more components of the Friends of Lake Panorama plans for low-impact recreational amenities on the south shore are benches and birdhouses. Four backless benches will be placed along the Lake Panorama trail system. Two will be tucked into the timber along the shoreline section of the walking trail to provide lake views. Another two benches will be placed along the open sections of the trail system above the lake. These will provide views of the Lake Panorama dam and the native plants that cover 30 acres of land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program Pollinator Habitat Initiative.
Fifteen bluebird houses have been built and donated by Steve Brannan to be placed along trails on the south shore. Mark Dorhout, Panorama Schools science teacher, has agreed to help choose locations for the birdhouses and may get his middle school students involved in additional birdhouse placements.

HOW TO DONATE
The estimated cost of these recreational amenities — Lake Panorama trail system, disc golf course, fencing and parking, four benches, birdhouses, small picnic shelter, signage — is $35,000. Over the past two years, Friends of Lake Panorama has received $11,000 in private donations for projects on the south shore. Some funds also are available from the 2023 Beach Ball.
Additional donations for these south shore amenities are being sought. While donations of all sizes are appreciated, those who give $500 or more by Dec. 31, 2023, will be recognized on the welcome sign on the south shore.
Tax-deductible donations to support recreational enhancements on the south shore can be made by check payable to Friends of Lake Panorama, and mailed to Friends of Lake Panorama, P.O. Box 488, Panora, Iowa, 50216. Donations also can be made through Venmo @Panorama-Friends, or by credit card on the Friends website at friendsoflakepanorama.org.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Jolene Goodman
Lake Panorama Times

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you may be searching for delicious hors d’oeuvres to make your guests feel right at home. I am sharing a wonderful recipe from Family Features that will help you beef up the menu with a tasty appetizer that’s as easy to make as it is to enjoy. This recipe will pleasantly surprise even those who are not mushroom fans, as my husband will attest to.
Loaded with savory flavor and perfect for feeding a crowd, these beef and blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms from Beef Loving Texans offer a simple yet mouthwatering way to entertain in style. Just prepare button mushrooms by removing the stems, then fill the caps with a ground beef-based mixture of minced mushroom stems, blue cheese, breadcrumbs, green onions and steak seasoning for a party-worthy platter.
Visit BeefLovingTexans.com to find more recipes.

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

Beef and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Beef Loving Texans
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 40

2  packages (8 ounces each) button mushrooms
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/2  pound ground beef
1/3  cup blue cheese
1/4  cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
3  tablespoons green onions
1/2  teaspoon steak seasoning blend
chives (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove stems from mushrooms; reserve. Season mushroom caps with salt; set aside. Mince stems to yield 1/2 cup; discard remaining stems.
Combine ground beef, minced stems, blue cheese, breadcrumbs, green onions and steak seasoning. Spoon beef mixture evenly into mushrooms.
Place stuffed mushrooms on rack in broiler pan. Bake 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if desired.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Dana Stark’s mother jokes she was born on the back of a horse.
“I grew up in a small town in northwest Indiana,” Stark says. “She rode throughout her pregnancy and has owned horses most of her life. I remember getting involved with horses when I was about 5 years old. I could not wait until I was old enough to be in the 4-H horse and pony club.”
Stark started her first horse “under saddle” at the age of 12, which means she trained the horse to be ridden and was the first person to ride that horse. Soon she was helping other youth as an experienced youth herself.
Dana’s husband, Dan Stark, grew up in Panora. The pair met online when they were both 16 years old and had a long-distance relationship for four years.
“Dan never really liked horses, but they grew on him when he realized I was not going to give them up,” Stark says. “We were high school sweethearts, and he was more than happy to help me with them and learn.”
Dana moved to Iowa in 2007, and the couple married in 2008. They purchased a farmhouse acreage northeast of Panora, and Stark’s Performance Horses LLC was born.
“In the spring of 2009, I started training horses and giving lessons. I gave lessons both from our farm and the barn I was working out of until fall of 2015,” she says. “Then I took a break to start our family. While we were not actively pursuing our business for a few years, our original youth, who now are adults, were still going to shows, and we were helping out any way we could.”
The Starks now have two girls, who Dana describes as “horse crazy.” Rylee is 5 years old, and Emilee is 2.
“Now that my girls are getting bigger, I knew it was time to get back to my passion. Helping youth learn about horses is just what I’m supposed to do,” Dana says. “I put an interest post on the local Panora mom’s page. With the response I received, I knew we needed to get our barn up and running.”
There already was an outdoor riding arena from earlier years. In March 2023, that became a staging area for all the materials needed to build a 60-foot by 81-foot barn. The building includes seven horse stalls and a large indoor riding arena. A 29-foot by 16-foot feed and tack room is attached to the front. Saddles of various sizes to accommodate all ages hang on one wall. Saddle pads, bridles, halters and other equipment fill other walls.
“This project isn’t yet finished, but we are up and running and making leaps forward each week,” Stark says. “The feed and tack room eventually will be climate controlled, and some work still is needed on some of the stalls. We currently board three horses, but once the stalls are finished, we hope to board five total. And the outdoor arena now is available again.”
Dan Stark works for a company called Vencomatic, where he’s a project manager for cage-free poultry systems. In his free time, he runs a mechanic business, which Dana says is his true passion.
Each weekday, Dana drives to Des Moines where she works at the Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy on Ingersoll from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. She offers riding lessons Monday through Thursday, usually from 4-6 p.m. Most are group lessons and cost $35 each. Private lessons also are available at $45.
Each month, it takes 20 lessons to pay for the grain for the six lesson horses, and 16 lessons to pay for the needed hay.
“It’s important for my clients to know what a horse costs each month,” Stark says. “Horses are a labor of love — a love I wouldn’t trade for the world but nonetheless still a labor of love. Horses are just as much of a sport as baseball, basketball and soccer, but we don’t get to put down our bat or ball. We continually have to care for our horses.”
Stark has six horses and one miniature horse with all six full-sized horses used for lessons.
“I describe our lesson program as a ‘how to.’ You will learn how to catch a horse, how to lead a horse, how to groom a horse, how to saddle a horse, how to feed a horse and more,” she says. “My end goal is that clients learn how to ride and properly take care of a horse in case they decide horse ownership is for them.”
Stark encourages those who take lessons from her to participate in horse shows.
“What makes us unique is even if you don’t own a horse, we allow weekly lesson kids to take our horses to local shows and gain show experience,” she says. “I have a few families who own their own horses and take them to shows, but mostly my lesson families are using our horses.”
Indoor horse shows are held February through April with outdoor shows beginning in May and continuing into early fall. Dana and her students, with help from Dan, participate in at least two shows each month.
“Showing is how you show off what you are learning,” she says. “I don’t have any rules where you have to show if you take lessons, but I encourage it. Horseback riding is similar to other sports. In basketball you practice, then have a game. You practice horseback riding, then have a show. Coaching for shows is my passion.”
This year, the age range for lessons was 3 to 65.
“Most of my regular weekly kids are 6 to 12 years old,” Stark says. “There has been a huge spike in the equine industry, and I’m extremely thankful I get to not only be a part of it but contribute in our community to the kids who want to learn to ride.”
Sometimes Stark has a horse available for lease.
“Leasing is a great next step when you think you are ready for horse ownership,” she says. “You get the ownership feel without all the responsibilities. Leasing a horse is a set fee and includes one lesson per week, all tack equipment, and care for the horse.”
Leased horses can be ridden whenever the client wants. If the horse is being leased for a young person, either a parent needs to be present or contact made with Stark to make sure she will be home.
The new barn makes it possible for Stark to offer riding lessons nearly year-round. Next spring, she plans to offer horse parties and will involve her miniature horse in the fun.
“It takes a special horse to be a lesson horse,” Stark says. “Our horses enjoy being ridden and come running for lessons when they are called.”
Stark says horses are good for the soul.
“I’ve had many parents tell me how much their kids have changed for the better since starting lessons. They are learning life lessons. One of my favorite things is watching the parents learn right alongside their kids. Often the parents don’t know much more than the kids, but they watch and learn. They are always lending a hand and helping me reinforce our lessons.”
To learn more, visit Stark’s Performance Horses LLC on Facebook, or call/text Dana Stark at 219-613-0651.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Photographer Trish Hart lives full-time at Lake Panorama with her husband, Scott. When a super blue moon rose in the eastern sky Aug. 30, just after sunset in the western sky, Hart was ready with her camera.
A blue moon is the term used when there is a second full moon in a single month. The moon’s cycle is 29.5 days, shorter than the average length of a calendar month. Eventually that gap results in a full moon happening at the beginning of a month, with enough days left for a second full moon later in the month.
The Aug. 30 blue moon also was called a “super moon.” Because the moon’s orbit is oval-shaped, there are times when it is closer to Earth than others. When the moon is at or near its closest point to Earth at the same time it is full, it appears especially large and bright in the sky; thus, the name super moon.
If you missed the Aug. 30 super blue moon, mark your calendar for 14 years into the future. The next super blue moons will occur in a pair, in January and March 2037.
Trish Hart offers custom prints of her photos on canvas, paper, metal and glass. Learn more by visiting Nature’s Canvas Photography on Facebook.

Posted 10/11/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Janis Hochreiter is a self-described gearhead.
“Growing up, I was a tomboy. Most of my friends were boys. I got interested in cars and have been a car freak ever since high school,” she says. “My first car was a 1969 Pontiac GTO that my boyfriend and I rebuilt in his uncle’s body shop.”
The Pontiac GTO was one of the first to earn the “muscle car” term coined in the mid-1960s to describe American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines. Hochreiter’s GTO was the first in a string of muscle cars she has owned.
Janis and Dale Hochreiter have lived at Lake Panorama since 1993. She works from home as a risk-control specialist for an insurance company with a territory that covers much of southwest Iowa. He owns and operates Cyclone Pest Management.
Janis grew up in the Des Moines area. After high school graduation, she attended Central Missouri State University, earning a degree in industrial safety. While she was in college, her Pontiac GTO was taking up space in a garage at her parents’ house.
“I was feeling guilty about that and finally decided to sell it,” Hochreiter says. “But not long after I graduated, I found a 1972 Corvette I loved and bought it. Then I had a friend who had a 1969 Corvette he needed to sell. My dad really liked that I was interested in cars. So, I talked to him, and, with his help, I purchased my friend’s 1969 Corvette. Later I sold the 1972 Corvette and kept the 1969.”
When the Hochreiters moved to Lake Panorama, that 1969 Corvette came with them.
“After a while, I started to think I should grow up and find something nice to drive,” Hochreiter says. “I sold the Corvette and bought a 2001 BMW Z-3 convertible, which I had for 17 years.”
Hochreiter says after so many years as the owner of that BMW, it was difficult to sell.
“But I wasn’t driving it much, and the time seemed right. I sold it to a man in Kansas City, who planned to give it to his father as a gift,” she says.
It didn’t take long before Hochreiter was thinking about her next car.
“There was that empty spot in the garage,” she says. “During my adult life, I’d never been without a toy, a car I could just jump into and take a cruise.”
A year ago, Hochreiter saw an online post by Nostalgic Enterprises in West Des Moines. It was a 1969 Corvette, bright yellow with black trim and details.
“The post had gone up just 30 minutes earlier,” she says. “I called right away and asked if I could see the car. I was the first to respond, and I bought it that day.”
That 1969 Corvette now lives in a climate-controlled garage attached to the Hochreiter home. When in the garage, it’s protected by a custom-made cover.
“The body was just as it is now; it was in great shape,” Hochreiter says. “But the interior was bad. My brother also has a 1969 Corvette, and he helped me with the interior. We redid the console area, all the gauges, fiber optics, and basically gave it an interior facelift.”
Other aesthetic updates have been new visors, mirrors and chrome. Practical updates include a new Centerforce dual friction clutch, new Hays flywheel, PerTronix ignition, new vacuum lines and rear shocks.
I’m not trying to make money on this car,” Hochreiter says. “I just want to be able to drive it without worrying about it breaking down.”
Hochreiter lists some features of her 1969 Corvette that she says other “gearheads” will understand. The car is numbered 1302, which means it was the 1,302nd one of these cars to come off the assembly line. More important, the numbers match key components of the car, including the block, heads, intake, transmission and differential.
“You don’t always find that,” she says. “Also, this car isn’t a base model, but rather an L-46. That means it has the 350 motor with the 350 horsepower. I also like the special options it came with, including power steering, electric windows, air conditioning and a manual Hurst shifter.”
Hochreiter chose YLJACIT (yellow jacket) for her car’s vanity license plate. She also had special license plates for some of her earlier cars. For her first car, the 1969 Pontiac GTO, the plates were LIL GTO, inspired by the Beach Boys song of the same name. Her first 1969 Corvette sported plates with this — CNTBWRG — which stood for Can’t Be Wrong. She later moved those plates to the BMW she owned for 17 years.
Janis enjoys taking the Corvette to car meets and shows, and Dale usually goes along.
“He likes cars, but he doesn’t love them like me,” she says. “At shows, car owners often sit nearby in a couple of folding chairs. When people come by and start to ask questions or make comments about my car, they assume he’s the primary owner. He just points at me and says I’m the one they need to talk to; he doesn’t talk cars.”
When asked if Dale gets to drive the Corvette, Janis smiles.
“No one has ever driven it but me,” she says. “I’m territorial with my toys. I probably would let him if he asked. But he usually does most of the driving for us. I think when it comes to this, he enjoys being a passenger.”

Posted 09/13/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

September is National Honey Month. It was established in 1989 by The National Honey Board as a way to promote both the American beekeeping industry and the use of honey as a natural and beneficial sweetener.
September is significant for honey producers because it marks the end of the honey collection season for many beekeepers in the United States, where it’s estimated 163 million pounds of honey are produced annually.
At Lake Panorama, 307.4 pounds of the 2023 U.S. total came from four hives owned by Emily Donovan. She and her husband, Billy, and their children, Natalie and Dylan, got their start because of Natalie’s desire to find a new 4-H project.
“We are a 4-H family, and the kids like showing their dog and static projects at the fair,” Emily says. “Natalie really wanted to have ducks, chickens and goats, but LPA rules prohibit all livestock with the exception of honeybees. In 2020, Natalie received the Iowa Honey Producers Association youth scholarship. That led to her receiving one year of mentoring from Curt and Connie Bronnenberg of Spring Valley Honey in Perry, jacket and veil, gloves, smoker, a package of bees, hive and beekeeping classes.”
The annual scholarship timeline makes it possible for recipients to attend winter classes then keep bees the following spring and summer. In February 2020, Emily purchased supplies for a second hive and took beekeeping classes with Natalie through a continuing education program in Johnston.
The Donovans learned about the Iowa Honey Producers youth scholarship opportunity from John and Tricia Rutledge. Their son, Kael, received the same scholarship in 2019. That led to Kael using his beekeeping experience as a 4-H project and getting his parents involved.

KJR Apiaries
“When your kids want to do something good for nature, it’s hard to say no; so now we’re beekeepers,” says John Rutledge. “The first year Kael kept three hives. The bees produced only enough honey to share with family and friends, because an established hive produces more honey than a new hive. Branding and sales of KJR Apiaries honey progressed over the next couple of years. It is a labor of love, with any revenues reinvested in equipment or replacement of beehives that don’t survive the winter.”
Emily Donovan says January is the best time to get started in beekeeping.
“Beginning beekeeping classes are held in late winter around the Des Moines metro, and some are offered through video conferencing,” she says. “We purchase our bees and supplies through Spring Valley Honey in Perry because it is close, and we have a relationship with the Bronnenbergs, who are multigenerational commercial beekeepers. Installation of bees generally occurs in late April or May.”

How it started
The Donovans started with two hives in 2020 and now have four in their backyard.
“Four hives is about all I want to manage,” Emily says. “Natalie was a little too brave one day and went out to do a hive check without her veil and got stung several times in the face. Since then, she’s been apprehensive to help.”
During the summer months, Donovan checks the hives once a week to make sure the bees have enough room.
“I add more boxes to the hives when they need more space,” she says. “I’m also looking to see different brood stages — eggs, larvae, capped brood — to make sure the queen is healthy and doing her job.”
Each hive is comprised of two types of boxes — brood boxes and honey supers. Brood boxes stay with the hive throughout the year and are where the queen lays eggs, which become new bees. Honey is never harvested from brood boxes. Supers are added in the spring or early summer once the bees begin to grow their population and expand their efforts to include honey storage.
“August is a good time of year to pull the honey supers as the moisture content of honey reaches 18% and is appropriate for harvest,” Rutledge says. “Honey is similar to other agricultural products in that harvesting with a high moisture content invites fermentation of the harvest. Harvesting in August also gives the bees time to complete final preparations for the upcoming winter.”
Donovan says she likes to harvest the first week or two of August.
“That gives the bees time to build up the colony and store their own honey for winter. It also allows me to treat for mites a couple of times before winter,” she says.

The harvesting process
“To harvest honey, I use a fume board. I take a white towel and spray it with ‘Bee Gone.’ It is a sweet almond smelling chemical that encourages the bees to move down into the hive and off of the honey supers. After the bees move out of the box, I take it into my shed and continue the process until all the honey supers have been removed.”
A honey super can weigh 40 to 50 pounds when it is full of honey.
“This year, I had three honey supers on each of my four hives. Once all the honey is off the hive, we begin the process of scraping the wax capping off the honey,” Donovan says. “I have an electric extractor that holds up to four frames at a time and uses centrifugal force to spin the honey out of the frames. The honey comes out of a gate on the extractor into a fine mesh sieve that filters out any wax.”
The raw honey is stored in food-safe five-gallon buckets until the Donovans are ready to bottle. All of this is done in a shed Billy Donovan built specifically for the honey operation and which Emily calls the “Honey House.”

Lighthouse Honey
The Donovans chose the name Lighthouse Honey and use a picture of the lighthouse at the Lake Panorama marina on bottle labels.
“There are rules about what needs to be included on the label including the weight. It has to have the word ‘honey’ and the location and either a phone number or physical address,” Donovan says. “I’m a member of several Iowa beekeeping Facebook pages, so that helps with determining the average pricing per pound of honey.”
The Rutledge beehives are a mile east of Panora on a large tract of Conservation Reserve Program land.
“At our peak, we were keeping eight hives of our own plus three hives for our neighbor,” Rutledge says. “We are currently keeping five hives, which is a much more manageable number.”
Their management plan is the same as Donovan’s.
“The bees require a weekly check during the spring, summer and fall. Due to the cold temps, they only get a periodic check in the winter, if the temp rises above 50 degrees,” Rutledge says. “The bees require a treatment for Varroa mites before and after the honey-producing season. During the honey-producing season, the bees get a weekly inspection to make sure they have a queen who is on track with production of brood.”
“Extracting honey includes spinning it out of the frames and filtering it as it drains from the extractor into food-grade buckets. We then sterilize bottles, fill, label and sell,”he says. “The key is keeping a clean environment and checking the moisture content in the honey to make sure it is ready for bottling. We remove the honey supers in August and extract and bottle the honey during the fall.”

The buzz
What do the Rutledges like about their beekeeping hobby?
“One of our favorite things is supporting pollinators, which are, sadly, in decline. Bees have such a tremendous impact on our food supply, and they benefit from the helping hand we can provide,” Rutledge says. “Pollinators are in such short supply that large beekeepers transport and rent their hives to almond producers, primarily in California. The bees then are transported back to the Midwest to pollinate other crops here.”
Rutledge says honey produced by local beekeepers has a number of natural qualities that won’t be found in mass-produced honey.
“Local honey is a favorite of allergy sufferers, who claim to find relief from consuming local honey on a daily basis,” he says. “Honey also is a great natural sweetener for coffee or tea and can effectively soothe a sore throat.”
Kael Rutledge’s honey is advertised on his Facebook page, KJR Apiaries – Pure Raw Honey. People also can reach out via email at kjrhoney@gmail.com.
“Kael continues to have a passion for beekeeping and is involved at key points throughout the year,” John Rutledge says. “Tricia and I continue to help with the routine week-to-week work as Kael has transitioned from high school to college, and now to a full-time job. We will continue to be engaged in beekeeping for the foreseeable future.”
Besides raw honey, Donovan has other items available through her Lighthouse Honey and Gifts Facebook page and at the Panora Mercantile.
“I enjoy making other products with the wax cappings like lip balm and lotion bars,” she says. “I have several colleagues who have given great reviews of the lotion bars. One of my coworkers stocked up because she said it was the only thing that cleared up her son’s eczema.”

Family ties
While Donovan admits she never dreamed of being a beekeeper, she’s now happy to be one.
“My grandpa was a beekeeper, so I love that I can honor his memory this way. He was a custodian at a school for many years, and when he retired, they gave him the chair he always sat in to eat his lunch. His chair is in my Honey House, and I sit in it to bottle the honey,” she says.
“I also love that there is so much to learn, and bees are incredibly fascinating. I love to experiment with different beekeeping practices,” Donovan says. “The thing I like the most about this hobby is that I have to practice mindfulness. I cannot worry about what I haven’t done or what I need to do when I have my hands inside a hive of 50,000 bees.”

Posted 09/13/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

For Rod and Amy Northrup, their treks back and forth to their two boats and docks on Lake Panorama are much easier this year. That’s because, in late June, they had an electric tram installed that now takes them to their lakeshore area.
The couple purchased their Lake Panorama home in 2008. Their primary home is near Griswold, where Rod farms and Amy owns A Plus Designs, Inc. But many summer days are spent at the lake.
“We are about halfway into Jones Cove, on a semi-steep hill with the house sitting at the top,” Amy says. “We have an unfriendly path that we have walked up and down since we moved in. We had talked and somewhat joked about putting in a tram the past couple of years.  Our retaining walls are not in the greatest shape, and we are not getting any younger.”
Rod had back surgery last fall, and needed both knees replaced this summer.
“So, it wasn’t a joke anymore, and we started talking more seriously,” Amy says. “Otherwise, enjoying the lake house this summer wasn’t going to happen. Thanks to the tram, we haven’t missed a weekend.”
A friend from Griswold, Darrell Stamp, has owned a house on Helen’s Cove for more than a decade. Much like the Northrup home, his house sits on a steep hill with a walking path created to get to and from the water.
Several years ago, Stamp also was facing double knee replacements and decided to have a tram installed.
“The grandkids love it, and the sidewalk doesn’t get used much anymore,” Stamp says. “It works great and doesn’t take much maintenance.”
Because they had ridden in Stamp’s tram several times and knew he was happy with it, the Northrups turned to the same company for theirs. Rick Summers of Belmond owns Access Lift, which was founded in Belmond in 1959. He purchased the company in August 2002.
“We provide a customized range of lifts, trams and repair services,” Summers says. “We manufacture, install and carry warranty on transport lifts that are used all over the United States and Canada. Most often, our lifts are used in hillside areas to get people from their homes to their docks, boat launches and beach areas.”
Summers says his company installs about 20 new lifts each year and provides annual maintenance on more than 300.
“Most are on lakes and rivers in the Midwest,” he says. “We do a lot of work in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Arkansas, and recently had jobs in New York and Maryland.”
The company introduced a three-phase soft-start, soft-stop system in 2003. The standard car includes two benches facing each other; Access Lifts also offers custom-built cars, canopies, wheelchair accessibility and other custom products.
Metal mounting brackets are driven about six feet into the ground. Sections of track are laid on top of the brackets, and cables are installed to move the car on wheels up and down the track. An electric motor is activated by push buttons both at the top and bottom of the lift.
“No footings are dug or concrete needed, so we don’t disturb the ground,” Summers says. “This is just like an addition on your house, because it makes it worth more when you are ready to sell. If you live on a hill, and you only have steps or a path to get to your dock, some buyers won’t be interested. When you get ready to sell, it’s worth every dollar you spent. In the meantime, you have an easy way to get to your shoreline.”
The Northrups’ tram has two bench seats that face each other and can accommodate four people. “There is plenty of floor space for all the coolers,” Amy says. “Our neighbors use it, too. They timed it for fun, and it takes 58 seconds to get to the lake.”
The tram installation took two days.
“Our local carpenter then had to build the landings to match our deck, which took another couple of days,” Amy says. “We use it all the time to go up and down to the boats along with friends, family and coolers. Now we don’t have to take the boat to Sunset Beach to pick up anyone who couldn’t walk the hill, such as my parents. Our six grandkids, who range in age from 14 to 2, think it is a cool ride. Sometimes we have to take the key out or they would be on it all day going up and down.”
Besides the personal benefits, Rod Northrup likes not having the soil on their lot disturbed. “For others at Lake Panorama who have homes on steep hills, I think they should consider installing a tram. It would be a fraction of the cost of putting in a zig zag path or road, which then causes erosion because of land disturbance. I think this is a better alternative.”

Posted 09/13/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Panora Mercantile opened April 15, 2023, at 134 West Main St. The brick building at the west end of Panora’s main business district has been the site of many businesses through the years. Now its five rooms and a closet are filled with a variety of items offered by separate vendors.
Tricia Belousek is the owner and manager of Panora Mercantile. She grew up in Iowa, graduated from Johnston High School, and attended Des Moines Area Community College before transferring to Iowa State University.
“During college, two high school friends moved to Arizona,” Belousek says. “I went to visit them during spring break and was amazed how large the state is. I started my master’s degree at Drake University before I decided to move to Arizona in 2001.”
She finished her master’s in Arizona and later earned a degree in accounting. Her career path took her into operations, order management, documenting policies and procedures and, most recently, working for a nonprofit supporting more than 100 members.
Belousek and her husband live in Cave Creek, Arizona. Her mother, two sisters and two nephews live in central Iowa.
“I’ve always wanted to own a retail business. My sister is a Realtor and helped us find the building in Panora when it was for sale in 2020,” she says. “The building was perfect for what I had in mind, with a quirky charm and lots of character.”
“I love to shop,” Belousek says. “I grew up going to see my grandmother in a small town in Missouri and stopping to shop with my mom in Centerville and Albia on the way. The small towns had different shoes, clothing and items I didn’t find at the mall. Fast forward to the present day, I still like to shop and find bargains.”
A year after buying the Panora Mercantile building, the couple purchased a nearby 1920s home, which they updated and rented. Belousek says the house renovations introduced them to many great people and businesses in Panora.

Nancy Clawson
and Carol Redshaw
In September 2022, Belousek posted on social media looking for vendors interested in sharing retail space. Lake Panorama residents Nancy Clawson and Carol Redshaw responded and now are two of the vendors at Panora Mercantile.
“I’ve enjoyed making crafts since I was a little girl,” Redshaw says. “Since I’ve already given a lot of my creations as gifts to family and friends, I wanted a place to display my creations so others can buy one-of-a-kind gifts. I’ve considered having a booth at a craft mall in Branson, but it’s not feasible because of the distance. When this opportunity came up, I was excited because it’s a craft mall right here in our nice town of Panora.”  
Redshaw’s vendor display fills two shelving units.
“I used to do jewelry shows in women’s homes where I’d bring thousands of beads, they would design their own jewelry piece, and I would offer advice and start and finish the piece. So, in the store I have jewelry and beaded serving spoons and forks, as well as beaded appetizer utensils. I enjoy embellishing onesies, T-shirts, hats, headbands and hand towels with fun words and designs.”
Redshaw also has air plants and home decor.
“Next on my ‘to create’ list is special sympathy gifts, beaded crosses, shell and pebble art, and fall and Christmas décor and gifts. It’s fun to see what sells, and I especially like it when people buy gifts,” she says.
Nancy Clawson says she was interested in being a part of the Panora Mercantile from the beginning.
“The idea of having a local place where various goods, both handmade and commercial, could be purchased year round was intriguing,” she says. “Crafters are always looking for a place or ways to help the items they make find a new home.”
Clawson is a Panora Mercantile vendor under the name SortaSisters4.
“SortaSisters4 was created after a good friend and I both retired from teaching. I had taught school and coached various things for 36 years, so I was used to being busy,” she says. “After retiring we moved to Lake Panorama from Washington, Iowa, but my teaching friend, Jane, was still in southeast Iowa. We started making crafts together as a way to stay connected and our ‘little’ sisters joined in when they could.”
The items SortaSisters4 offers at the Mercantile vary from season to season.
“We have gender-neutral onesies, pillows, lighted bottles, wine bags, tooth fairy pillows, and our surprise summer hit — freeze pop holders,” Clawson says. “Now we are adding fall and winter decorations, Christmas ornaments, and the popular microwave bowl cozies for hot soups and oatmeal. We like to make team items. Jane is a Hawkeye grad, and I’m an Iowa State grad, so both teams get represented, along with UNI and other schools.”
Clawson says being a vendor at Panora Mercantile is a great way to meet new people, including other vendors and customers.
“I appreciate having a place to display and sell items I enjoy making. Vendors can opt for different sizes of space to rent and the contract is month to month. Shoppers who come into the Mercantile will be surprised at the wide variety of offerings,” she says.

Lighthouse Honey
Belousek says Lighthouse Honey, owned by Emily Donovan, continues to grow each month. Donovan had the opportunity to do an activity for a bridal shower because she was a vendor in the store.
“I thought it would be a convenient place for people to purchase honey and my other products instead of driving to my house,” Donovan says. “I also liked the idea that it was all local vendors and crafters.”
At Panora Mercantile, Donovan sells raw honey from her own bees, handmade soap, lip balm, lotion bars and candles.
“The lip balm and lotion bars are made with my beeswax,” she says. “I make the candles and soaps as well, but these do not contain any honeybee byproducts. I also sell bee-themed coffee mugs. I plan to put together some pre-packaged gift boxes to make it easier for customers who need a quick hostess or birthday gift.”

Crafty Fox and Company
One of Belousek’s favorite vendors is Chloe Powers, a teen entrepreneur.
“I remember trying lemonade stands and making friendship bracelets to sell when I was little,” Belousek says. “When I opened my vendor offering to children, I heard from Cindy Tripp, Chloe’s grandmother. Chloe does a great job switching up her product offerings. I think it’s a great opportunity to learn budgeting and build a business.”
Tripp and her husband moved to Lake Panorama’s west side three years ago and retired last year. Their granddaughters Chloe, age 13, and her sister Izzy, age 10, have had items in the store since it opened. They started under the vendor name Chloe’s Crafts, but beginning in September, Tripp will add to their shelves.
“I will be offering seasonal items for fall and winter, including dried flower arrangements, wood art and more,” Tripp says.
Now the vendor name for Cindy, Chloe and Izzy is Crafty Fox and Company. Chloe says she chose the name because she likes foxes and they are crafty. Chloe and Izzy live south of Norwalk, and both learned how to sew from their grandmother.
Chloe’s first offering, and her most popular items to date, are Travel Hygiene Carriers. She folds a washcloth, then sews slots for things like a toothbrush, toothpaste and comb. The size and quality of the washcloths determine the prices, which range from three to five dollars.
Izzy’s biggest seller is cat toys. She sews pieces of fabric into small rectangles and squares, then tucks a bit of catnip inside before making the final stitches. She also creates keychains and jewelry with colorful plastic beads arranged in designs on plastic pegboards, then fused together with an iron.
The girls also offer painted driftwood art, painted garden art, dog bandanas and felting wool art.
“The girls have done well every month,” Tripp says. “They love being in a small local business and having a place to display their creations. They are learning about how to run a business, investing in their business, the importance of saving 10% each month, and giving to their church. This is a tremendous learning opportunity for them, plus they are improving their sewing skills.”

CNC Wood Creations
Lynnette and Craig Little have lived north of Panora for 40 years. They own CNC Wood Creations. CNC stands for computer numerical control, and is a manufacturing method that automates the control, movement and precision of machine tools through the use of preprogrammed computer software. Using CNC, they produce wooden signs, plaques and ornaments that are available at Panora Mercantile.
“We’ve been doing this for three years,” Lynnette says. “He does the computer work and gets the wooden design completed. I do any painting needed, and he finishes up with a clear coat to seal the piece. We have a lot of family background in law enforcement, emergency medical service and firefighting, so we offer items that appeal to those professions. We also do custom projects, patriotic items and holiday ornaments.”
Other vendors offer handmade doll clothes, birdhouses, Stanley and Fuller Brush products, a well-known brand of baking products and spices, children’s toys, kitchen supplies and gift items, and more. Belousek also is a vendor, offering a range of flavored olive oils and vinegars from Cave Creek, dip mixes and gluten-free foods.
Belousek is looking for additional vendors to join Panora Mercantile.
“I think 25 vendors would be ideal. Some vendors require more space, others need a small amount of space, and we can accommodate both,” she says.
Others interested in discussing becoming a vendor can contact Belousek at belousektricia@gmail.com.

Knit Knacks
One new vendor joining the Panora Mercantile in September is Emily Spradling, who lives at Lake Panorama. She has a variety of knitted items, including toys and decorative pieces, and is operating under the name Knit Knacks.
“My husband and I own the building, but it’s the vendors that make Panora Mercantile,” Belousek says. “The business wouldn’t succeed on just my items or only handmade items. It’s the variety that keeps people stopping in to see what’s there. The inventory has to change often to keep people coming back. Sometimes they find something they didn’t know they needed. I am selective with vendors and need their items to be unique from other vendors in the store.”

How it works
Vendors pay monthly rent based on the amount of space they need, plus Panora Mercantile receives 10 percent of sales to help cover expenses incurred running the store. Vendors sign a contract and set their own prices. A cashier rings up the purchase and notes what was sold and the amount paid. Panora Mercantile submits sales tax monthly to the State of Iowa.
Working remotely from Arizona, Belousek reconciles each vendor’s sales for the month, deducts their rent, then sends remaining sales proceeds to vendors via Venmo, Zelle or a check.
“Recently I asked vendors to work in exchange for space rent, and so far this is working well,” Belousek says. “I know not everyone can work, and they aren’t expected to, but it is beneficial for us both. The vendor doesn’t have to worry about selling a set amount to cover the rent, and it helps me keep cash in the bank.”
Redshaw is one of the vendors who now works in the store.
“It’s fun,” she says. “It’s a great way to meet people and greet people from out of town. I encourage people to visit The Merc to get one-of-a-kind gifts, encourage local entrepreneurs and support a local business.”
Clawson also works a shift each month to pay for her space at the Mercantile.
“It’s a good way to reduce my costs, and it also is fun. You never know who is going to walk in the door or what they will buy,” she says.
Lynnette Little works a few days each month in the store.
I enjoy it,” she says. “We try to have food samples out every day, and there is always something new in the store to show customers. I think Panora Mercantile is a great place for people to shop for gifts that are both practical and unique. For Craig and me, this is much better than dragging our display to craft shows.”
Panora Mercantile recently was approved to be a vendor on shopiowa.com, which is an initiative of the Iowa Economic Development Authority with support from the Iowa Small Business Development Center.
“This will give The Merc an opportunity to have a website presence and get our products noticed,” Belousek says. “This is something I am just getting started, but it will be a great opportunity for vendors who want to grow and build their business beyond the store.”
Since its opening, the hours for Panora Mercantile have varied. Moving into the holiday season, Belousek said the vendors voted and decided hours September through December will be Fridays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Belousek will be in Panora the week of Sept. 18 and plans to have the store open additional hours while she is in town. On that Wednesday, Sept. 20, vendors will host a Panora Mercantile Fall Showcase 5-7 p.m. The business has a Facebook page, where regular updates and special events are posted.
“I am a member of the Panora Chamber, and we will be open in tandem with their events, such as Small Business Saturday, the Holiday Showcase and Christmas Tree Lighting,” she says. “I do plan to have special events to be open additional days or hours. If business increases, we can look at being open more.
“Panora Mercantile is a new business that is still growing and developing,” Belousek says. “Its success and future rely on vendors wanting to sell their items here and the community shopping here. I continue to look for a few new unique vendors and lots of shoppers.”

Posted 09/13/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

Since 2010, Tori’s Angels Foundation, which is a 501C3 non-profit entity and headquartered in Panora, has been raising funds to help Iowa families who have children with life-threatening medical conditions. The organization has grown significantly in recent years, as more families learn about the services the foundation offers. To date, 130 children have been accepted. Of those, eight are from Guthrie County.
Tori’s Angels pays medical expenses not covered by insurance from the date of sponsorship until the child turns 19 years old. This includes travel expenses to treatment (airfare, mileage, hotel, meals), as well as prescriptions, medical co-pays and deductibles.
Three years ago, the Petersen family’s life was flipped upside down when they learned their young son, Reed, would need a heart transplant. Reed’s mom and dad, JJ and Dani, switched between being with him at the hospital and being at home in Shelby with his sister, Marcy. Now Reed is on the heart transplant list but continues to show improvement. Tori’s Angels helped ease the burden on Reed’s family by paying for meals and mileage during his hospital stays.
The next major fundraiser is “Angels in Denim” on Saturday, Oct. 14, when the Tori’s Angels Foundation will host its fourth annual Gala. The fundraiser will be held in Vets Auditorium in Panora.
Lidderdale Country Store will cater a prime rib dinner, and the Sweet Shoppe of Ames will provide cupcakes. Attendees will be entertained by local auctioneer Joe Bair, as he calls a host of high-end, privately donated items including several hotel packages with tickets to sporting events, a catered dinner, sports memorabilia, a necklace and much more. New this year is a silent auction, which will take place throughout the evening.
A table sponsorship is $1,000 and includes dinner for eight, bottles of wine and special recognition during the program and on Tori’s Angels’ Facebook page and website. Individuals also can buy seats for the event at a cost of $75 per person. To purchase a table for the event, contact JoAnn Alumbaugh at 641-431-0257 or M.J. Brown at 515-240-3692.
Proceeds from Gala ticket sales, as well as the live and silent auctions, go toward Tori’s Angels’ mission.
“Each of our families has a heart-wrenching story,” says Julie Dent-Zajicek, president of Tori’s Angels Foundation. “If we can help ease their burden even a little bit by assisting with medical expenses, it’s one less thing they need to worry about.”
It is only because of generous donors that the organization exists, notes Dent-Zajicek.
“Every dollar our supporters give goes directly to help our Tori’s Angels families, unless otherwise designated,” she adds.
Cooper Schmidt, another of the Tori’s Angels kids, spent the first 15 months of his life in the hospital because he was born with a kidney disease and other medical issues. He finally made his first trip home to Ankeny earlier this year after a successful kidney transplant.
Although there will be challenges ahead, Cooper’s parents, Andrew and Mady, are thankful for Tori’s Angels.
“The support from Tori’s Angels really helped us stay focused on Cooper, and knowing that all of our expenses were covered was a huge weight off our shoulders,” says Andrew.
Mady notes that although the financial help was hugely important, their appreciation for the organization ran deeper. “It’s truly the people and the community that have supported us all the way through,” she says.
Tori’s Angels volunteers get a deep sense of fulfillment in working with these families, knowing they are selflessly helping them when they need it most. The organization creates a network for families going through stressful times. The Tori’s Angels kids have prayer warriors who care deeply about them and support them in their daily struggles.
Tori’s Angels is helping Blake Bonta’s family, too. Blake is presently going through chemotherapy, and his dad, Justin, recently shared his thoughts on Tori’s Angels’ Facebook page.
“As college football begins, I think of how this year changes everything,” he writes. “I used to wave to the children’s hospital and not know what to think. I didn’t know what any of those families felt or what they were going through.”
Now, as Justin sits in the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital with Blake, he wonders how he will react when he and Blake are the ones waving from the hospital windows, instead of watching the game from their home in Urbandale.
“So many things cross my mind each day,” he writes. “These kids used to be kids we watched playing a game. Now they are helping him fight the biggest battle of his life. To that there can never be a big enough thank you.”
In addition to supporting the gala, anyone wishing to help Tori’s Angels children can send monetary donations to Tori’s Angels at P.O. Box 186, Panora, Iowa, 50216. Online donation options are located on the foundation’s website (www.torisangels.org) and on its Facebook page, www.facebook/torisangels. The organization also welcomes those interested in becoming a volunteer.
To request an application for support, contact the foundation through the website or call 641-755-2011.

Posted 09/13/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

The Panorama West women’s golf league wrapped up its 2023 season Aug. 29 with a four-gal best-shot tournament. The league had 73 members this year. The Tuesday tournament was followed by an awards luncheon in the Panorama West Clubhouse community room. League members Paula Hansen and Rhoda Williams organized the meal and decorations.
Cash prizes for play throughout the season were distributed to league members based on pars, birdies and chip ins. Ai Dunlop, Diane Pieper, Sharon Wedemeyer and Rhoda Williams received “perfect attendance” gifts to recognize they played every week of league during the 2023 season.
The top-10 point winners in the league included 13 players because of some ties. Each was recognized and received cash awards. They were Emily Spradling in first place; Kathy Feilmeyer, second; Sharon Wedemeyer, third; Paula Hansen, fourth; Shelli Larsen, fifth; Beth Muenzenberger and Linda Wendl, tied for sixth; Diane Pieper, seventh; Julie Clausen, eighth; Brenda Dinkla and Sue Thompson, tied for ninth; and Donna Brody and Phyllis Davis, tied for 10th.
Ann Chambers completed her second year as league chair in 2023. Also assisting with the Panorama West women’s league committee this year were Peg Carr as vice-chair, Nini VonBon as treasurer, Rhoda Williams as secretary, Amy Johnson, who handled weekly statistics, and Debbie Rockwell, who managed player handicaps.

Posted 09/13/2023
By Rich Wicks
Lake Panorama Times

Dale Hochreiter, co-chairperson for Panorama Days, gave Lake Panorama Times his initial assessment on the 2023 version of Panorama Days.
“It’s probably one of the better Panorama Days we’ve had in quite a while, even though the past ones have been awesome,” he said. “The run in the morning had the most people they’ve ever had. They had 94. When I talked to the person that does the cribbage, they said it was the most they’ve ever had in the cribbage tournament. The bank that sponsors the bingo said it was the most people they’ve ever had at bingo. It was our largest parade, by far, in all the years that Panorama Days has been going on.”
Hochreiter noted the importance of the sponsorships.
“We’re able to do everything for free because of the sponsors that we have, because of the businesses in our community and individuals that contribute money,” he said. “It’s not really a cheap event, but it’s fun when people with large families don’t have to come up with $10 a child or something. It’s all free to go on rides, to have your face painted, caricatures, balloon dude. It’s just fun.”
Hochreiter thanked all the sponsors and helpers, as well as the community for coming to participate.
“I feel very fortunate to be a part of it and watching its success,” he said.

Panorama Days awards
and recognition
Little Miss
Saylor Allspach

Little Mr.
Carter Deardorff

Bill Riley State Fair Attendees:
Brielle Coil (Sprouts)
Addisyn Leonard (Senior)
Nella Riva (Senior)

Cutest Baby Contest:
Alivia Hester: 1st Place
Alivia Grote: 2nd Place
Aubrey Deardorff: 3rd place and Best Personality
Michael Neuman: Best Dressed
Boston Pettitt: Best Smile
Maize Flack: Best Hair
Paisleigh Jungles: Prettiest Eyes

Parade Winners
Commercial
Local Liquor, 1st place
Wood Duck, 2nd place
Donovan Construction, 3rd place

Organizations
Garden Club, 1st place
Guthrie County Fair, 2nd place
Ski Show, 3rd place

Novelties/Float/Other
Class of 1973, 1st place
Class of 1988, 2nd place
Lakeside Village King and Queen, 3rd place

Antique/Classic Cars
Classic Cars and Coffee (only entry in this category)

Tractor/Farm Equipment
(Not available at press time.)

Fire Department/Emergency/Vehicles
Panora Fire, 1st place
Panora EMS, 2nd place
Guthrie Center Fire, 3rd place

Posted 09/13/2023
By Jolene Goodman
Special to Lake Panorama Times

(Family Features) Back-to-school season means many families are busier than ever, leaving less time to plan weeknight meals. While a new school year brings plenty of exciting moments, it also adds up to early mornings, long days and late evenings, making it tough to keep nutrition top-of-mind.
With new routines and jam-packed calendars, quick and easy recipes can be the solutions you need. Swapping out complicated dishes for simple dinners and make-ahead snacks allows you to make your loved ones’ health a priority while also managing hectic schedules.
To help make those simple yet tasty menu additions a reality, look to a flavor favorite and nutrition powerhouse like pecans. They’re the ideal nut to keep on hand to incorporate into favorite meals and after-school snacks.
Taste is just the beginning when it comes to pecans. Their nutritious punch provides a unique mix of health-promoting nutrients. Plus, they’re a versatile ingredient that can shine in a wide range of flavor profiles from sweet or spicy to salty, smoky and savory.
For more back-to-school recipe inspiration, visit EatPecans.com. n

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

Mac and cheese with pecan breadcrumbs
Cook time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
• 8 ounces cavatappi pasta
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for salting pasta water, to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 block (8 ounces) cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup raw pecan pieces
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cook cavatappi in salted boiling water. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pot and stir in butter.
Using box grater, shred cheddar cheese.
Using food processor, combine 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese with pecans. Process to coarse breadcrumb consistency.
Add remaining cheddar cheese, ricotta, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to warm pasta. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add egg; stir. Add 2-4 tablespoons reserved pasta water to loosen mixture; stir until smooth.
Pour into buttered 9-inch square or round casserole dish and top evenly with pecan topping.
Bake 30 minutes.

Substitutions:
Use pre-shredded cheese in place of cheddar cheese block. Use pasta of choice in place of cavatappi.

Posted 09/13/2023
Special to Lake Panorama Times

A total of 96 kids participated in the Panorama Days fishing derby, which is the most the event has ever drawn. More than $1,500 of prizes, trophies and cash were given away. The results are as follows:

Ages 3-5:
Biggest fish - Stetson McClanahan
Smallest fish - Everett Peters

Ages 6-8:
Biggest fish - Jaelyn Barrett
Smallest fish - Blake Stanley

Ages 9-11:
Biggest fish - Jax Loney
Smallest fish - Caleb Pelzer

Ages 12-13:
Biggest fish - Jack Zimmerman
Smallest fish - Cruz Stanley

Overall Biggest Fish:
First place - Stetson McClanahan ($60)
Second place - Jax Loney ($40)
Third place - Raelyn Knudsen ($20)

Posted 09/13/2023
Photo by Kevin Fister
Special to Lake Panorama Times

Kirby Klinge was named the 2023 Citizen of the Year on Saturday during the Panorama Days festival. The announcement was made during the awards presentation after the parade. Klinge has been involved in numerous organizations and activities in the area including Tori’s Angels Foundation Board of Directors, Guthrie County Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Guthrie County Community Foundation Board of Directors, and Panorama youth baseball and football. He has also been a regular and long-term volunteer for Panorama Days, Yale’s 4th of July Celebration, the youth athletic fields and concessions and as a bus driver for Lakeside Village, among many other contributions.

Posted 09/13/2023
By Susan Thompson
Lake Panorama Times

A new granite bench was installed at the Panorama West golf course Aug. 25. It’s in memory of George Mirras of Urbandale, who passed away Feb. 14, 2023. The bench is on the fourth hole behind the 296-yard par-four teebox. It offers views of both the Panorama West pond and the fourth fairway.
Tom Gratias and his wife, LaDonna, have owned a secondary home at Lake Panorama since 1990. With help from Greater Des Moines Home Builders Association, Gratias led the effort to raise money for the memorial bench and worked with Friends of Lake Panorama to order and arrange installation of the bench.
He founded Gratias Construction in 1972. “I became friends with George Mirras when he worked as a salesman for Midwest Gas. He called on builders to promote installing gas furnaces and appliances until he was 70 years old,” Gratias says. “When he retired in 1993, he took up golf.”
Gratias says Mirras came to Lake Panorama most weekends to play with him at the Panorama West golf course. “Often, Joe Scheiring joined us. George wasn’t a low handicap golfer, but he did his best,” he says. “Especially as he got older, if he didn’t hit a good shot, another ball would pop out of his pants pocket like a slot machine, and he would say ‘That wasn’t a golf shot...I better try another one.’ ”
That’s the back story to the words engraved on the bench: “In Memory of George Mirras, with pants pockets full of golf balls, was always prepared for another swing.”
Mirras was born in Fargo, North Dakota, on Oct. 18, 1922. He enlisted in the Army during World War II and saw combat in France, Holland and Germany. He was promoted to Artillery First Lieutenant in the Korean War where he trained troops in Japan.
After completing his journalism studies at the University of Missouri, he worked in marketing for the Junction City Kansas Daily Union, Omaha World Herald, WOW Radio & TV in Omaha, Des Moines Register & Tribune, Business & Industry Magazine in Des Moines, Iowa Power & Light Company, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines.
“George simply was fun to be around, with a competitive spirit to want to hit a better shot. He played golf with me at Panorama West for more than 20 years, all the way up into his 90s,” Gratias says.
The Mirras bench is the eighth gray granite bench installed at the Panorama West golf course by Des Moines-Winterset Memorials.