By Rich Wicks | Guthrie County Times publications
America loves a contest. The Super Bowl. The World Series. March Madness. The Daytona 500. The Fourth of July hot-dog-eating competition. We simply love seeing who comes out on top.
On a local scale, Big Green Umbrella Media launched its first ever “Best of Guthrie County” poll to gather the opinions of our readers as to which individuals, businesses, events and organizations stand out from the crowd.
A total of 471 votes were cast, and that is a large number — more than some city council or school board elections. Much like those elections, this is not a scientific poll. Rather, it’s more of a popularity contest among those who take the time to vote. Readers may prefer one business over another for any reason(s), such as location, quality of the service or product, prices, nostalgia, personal friendship with the owner, etc. But, regardless of the reasons, we each have our preferences, and that’s simply what we asked readers to tell us.
You’ll likely agree with some of the results but not with others. That’s to be expected. If you took the time to vote, we thank you. If not, watch for your next opportunity. This poll had 82 categories, but there was nothing sacred or comprehensive about the list. Categories may be added or deleted based on interest. So, if you have a category to suggest, we’re all ears.
For purposes of this poll, we defined “Guthrie County” slightly more broadly than the exact county borders, because some communities straddle the county line. For any city that is partially in Guthrie County, we recognize the entire city as a part of this poll.
Runners-up are listed alphabetically in each category. In a few instances, someone listed may no longer be in the role where he or she garnered so many accolades. The person may have moved away or simply changed jobs. We view this poll as a “snapshot” of the time when the poll was used, so we have listed winners and runners-up even when some may have moved on.
We encourage you to use this list to try something new and see why voters named certain businesses, venues and/or individuals as the best.
It’s clear that Guthrie County has many outstanding people, businesses, places, events and services. Please join us in congratulating all of those listed here. Keep in mind that, in many cases, only a few votes separated first place from third place or others that did not make the top three.
With all that in mind, and without further ado, here are the winners and runners-up in the various categories of our Best of Guthrie County poll for 2024.
Camping Spot
Springbrook State Park
Runners up: Lenon Mill Park, Nations Bridge Park
Dinner Spot
Prime Time Restaurant
Runners up: Pioneers Pub & Grub, Ruby’s Pub & Grill
Attorney or Law Firm
Bump & Bump Law Offices
Runners up: Eric Reinhart, Varley Law Office
Auto Parts Store
NAPA Panora
Runners up: NAPA Guthrie Center, NAPA Stuart
Auto Service Center
Leonard Automotive
Runners up: M & L Service, Panorama Tire
Bank
Guthrie County State Bank
Runners up: Farmers State Bank of Yale, First State Bank
Bar
Tin Lizzie’s Sports Bar
Runners up: Owl’s Nest, Ruby’s Pub & Grill
Barge Service
Lake Panorama Barge Service
Runners up: Deluxe Docks & Lifts, Van Houten Barge Service
Bartender or Server
Amanda Carl at Ruby’s Pub & Grill
Runners up: Amber Godwin at Just One More, Stacy Nelson at Owl’s Nest
Boutique
Tribe Boutique LLC
Runners up: B & B Marketplace, Pearls & Lace
Bowling Alley
Incredi-Bowl
Runners up: Coon Bowl III, Stuart Bowl & Lounge
Car Wash
All Seasons Car Wash
Runners up: Guthrie Center Car Wash, Karl’s Chevrolet
Caterer
Café on the Hill
Runners up: Cabbage Rose Restaurant, Lidderdale Country Store
Chamber of Commerce
Panora
Runners up: Guthrie Center, Stuart
Chiropractor (person)
Josh Calmer
Runners up: Bailey Schreiber, Jodi Bassett
Church
Faith Bible Church
Runners up: Guthrie Center United Methodist, Lutheran Church of Hope Panora
Coach
Cody Matthewson, ACGC football
Runners up: Colin Shawgo, Kylee Boettcher
Coffee Shop
Crafty’s Coffee & Gifts
Runners up: Casey Creamery, The Cup on 2nd
Community Festival
Panorama Days
Runners up: Guthrie County Fair, Yale 4th of July
CPA (person)
Lisa Calvert
Runners up: Janet Dickson, Sarah Langgaard
Customer Service
Panora Fiber
Runners up: Dowd Drug, The Cup on 2nd
Dance Studio
Main Street Dance Studio
Runner up: Adair Dance Academy
Daycare
Little Panther Daycare & Preschool
Runners up: Exploration & Learning Station, Little Charger Early Learning
Dentist (person)
Dr. Larry Spray
Runners up: Dr. Ames Cross, Dr. Daniel Nelson
Doctor (person)
Dr. Joshua Strehle
Runners up: Dr. Eric Ash, Dr. Steven Bascom
Dog Boarding Facility
Mitzie Rue’s Canine Corral
Runners up: Guthrie County Veterinary Services, Pretty Paws Pet Grooming
Elected Official
Maggie Armstrong
Runners up: Marty Arganbright, Steve Smith
Electrician (business)
Berger Electric
Runners up: Kane Powell Electric, Miller Plumbing & Electric
Employer
Guthrie County Hospital
Runners up: Panora Fiber, The Cup on 2nd
Esthetician (skin care professional)
Lexi Blakely
Runners up: Amy Bassett, Courtney Claussen
Eye Doctor (person)
Cassie Martinson
Runner up: Kyle Stalder
Financial Planner
Dave Grove
Runners up: Melissa Loest, Russ Wagner
Florist
Panorama Gardens
Runners up: B & B Marketplace, Stuart Flower & Gifts
Golf Course
Lake Panorama National
Runners up: Guthrie Center Golf Course, Panorama West Golf Course
Grocery Store
Hometown-Guthrie Center
Runners up: Hometown-Panora, Hometown-Stuart
Hair Salon
Main Street Hair Design
Runners up: Britt’s Family Hair Care, Revel Salon & Boutique
Happy Hour
Tin Lizzie’s Sports Bar
Runners up: Owl’s Nest, Ruby’s Pub & Grill
Hardware Store
Lake Lumber
Runners up: Stuart True Value Hardware & Lumber, Tractor Supply Co.
Health Club/Gym
Reshape Fitness Studio
Runners up: Active Health Solutions, Guthrie County Hospital
Home Builder
Donovan Construction
Runners up: Dave Arganbright Construction, DL Customs LLC
Home Improvement Contractor
Donovan Construction
Runners up: Dave Arganbright Construction, Kevin Laughery Construction
Home Painter
Kunkle Painting
Runners up: Baker Painting, Jeremy Riggen Painting
HVAC Company
Doug’s Plumbing & Heating
Runners up: Controlled Environments, Miller Plumbing & Electric
Insurance Agent (person)
Chris Arganbright
Runners up: Carrie Sloss, Robert Carr
Landscaping Company
Wood Duck Landscapes
Runners up: Schwinger Lawn Service, Wood Brothers Landscaping
Lawn Care Business
Schwinger Lawn Service
Runners up: D & S Lawn & Handyman Service, Hansen Lawn Services
Library
Panora Public Library
Runners up: Mary Barnett Memorial Library, Stuart Public Library
Local Band or Musician
Dale Menning – Stardusters
Runners up: Chancey Hill, Kile Jackson
Massage Therapist (person)
Jade Irlmeier
Runners up: Amy Bassett, Madison Berger
Mexican Restaurant
Los Altos-Panora
Runners up: Fuego, Los Altos-Stuart
Nursery or garden Center
Panorama Gardens
Runners up: Grandma Marie’s Greenhouse, Red Maple Greenhouse
Parent/Child Date Spot
The Stuart Scoop
Runners up: Casey Creamery, Pedal-In
Park
Springbrook State Park
Runners up: Mitchell Park, Nations Bridge Park
Pastor (person)
Trevor Nunn
Runners up: Fr. Ray Higgins, Jenny Knutter
Pest Control Company
Cyclone Pest Management
Runners up: Colin’s Pest Control, Paul’s Pest Control
Pharmacy
Dowd Drug
Runners up: Medicap-Panora, Wright Pharmacy-Stuart
Photographer
Betty Cooper
Runners up: Ketelsen Photography, Serenity & Bliss Photography
First Date Spot
The Port on Lake Panorama
Runners up: Pioneers Pub & Grub, Prime Time Restaurant
Place for a Field Trip
Springbrook State Park
Runners up: Guthrie County Historical Village, Nation’s Bridge Park
Place for Guests to Stay
Lakeside Inn
Runners up: Lake Panorama National Resort, Midway Motel
Place for Pizza
Casey’s
Runners up: The Stuart Scoop, Zipp’s Pizzaria food truck
Place to buy meat
Guthrie County Quality Meats
Runners up: Downing’s Farm to Fork, Hometown Foods
Place to hold an event
Guthrie County Event Center-Fairgrounds
Runners up: Saints Center for Culture and the Arts, Twin Vines Winery
Place to buy gifts for her
Tribe Boutique LLC
Runners up: B & B Marketplace, Dowd Drug
Place to take kids or grandkids
Guthrie Center Aquatic Center
Runners up: Guthrie County Historical Village & Museum, Springbrook State Park
Place to take your dog
Springbrook State Park
Runners up: Lake Panorama Dog Park, Mitzie Rue’s Canine Corral
Plumber (business)
Doug’s Plumbing & Heating
Runners up: J5 Plumbing, Miller Plumbing & Heating
Real Estate Company
Sunset Realty
Runners up: Lake Panorama Realty, Stuart Realty
Realtor (person)
Laura Kemble
Runners up: Dave Wagler, Vicki Crannell
Retail Store
Dowd Drug
Runners up: Doe A Deer, Tribe Boutique LLC
School
Panorama Schools
Runners up: ACGC, West Central Valley
Senior Living Facility
New Homestead
Runners up: Lakeside Village, Stuart Community Care Center
Teacher
Laurie Behrends
Runners up: Aly Dahlhauser, Bob Bolton
Vehicle Detailing Business
Detailer’s Eye
Runners up: Collision Concepts of Bagley, Karl’s Chevrolet
Veterinarian (person)
Doug Frels
Runners up: Donna Frels, Shawn Nicholson
Wine Selection
Twin Vines
Runners up: Hometown Foods, Local Liquor
Ice Cream Place
Casey Creamery
Runners up: Pedal-In, The Stuart Scoop
Lunch Spot
Prime Time Restaurant
Runners up: Café on the Hill, Pedal-In
Place to take Mom & Dad
Prime Time Restaurant
Runners up: Pioneers Pub & Grub, The Cup on 2nd
Breakfast Spot
Café on the Hill
Runners up: Crafty’s Coffee & Gifts, The Cup on 2nd
Dessert Spot
Casey Creamery
Runners up: Crafty’s Coffee & Gifts, The Stuart Scoop
Coldest Beer
Tin Lizzie’s Sports Bar
Runners up: Owl’s Nest, Ruby’s Pub & Grill