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Yester Years

Jul 2, 2026 | Yester Years

10 years ago

From the archives of The Guthrie County Vedette, July 7, 2016

TEAMWORK ON DISPLAY. Panorama basketball team members working at the bathtub races (from left) are Morgan Johnk, Hope Wilderman, Devyn Kemble, Nicole Rolfes and Makenna Woodvine.

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20 years ago

From the archives of The Guthrie Center Times, July 19, 2006

 

CAMPERS IN THE SADDLE. Thomas Mahlstedt of Bagley was one of 10 campers attending a recent weeklong summer day camp at Timber Creek Therapies near Guthrie Center. He is shown on horseback in the Timber Creek riding arena along with volunteers Cindy Redfern of Guthrie Center and Duane Spicer of Panora.

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30 years ago

From the archives of The Guthrie Center Times, July 10, 1996

MAINSTREET, U.S.A. A view of Yale’s main street during the Fourth of July Parade gives a glimpse of the patriotic celebrating going on that day. It looks to be a real modern-day Yankee Doodle Dandy.

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40 years ago

From the archives of The Guthrie County Vedette, July 17, 1986

SEASON OVER. The Linden Little League team posted a 5-10 record this summer. Team members include, from left, Clint Snyder, Jay Rhoten, Steve Foresman, Aaron Becker, Sean Becker, Dave Hutchins, Jon Hutchins, Clint Richards, Kolby Starr, Todd Smithson, Richard Norton, Shannon Waltz and Doug White. Kneeling are Troy Wirt, Bobbie Jo Burk and Justin Pote.

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50 years ago

From the archives of The Guthrie Center Times, June 14, 1976

OUCH, THAT HURTS. That was the feeling of John Arganbright (ground), Panora, as he is being administered to by Treffie Cole, Linden, during Red Cross swimming lessons at the Guthrie Center pool. The boys are not horsing around but practicing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with the instruction of Teresa Jordan. The instructors mentioned that although the children may be too little to perform the task, by knowing the procedure, they can tell others. Lessons extend through this week.

The sounds of RAGBRAI 

Jul 2, 2026 | News

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During RAGBRAI’s visit to Guthrie Center on July 20, plenty of entertainment options will be available. For those who enjoy live music, the schedule is shown below.

Downtown Guthrie Center

Four bands are booked to entertain in downtown Guthrie Center on Monday, July 20. The downtown area (State Street and side streets) will be the location of most of the vendors and entertainment. 

2 p.m.: Jesse and The Hillbilly Air Show is central Iowa’s classic country band. The band has played at many events all around the area. Band members include local musician Brick Imerman.

4 p.m.: Weary Ramblers is a newly formed duo featuring Kathryn Fox and Guthrie Center graduate Chad Elliott. Their multi-instrumental performances, tight harmonies and storytelling led them to become winners of the 2026 International Blues Challenge.

6:30 p.m.: The Nadas is a Des Moines-area folk-Americana act that plays a distinctive sound described as “the 1970s meet the 1990s.” The group has been performing for more than three decades and was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

9 p.m.: GIMIKK is billed as Des Moines’ party band. As champions of the 2025 Prairie Meadows “Battle of the Bands,” they have the hardware to prove it. GIMIKK rocks with powerful performances of familiar hits, including songs by .38 Special, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, ACDC, Journey, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Guns N Roses, KISS and many more.

Guthrie County Fairgrounds

Live music will also be held at the Guthrie County Fairgrounds, where many of the largest groups of bicyclists will camp.

Kris Karr will play from noon to 3 p.m. Karr is an accomplished drummer who also plays guitar, harmonica and other instruments. His solo acoustic performance is sure to entertain.

Immediately following Karr, Aiden Flathers will perform from 3-6 p.m., playing covers of hit rock, country, blues, funk, folk and pop songs, as well as a few of his own. Flathers has previously performed at Guthrie’s River Ruckus and the Iowa State Fair.

The volume wars are officially over

Jul 2, 2026 | Publisher's Column

“If it is too loud, you are too old.”

That line has been shouted by more than a few rock musicians over the years, and I have seen it splashed across plenty of black concert T-shirts. It is most often credited to the Motor City Madman himself, Ted Nugent.

Well, Ted, it is too loud, and I am too old.

It was not always that way. There was a time when the volume knob on my stereo simply did not turn far enough. Every song sounded better louder. At least I thought so. I suspect the neighbors at my childhood home had a slightly different opinion.

Back then, my teenage buddies and I could spend hours flipping through the pages of Crutchfield catalogs, drooling over receivers, equalizers, dual cassette decks and, eventually, CD players. There was no Amazon app to scroll through and no next-day delivery. Even if there had been, I doubt we would have used it. Stereo shopping was an experience.

The best part was visiting an electronics store where you could actually hear the equipment. Walking into one of those showrooms was like entering the promised land. Rows of gleaming components. Towering speakers. Buttons, switches and flashing lights everywhere. It was impossible not to imagine how much better your favorite cassette tapes would sound through gear you absolutely could not afford.

Each of us had our favorite brand. Some swore by Yamaha. Others insisted Sony was king. I was firmly in the Pioneer camp. We could not afford the truly high-end equipment, but we also were not about to settle for something from Radio Shack. We had standards, after all.

My speakers were roughly the size of coffee tables. They featured woofers, midrange drivers and tweeters that could rattle the windows without much effort. They sounded fantastic until one of the woofers finally gave up. After that, every song sounded as if it were being performed through a kazoo and a paper towel tube.

I also cranked up my Sony Walkman whenever I went for a run. Def Leppard was practically a performance-enhancing drug. The louder the music, the faster my legs moved — or at least the less I noticed my lungs begging for mercy.

That Walkman eventually died, but my Pioneer stereo survived move after move before my wife convinced me it was time to sell it at a garage sale. I hope whoever bought it occasionally gives the volume knob a healthy twist in my honor.

These days, I am more likely to spin a classic vinyl record or ask Alexa to play my favorite songs. Somewhere along the way, I discovered that music really can be too loud.

Of course, I still know every word to those old rock songs. I just prefer hearing them without my ears ringing for the next two days.

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading. 

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Upcoming events in the area

Jul 2, 2026 | Events

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Celebrate at Shootout Saloon, July 3

The Shootout Saloon (3571 310th St. in Dexter) welcomes everyone to start the holiday weekend with drink specials, live music and fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

Yale Celebration, July 3 and 4

As usual, Yale is a hub of fun on Independence Day. This year’s celebration starts with “chalk the block” on Friday from 5-7 p.m. and a street dance at the beer garden with music by RUKKUS. Saturday includes a hearty breakfast to start the holiday right. The YJB Camping4Girls group (formerly TTT) will be making made-to-order omelets 8-10 a.m. at the Yale Community Building. A round-robin pickleball tournament will be 8-10 a.m. The day’s schedule also includes a tractor show, bingo, raffle and kids’ zone fun. Kile Jackson will play live music 7 p.m. to dusk, when fireworks will take center stage. For a full list of the celebration’s schedule, visit the Facebook page of “Annual Yale 4thof July Celebration.”

Panora farmers market, July 4

The farmers market in Panora will go on as usual this Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Guthrie County Historical Village, 206 West South Street. There are more than 20 vendors signed up, and Tom Shadonix will play live music.

 

Adair County Fair, July 8-12 in Greenfield

The Adair County Fair is back with fun for everyone. Grandstand shows include a rodeo on July 8, FMX High Air Tour on July 9, demolition derby on July 10, and figure 8 races on July 11. Grandstand admission is free with gate admission. Tickets are $15 for anyone 13 or older and free for those younger. Discounted tickets ($10 each) can be purchased through July 6 at Fareway (Greenfield), FNB Bank (Greenfield and Fontanelle), Union State Bank (Greenfield) and Rolling Hills Bank (Adair). Other attractions include many contests, livestock, inflatables, a car show and a tractor show. The fairgrounds location is 900 Northeast Elm St. in Greenfield. More details can be seen on the fair’s website, www.adaircountyfair.org.

RAGBRAI Town Hall meeting, July 9 in Guthrie Center

Everyone is welcome to attend the final town hall meeting prior to RAGBRAI. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on July 9 at the Guthrie Center Activity Center, 209 State St.

Gun Show in Guthrie Center, July 10-12

The Guthrie County Fairgrounds will be the site of a gun show July 10 (4-8 p.m.), July 11 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and July 12 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Admission cost is $10 for one day or $14 for a weekend pass. Discounted admission will be given to veterans and active members of the military and first responders, with proper identification. Prize drawings will be held.

Masonic Breakfast July 11 in Guthrie Center

The Guthrie Center Masonic breakfast will be held 7-11 a.m. on Saturday, July 11 at 114 North Fourth Street. For a freewill donation, attendees will enjoy eggs, ham, sausage, juice and coffee.

50115 Fest, July 11

On Saturday, July 11, downtown Guthrie Center is the location of the free annual 50115 Fest. This year’s theme, in a nod to RAGBRAI, is “Rollin’ into 50115.” The fest runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include the Guthrie Center farmers market 9-11 a.m., the fire department water fights, sidewalk sales and a car show. No registration is required for the car show. The sidewalk sales will run July 10-11.

Live music in Jamaica, July 17

On Friday, July 17, Luke Farland will perform 8-11 p.m. at Just One More in Jamacia.

Casey Fun Days, July 17-18

The annual Casey Fun Days begins on Friday, July 17, 3-6 p.m., with a “rock walk” featuring the music collection of Parker King, at the Casey Library. There will be a kids parade at 6 p.m. and bags tourney at 7 p.m. Live music by Jesse Wilson will be from 8-11 p.m. at the beer tent. Two baseball movies (“The Sandlot” and “A League of Their Own”) will be shown on the Community Center lawn, beginning at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 18, morning events include the fun run at 7 a.m., pancake breakfast from 7-10 a.m. and the big parade at 10:30 a.m. Other events include a car show, chicken bingo, cake walk and the Science Center of Iowa’s “Boom” activity. The fest wraps up with live music 8-11 p.m. by Ghost Riderz in the beer tent.

Panorama Booster Club golf tourney, Aug. 2

The annual Panorama Booster Club Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held on Sunday, Aug. 2. Registration will be at 12:30 p.m., and shotgun start will be at 1 p.m. The 18-hole event will take place at the Lake Panorama Par 3 Golf Course. Teams of four will compete. Registration cost is $45 per person or $180 for a team of four. The event includes games, prizes and snacks.

To register, or for information about sponsoring a hole, contact Booster Club President Chaille Crandall at crandallchaille@gmail.com.

Send your event information to rich@gctimesnews.com.

Cribbage results from July 1

Jul 2, 2026 | News

Special to the Times Vedette

On July 1, a total of 16 players participated. Allen Pierce, Dennis Betts and Robert Klever each got two 16s; Dave Richter got an 18; Wayne Nichel got a 17 and a 20; and Dave Kading got a 24.

The Guthrie Center cribbage players generally meet at Guthrie Center Library, 400 Grand St., on Mondays at 8 a.m. and at the New Homestead independent living dining hall, 2306 State St., at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. on Fridays. Organizers say there is always room for more, and they will be glad to teach you how to play. They play for quarters on Wednesday and Friday.