The Friends of Lake Panorama’s Beach Ball fundraiser July 30 had a profit of $25,000. At its Aug. 16 meeting, the Friends board of directors voted to spend the Beach Ball proceeds to complete three projects.
First is the Lake Panorama dog park. Fundraising for this project kicked off in September 2020. The idea of a dog park on LPA property had been discussed for nearly a decade. In April 2019, Friends conducted a survey to gather input from LPA members on possible future projects. The Friends board reviewed and discussed the survey results, and approved several action items.
One action item dealt with the possible development of an LPA dog park. In September 2019, Friends recruited volunteers to serve on a dog park task force to study location, design, costs and rules. The Friends board received the task force report at its June 2020 meeting, and voted unanimously to endorse the project and advance the report to the LPA board.
The LPA board reviewed the dog park proposal at its July meeting, and gave unanimous approval at its August meeting for Friends to begin fundraising. A goal of $50,000 was set to build the park and provide all desired amenities.
At the time of the July 30 Beach Ball, donations for the dog park stood at $45,000. The Friends board voted to provide another $5,000 from the Beach Ball proceeds to reach the $50,000 goal.
Construction on the park is underway. It is located at the corner of Sage Trail and RV Road. A 6’ high chain link fence 400’ long and 150’ wide is being installed. There will be two sections, one for small dogs and one for large dogs. A single entrance will be protected by a keyless lock. Once inside this gate, users can choose a gate to either the large dog or small dog areas.
Crushed rock will create a 5' wide walking path along and under the fencing to provide a weed barrier and keep dogs from digging. A gravel parking lot will be adjacent to the park to the east. Once construction is complete, the park area will be fertilized and grass seeded. Two red maple trees, donated by the Isom Tree Farm, will be planted.
Amenities inside the park fence will be a picnic table in each of the two sections, a dog water fountain in each section, stations where bags for dog waste will be available, and waste receptacles. Opening of the park is planned for spring/summer 2022, and will be dependent on how quickly the turfgrass establishment is complete and all amenities are in place.
The facility will be open to LPA members and their guests. Signs will be posted for responsible use. A sign recognizing donors of $500 or more also will be posted at the dog park.
Another project that will receive Beach Ball funding involves enhancements to an existing trail near the Panorama West golf course. This project has been estimated at $5,500. Donations of $700 already have been received. The Friends board voted to provide $5,000 from the Beach Ball proceeds to complete fundraising for this project.
The existing trail is used by the Panorama School District as a cross-country track site and covers a variety of terrain including timber pathways, golf fairways and roadways. A task force of volunteers has developed plans that include marking a portion of this trail and designating it as the “official” multi-use trail.
For safety reasons, and in compliance with current LPA rules, users of this 2.5-mile trail, which includes a 1.5 mile out-and-back section, and an optional 1-mile loop, may include hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and dogwalkers, but no motorized vehicles.
The newly marked trail will wind its way through grassy open areas and timber, but will not cross any portion of the golf course or roadways. A trail map will be developed, and placed on an informational kiosk that will double as a trail head sign. The trail head, with limited parking, will be located at the end of the Nicholl Drive cul-de-sac just east of the Panorama West clubhouse.
Low profile 4x4 recycled plastic lumber posts with directional signage, recreational symbols, and distance markers will be installed along the multi-use portion of the trail. To avoid confusion, these park-style, recreational markers will be different from the cross-country signage. One or two recycled plastic benches will be placed along the trail.
Task force team members will meet soon to finalize design details for the kiosk, markers and benches. Product orders will be placed this fall, with installation and project completion planned for spring 2022.
The third project to receive proceeds from the 2021 Beach Ball is the addition of three swings to the Sunset Beach playground. These will be the same swings as the ones now at both Boulder and Shady beaches, and will be placed directly west of the existing playground. The budget for this project is $8,000, and the Friends board voted to provide the full amount to this project.
The swings were ordered Aug. 20 from Boland Recreation of Marshalltown, the same vendor that now has provided new play equipment at all three of Lake Panorama’s beaches. The swings will be delivered and installed in spring 2022.
The Friends board voted to hold the remaining $7,000 raised by the Beach Ball in reserve until these three projects are complete, in case costs increase beyond what has been budgeted. If the funds are not needed for any of these three projects, the money will be applied to a new project.
Because of the success of the 2021 Beach Ball, the Friends board plans to hold its next Beach Ball on Friday, July 22, 2022.
Tax-deductible donations can be made at any time by check payable to Friends and mailed to Friends of Lake Panorama, PO Box 488, Panora, Iowa, 50216. Donations also can be made using VENMO @Friends-Panorama, or by credit card on the Friends website at friendsoflakepanorama.org.