Western Iowa Offers Advantages Not Found in Big Cities
Years ago, settlers traveling through western Iowa stood on a hillside overlooking a picturesque river valley and proclaimed, "What a beautiful panorama!" In fact, the scenery was so panoramic that the settlers stopped their travels and established a town - giving it the unusual name of Panora.
Now, more than 150 years later, Panora remains a beautiful town with a thriving economy and deep sense of community pride. It was these endearing qualities that caused Curt Thornberry, a recent resident of Boulder, Colorado, to return to his childhood home in Guthrie County.
Thornberry, a Technology Development Director for Panora Telco, said he and wife Tina felt like something was missing from their lives in Boulder.
"We didn't have any decision-making power in the community," Thornberry says. "We wanted to be involved. We wanted to give back to our community, but we couldn't find any opportunities to do so."
It was then that Thornberry considered moving his family to Panora - he recalled the summer days he spent swimming and boating at Lake Panorama; the thriving Main Street with restaurants, shopping and locally owned businesses; and the first-rate Panorama Community School District that would give his two children far more opportunities to participate in sports and extracurricular activities than a big city school.
So in the summer of 2004, the Thornberrys moved to Panora, and according to Curt, they are thrilled with their new hometown.
"We love the opportunity we have here to make an impact," Thornberry says. "I think we're fortunate that we experienced living in larger cities because it really makes us appreciate life in Iowa. It also gave us experiences that we can share with this community to help shape its future."
Curt and Tina have quickly become involved in both the town and school system - Curt is a member of the Panora City Council and Tina is a member of the Panorama School Board. Their 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter are thriving in the school district.
Thornberry believes life in Iowa is often misunderstood and that people don't realize how convenient and accessible a smaller-sized community can be. He says communities like Panora offer their residents a number of great benefits that you don't experience in larger cities, including a considerably lower cost of living, an educated workforce and an incredible work ethic among the citizens.
For the Thornberrys, the future looks as panoramic as the community they now call home.
