By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
On Friday, Sept. 27, a parade of students will march down Market Street to a Panorama Homecoming pep rally, set to begin at 2 p.m. The public is encouraged to come enjoy the parade, pep rally and all the homecoming events.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the Sept. 23 Panora City Council meeting, the councilmembers discussed two new streetlights that were installed at the intersection of Highway 4 and Highway 44 (the “Casey’s corner”).
Panora’s Electric Superintendent, Doug Long, explained his recommendation to install new LED streetlights similar to those two. He said the new lights would meet the specifications for lighting on state highways. Councilmembers said they had not heard any complaints or concerns about the new lights. Mayor Curt Thornberry noted that the proposed new lights are much less “power hungry” than the proposed LED lights and asked Long how soon the lights could be installed.
“I’m thinking it would take about a week, once we get them,” Long said.
The council unanimously approved the plan to purchase and install new LED lights.
During the Public Forum portion of the meeting, citizen Lana Laabs (216 E. Church St.) addressed the council with a request to be allowed to temporarily stay in her camper while her home is completed.
“I was a Jamaica person; I’m going to be a Panora person in a few weeks. I had called the City to see if I could live in my camper for a few weeks this fall, and they said no,” Laabs said.
Laabs asked for more explanation and was told that for many years, the ordinance prohibited anyone staying in a recreational vehicle, such as a camper, on a private residential property. Laabs asked if anything could be done to allow her to stay in the camper. Mayor Curt Thornberry explained this would require an ordinance change, which could not be accomplished in time to meet Laabs’ request.
The council discussed Resolution 24-33 to approve a “hybrid entity policy” regarding the city’s EMS staff. John DeLavergne explained that the policy is simply a way to designate that only certain city staff (those directly involved with EMS services) would need to receive “HIPAA” training. The council approved the resolution as proposed. The council also designated DeLavergne as the HIPAA Privacy Officer for Panora EMS.
City Administrator Lisa Grossman updated the council on the issue raised by Marshall and Linda Burgess regarding the “rusty” tap water they’ve been experiencing at their home. Grossman said the City is continuing to perform iron tests at nearby homes to determine the location and cause of the problem.
Grossman informed the council about an upcoming Panorama Homecoming event.
“The school reached out… They’re going to be doing a Homecoming pep rally at the square on Friday at 2 p.m. They’re going to be doing a parade of kids down Market Street. They want to get the community more involved in the Homecoming events,” Grossman said.
The next regular meeting of the Panora council is set for Monday, Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The public is welcome. Interested persons may attend in person or electronically by visiting the website https://meet.goto.com/cityofpanora or by phone 1-312-757-3121 (Access Code 295-099-701, Audio PIN 220#).
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
The Guthrie Center City Council held a brief regular meeting on Sept. 23. Regarding the city’s search for someone to hire as a part-time office worker, city clerk Kris Arrasmith said there were three applicants, and the position will ideally be 30-35 hours per week, which will qualify for benefits.
Councilmember Garold Thomas asked how this potential new hire will impact the city’s two “fill-in” office staff.
“They’re phasing out. They’re going to help me with training and some other things, but they are going to simply be on an ‘on-call’ basis, for if somebody goes on vacation,” Arrasmith said.
Councilmember Ian Steensen commented on the hours report regarding the city’s law enforcement coverage by the Sheriff’s Department staff.
“A lot of reserve hours over the last two weeks,” he said.
As part of the consent agenda items, the council approved four building/fence permits. Those approved included Little Charger ELC (fence), 806 North St. (garage, Thompson), 907 Main St. (house, Tri-Co Lumber), and 108 N. 12thSt. (shed, Martinez)
The next regular meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council will be Monday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.
By Ruanne Brinker-Ownn, senior staff writer
YouTube is one of the most consumed forms of media today due to its convenience and variety as a platform. Most any niche interest you have has been thoroughly covered in a YouTube video for your own enjoyment. But we often forget that YouTube can be both equally educational and entertaining. Many YouTube creators make intriguing science videos that are geared to be entertaining to people of all ages. I highlight four of the most entertaining, thought-provoking and unique.
The first is Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer who now focuses on sharing his scientific knowledge online. A large percentage of his videos center around scientific experiments such as “Egg Drop from Space” and “Testing If Sharks Can Smell a Drop of Blood,” and many more. Another staple aspect of his videos is engineering, such as “Beating 5 Scam Arcade Games with Science,” where Mark builds gadgets to win arcade games using physics. Mark is continually creating new videos with creative ideas that can captivate for hours that are well spent learning new information.
If you’re looking for some shorter content to view, JaDropping Science is a great choice. The channel mainly focuses on a series of 60-second videos that follow the formula of two truths and a lie with scientific facts. It can be quite tricky. Even if you think you’re knowledgeable when it comes to science, I encourage you to go watch one of his videos. You will be surprised by some of the fun facts you learn.
If you’re searching for content on the longer side. In that case, NileRed is your match. With videos usually lasting about an hour, NileRed dives into the complexity of chemistry in a fun and intriguing way. Did you know you can turn plastic gloves into soda? If you are just as bewildered as I was when I read the title of his video, “Turning plastic gloves into grape soda,” I encourage you to check out his channel and give it a view. He performs many other experiments with equally intriguing results.
Perhaps the most entertaining creator out of the handful I’ve presented today is Michael Stevens, better known as VSauce. His videos center around hypothetical scientific questions, with some of his most popular titles including “What If Everyone JUMPED At Once?” and “Is Your Red The Same as My Red?” Other content created by him can be more fun-fact-oriented than science, but his content consistently has roots in educating others through his quirky personality about the wonderful world around us.
Many other science-based creators on YouTube make equally excellent videos for you to browse at any moment. Screentime can truly be educational if you know where to search. I encourage you to check out some of the people I listed and learn something new about the world around you. Hopefully, you can discover a new way to pass the time productively.
Visit some of the channels mentioned with the links below:
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By Henry Kalloff, sophomore, staff writer
This school year marks a new milestone for the sophomore student from Germany, as Neele Wirths is ready to accomplish new goals in her year at Panorama Community Schools. Although she is looking forward to completing goals, such as improving her English and being able to meet new people, it will take a lot of time to adjust to being away from home and having to move away from the ones she grew up with. In the first few weeks of school, she has become part of the cheerleading team for Panorama and has mentioned the big differences between American schools and schools in Germany. For example, the option of choosing subjects and that the length of school was different between both countries’ schools.
In her short time living in Iowa, she has talked about the positivity amongst those who area a part of the community and at school. However, she is not looking forward to the winter due to the excessively cold weather. When asked about why she made the decision to take a year as a foreign exchange student, she said it was because she had wanted to attend an American high school and wanted to live like an American teenager. She has also been to several other countries in her lifetime including Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Canada.
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By Leah Kastner, freshman, and Brooklyn Haines, junior, staff writers
Mr. Thompson has coached cross country since 1998. He said he has been looking forward to this season. His goal for this season is to get four kids to the state meet individually and a team to go to state and for each athlete and to grow personally and athletically. Mr. Thompson has 10 high school girls, five high school boys, five junior high girls, and two junior high boys participating.
The first high school cross country meet was Aug. 29, and the first junior high cross country meet was Sept. 12. Mr. Thompson’s favorite parts about being a coach are the relationships that are built with the team. Mr. Thompson keeps his athletes motivated by focusing on their personal growth. When difficult situations arise, he talks to the coaching staff and administration and relies on his past experience. If someone were to ask Mr. Thompson about cross country, he would tell them “JOIN CROSS COUNTRY! It will be hard at the beginning, but it will be worth it.”
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By Holliday Mertens, sophomore, and Leah Kastner, freshman, staff writer
Sunday, Sept. 22, was the beginning of Homecoming week kicking off with the Iron Games. The game is on Friday, Sept. 27 against Southwest Valley. There, the homecoming king and queen will be crowned. To cap off homecoming week, the dance is on Saturday, Sept. 28. Tickets will be available starting Sept. 23. The cost will be $5 if paid in advance, and $10 at the door on Saturday. If you want to register out-of-town visitors, the deadline is Thursday, Sept. 26.
The theme for this year’s homecoming is “Panorama’s Got Game,” based on popular board games. Monday is based on Jumanji, and students should wear camo outfits. Tuesday is based on The Game of Life, where students dress up as different decades. Each grade is given a decade to dress up as: 6th – 1990s, 7th – 1960s, 8th – 1980s, 9th – 2000s, 10th – 1990s, 11th – 1980s, and 12th – 1970s. Staff will dress in the decade they graduated high school. Wednesday is Candyland day, which is also pajama day for students and staff. Thursday is Twister day, where each grade is assigned a color: 6th – neon, 7th – red, 8th – purple, 9th – yellow, 10th – green, 11th – blue, 12th – pink, and staff – black. Finally, game day is based on Battleship, where students should simply wear Panorama Panther attire or colors to show pride.
Let’s make this Homecoming week a good one and always GO PANTHERS!
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Ava Thorn, Miyah Small, Nella Rivas, Jessica Randal, Maci Bauer, Lexi Wasson, Maddy Carstens, Elizabeth Snyder, Berkley Schwartz, Hadley Fitch and Cali Knudsen.
By Berkley Schwartz, freshman, staff writer
This year, the Panorama dance team has performed at two football games. The first dance they did was a mix up of jazz, hip hop, kick and pom. The latest dance they did was a mix up of pom, kick and hip hop. This is something new the dance team is doing, and it is a good way to pep up halftime and get everyone ready for the football season.
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By Holliday Mertens, sophomore, staff writer
In a new city, Paula Lopez Navarret misses her family, friends and the food from back home in Spain. She notes how she can choose her subjects and school is shorter. She names the Spanish omelet as her favorite food from her home country. She is a 15-year-old sophomore and has a 12-year-old brother. She is participating in cheerleading this year. She says Iowans are nice and helpful to her. However, she dislikes the harsh winter weather in the state.
She became a foreign exchange student in the United States to learn about our culture and traditions. She also wants to improve her English and experience new things. Crumble cookies are her favorite food here in America. She finds it difficult to be away from her family and friends. Her main goals are to improve her English and get to know American culture. Finally, outside of Spain and Iowa, she has been to Finland, Scotland and France. She has also been to New York.
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By Nerea Gimeno-Perez, sophomore, staff writer
A group of volunteers decided to help by refereeing football games for elementary school kids. By volunteering, students not only earn service hours but also ensure that the children have a blast and enjoy themselves. Part of their goal is to show interest in football among the young boys so that they continue to play as they grow older. The students aim to inspire the young kids to explore new activities, such as football. This holds tremendous value for the children as it facilitates physical activity, fun, outdoor engagement and, most importantly, allows them to revel in the joy of childhood.
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By Henry Kalloff, sophomore, staff writer
Last Wednesday morning at the Panorama Secondary School, students in both middle and high school were told to go through the bus evacuation drill. It takes a few moments for the bus driver to go through the safety precautions about a school bus in case an emergency situation were to happen. Students are required to wear a seatbelt as newer school buses have them installed on all seats on the bus. There are also eight ways to get out of a bus in case of an incident, including both the front and back doors, four windows and two roof hatches in case of a rollover.
While this makes sense for those who take the bus to get to and from school, the question was raised as to why this matters to those who don’t ride the bus. As someone like me who usually walks home, I will say that it is about as important for someone to know all school bus policies whether they ride the bus or not. For example, in case we go on a field trip, you have to ride the bus to go to somewhere from the school during the day. Another can be if someone plays sports and Panorama plays somewhere out of town, a bus is needed to transport players to that place. Finally, if someone decides to drive buses for a living, either public or school transport, they will need to know the policies to tell the younger people about it.
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By Holliday Mertens, sophomores, staff writer
With midterms coming up, students might start to panic about their grades. The term is already halfway through, and if a kid is failing, he or she might worry about bringing grades up. There might also be kids who are passing but worry about flunking an assignment or test and failing by the time the term ends. Maybe a kid is barely passing and wants to have a comfortable grade at the end of the term. Here are some tips to bring grades up before the term ends.
First, it is important to know what you are learning. Study cards can help one lock the information into memory. A study card is a medium-sized card where a student writes down all or almost all the information learned in a class to study later. School isn’t the only place a student can study. If students are worried about their grades, then they should take time to study at home to prepare for tests and get their grades up. Quizzing is also a great way to study. Taking a quiz about what one is learning in class to better understand the material. Quizlet is a good website to do quizzes on. Finally, the most important thing to do is pay attention to the teacher and comprehend what he or she is saying. If students do this, they will increase their chances of getting a passing grade by the end of the term.
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Malia Jacobsen swimming 500 Freestyle: 7:33.59, 4th place, Personal best time, dropping 3.88 seconds.
By Leah Kastner, freshman, staff writer
Malia Jacobson is a freshman at Panorama who swims for the Perry swim team. I asked her how she is liking it so far.
“I really like it so far, and I really like the team,” she replied.
Malia’s favorite race is the 100 breaststroke, although her best race is the 50 breaststroke. I asked her what a few of her accomplishments were for this season so far.
“I am swimming varsity. I started swimming the 500 and I have PRed (personal record) in a few races.”
I also asked about her goals for this season.
“My main goal for this season is to get down to six minutes for the 500,” she said.
Thank you, Malia, for your time and good luck on your swimming season.
From the archives of The Guthrie County Vedette, Sept. 17, 2014
SLOVAKIAN ARTIST. Robert Horgosi is from western Slovakia and is a foreign exchange student at Panorama this year. He is enjoying his drawing class this term, which is a class he does not have at his school.
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From the archives of The Guthrie Center Times, Sept. 22, 2004
UP AND AT ‘EM. Guthrie’s Andrea Clark goes high to spike the ball as Brittney Gilge, left, and Emily Burr (5) watch.
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From the archives of The Guthrie Center Times, Sept. 21, 1994
EARLY LEAD. Julie Vandevanter won the Panorama Invitational Thursday. She earned a medal and finished at 13:38.
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From the archives of The Guthrie County Vedette, Sept. 20, 1984
MITTEN WEATHER. Steve Baker uses a mitten to apply a fresh coat of paint to a wrought-iron railing at the Beidelman Funeral Home in Panora Tuesday afternoon.
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From the archives of The Guthrian, Sept. 23, 1974
CLOSING IN. Bob Knapp (20) and an unidentified Adair-Casey Bomber close in on this Bridgewater-Fontanelle ball carrier to bring him down after a short gain in the Bombers’ 40-6 victory.