The older I get, the more I dislike stairs. I am beginning to understand the attraction many older people have to ranch-style homes. I never thought that day would come. Then again, I said the same thing about mini-vans, bland foods and hearing aids. 

Stairs provided an incredible playground in my childhood home. Our basement was unfinished; even the back part of each step was open. They were just wide enough for me to crawl through, so I did — dozens of times each day. Of course, I grew, and the inevitable day came when my skull became stuck between the steps. I yelled for my brother, Steve, for help. He was upstairs, and I didn’t think about the added pressure that would be applied to my head when he ran down the steps. He apologized — kind of — and then laughed repeatedly as he pried the steps apart and set me free. That was the last time I tried crawling through the steps. 

Meanwhile, the fun on the steps continued. As kids, we learned to play with whatever was available. As such, tire inner tubes were objects of immense fun. I had a small inner tube with a white canvas cover strapped around it. I think the intent of the cover was to create a mini-trampoline of sorts, but Steve and I discovered other uses. That inner tube was narrow enough to fit between the aforementioned basement stairwell walls, and Steve thought it would be fun to slide down the steps on it. Of course, he wanted me to go first. I quickly learned that leaning forward would create a result of somersault … face plant … somersault … face plant. Steve assured me I would do better on the second attempt, so I tried again, this time leaning back. This result was spectacular: a spill-free, bumpy slide down the stairs. We did this over and over and over — until the next challenge surfaced.  

This contest was a standing long jump of sorts, except down the stairs with that trusty canvas-covered inner tube at the bottom for safety purposes. It started simply enough, with a jump from the bottom step to the base. We then increased by one step each time and allowed the other to match it. I became quite good at this, outjumping my big brother, who had the added challenge of trying not to hit his head on the ceiling. I am not sure how many steps there were, but I know I safely and successfully made my way to the top one. This final jump was an intimidating one, as I couldn’t get Evel Knievel out of my mind. My brother encouraged me to accept the challenge, so I did. I sailed through the air, eyes wide open, in cannonball position, prepared for another successful landing. And land I did — right on my tailbone on the bottom step.

That bruising marked the end of the stairwell games, and those memories may also explain my newfound attraction to ranch homes.

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

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

Special to the Times Vedette

Memorial Day services and the Avenue of Flags ceremony will be held Monday, May 26 starting at 10 a.m. at Veterans Auditorium in Panora.

The Master of Ceremonies will be Lynn Zajicek. Hostesses will be Deb Rockwell and Deb Moylan. Members of the Iowa National Guard, Reserves and Active Forces will serve as ushers. 

Post Colors will be provided by Color Guard, Boy Scouts, Troop 153, Panora, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by the Scouts. The National Anthem will be sang by the United Methodist Church Community Choir. Father Ray Higgins will provide the invocation.

Photos by Betty Cooper | Special to the Times Vedette

The Panorama High School class of 2025 held its graduation and commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 18 at the Panorama High School. 

Click photos to enlarge.

Photos by Mark Reno | Special to the Times Vedette

The ACGC class of 2025 held its official graduation and commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 18 at the ACGC High School. 

Click images to enlarge.

Video by Rich Wicks

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the May 20 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, board chair Maggie Armstrong led a discussion of the county’s procedure for closing during severe weather.

“From my understanding, this is how it’s been done in the past. It’s been up to the Board of Supervisors to determine if the courthouse, specifically, would close,” Armstrong said. “I would like to expend that and not just talk about the courthouse but treat all campuses the same.”

The supervisors discussed that some staff would be expected to continue working during severe weather. Armstrong asked that a list of “essential workers” or “essential jobs” be identified.

The supervisors discussed the county’s travel policy and some potential changes. Armstrong asked for opinions regarding in-state versus out-of-state travel. There was related discussion regarding lodging and meal allowances during work travel.

Becky Benton of State Street Insurance reported to the supervisors regarding the county’s Workers Compensation renewal. She reported on a savings for the county.

“This year, for about the third or fourth year, the rates have gone down, so that’s positive. The payroll figure that was submitted is lower than in 2024. So you put those two together… and the base premium is about $6,000 lower,” Benton said.

At 10 a.m., as part of the meeting, the supervisors walked outside to view storm shelter options and view a demonstration.

The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#.

The Buttler Construction office is at 203 S. Second St., Guthrie Center.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, May 2025

Rick Buttler enjoys the long history of his business in Guthrie Center.

“Buttler Construction is the oldest family-owned business in the county,” Buttler said. “We’re actually one year older than the Guthrie County State Bank.”

The business was started in 1930 by Buttler’s grandfather, Kenneth Hugh Buttler, Sr. Later, Kenneth Hugh Buttler, Jr. took over the business.

Buttler enjoys telling the stories of the early days of Buttler Construction.

“I’ve got Grandpa’s hand-written ledgers of payroll in the 1930s,” Buttler said. “Grandpa started on coal with one truck. He was making some money when the war came along, and he wanted to get another truck, but at that time you had to go to the rationing board to get a new truck. The guy laughed at him, and my grandpa was never one to shy away from a challenge.”

According to the story, the rationing board representative was not receptive to the request for another truck.

“The guy said, ‘You may as well ask for half a dozen, because you’re not going to get them,’ ” Buttler said. “So, my grandpa asked for a half a dozen, and he got them. That pretty much got us into the real trucking business.”

From there, the expansion continued. 

“Somewhere along the line, my grandpa bought a rock crusher, and that became our primary business — probably about 70% of what we did,” Buttler said. “We did Guthrie County, and even Dallas County for 42 years.”

Buttler said hauling lime for farm fields kept the crew busy through the winters when actual construction was slow.

Other members of the family also worked for the company.

“My grandpa had two brothers. Uncle Pearl was pretty much the day-to-day foreman. My uncle Wayne was the mechanic for 50-some years,” Buttler said. “My dad went into the Navy, so we left around 1961, and then he retired in 1980.

“In 1991, Grandpa died, and, after that, the business was incorporated. My sister and I each had 25%, and my parents had 50%,” Buttler said. “I was in the Army at the time, and I retired from the Army in 1995. I’ve been here ever since.”

The 1990s saw a surge in business for Buttler Construction.

“The two best years this business ever had was 1993 and 1994, for a couple of reasons,” Buttler said. “First, the flood. And second, that’s about the time that the CRP program (Conservation Reserve Program) came into existence, and if you’ve got crop acres into CRP, you have to put lime on them.”

In 2001, Buttler bought out his parents’ interest in the company. At that time, Buttler Construction had 17 trucks. But changes in Buttler’s health and changes to the business were right around the corner.

When a massive snowfall caused the collapse of a roof, Buttler rebuilt on the spot and started renting out units for storage.

Then Buttler was diagnosed with throat cancer. Despite the setbacks, Buttler considers himself an optimist, and he looks back on previous challenges and sees the good that came from them.

“The farm crisis and my diagnosis of throat cancer are the two best things that ever happened to me,” Buttler said. “The farm crisis put me back in the Army, so now I get a nice Army pension check and all my medical bills didn’t cost me a dime. And I went from 358 to 238 in weight because I had seven weeks of radiation.”

Nowadays, although Buttler still has a fleet of trucks, most sit unused. And whereas the business once employed around 25 workers, that number has dwindled. Nowadays, most of the requests for rock are individuals needing a truckload of gravel or similar small jobs. 

“Basically, the world has caused this business to not be viable anymore. Right now, I’ve got one fulltime guy, and a couple of parttime guys and me.”

As the construction work has decreased, the storage unit business has grown. 

“I’ve got 61 storage units, and it’s been good. I am full,” Buttler said. “If I can keep them full, it’s a good business.”

Looking back over his career and life, Buttler keeps a realistic attitude, knowing that challenges are inevitable. 

“I had a person ask me to categorize where I started in life, and where I’m at now. That’s easy — tumbleweed,” he said. “I never planned on coming back to Iowa. I never planned on going back into the Army. I never planned on owning a construction business. I never planned on raising purebred cows since 1979. I sure didn’t plan on being in the storage business. Life throws curves, and I’ve been hit by a few pitches.” n