Ground broken for community building at Banner Reservoir

Construction of a multipurpose community building is under way following a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon at Banner Creek Reservoir.

Jackson County officials, Friends of Banner Creek Reservoir (FOBCR) members and representatives from area contractors and sub-contractors gathered on the north side of the reservoir to ceremonially break ground on the new facility.

Deb Dillner, FOBCR president, gave a brief history of the project, which was started by members of the Dillner family to honor the late Fritz Dillner of Hoyt.

“He absolutely loved Banner Lake,” Dillner said. “He spent every moment he could here fishing. He never knew a stranger, and he would literally give you the shirt off his back. He was a generous man.”

An annual Dillner family reunion is held each year, and when it is the local family branches turn to host, they host it at Banner Creek, she said.

“There is the never-ending challenge to plug in crockpots and roasters to feed everyone without blowing fuses,” Dillner said.

Members of the Dillner family began raising funds for the project more than 10 years ago through special dinners, breakfasts, fireworks stands, mule shows and more.

“This community has been very supportive and generous,” she said. 

Friends of Banner Creek Reservoir was formed and grew out of the efforts from the Dillner family to raise funds for the building. 

A total of $160,000 was raised for the project, and then an additional $160,000 matching grant was awarded to FOBCR by the state.

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Those shown in the photo accompanying this article include (front row, from left) Barb Dillner (FOBCR), Deb Dillner (FOBCR), (second row, from left) Chris McManigal (McManigal Electric), Beth Nelson (FOBCR), Rob Ladner (FOBCR, former Jackson County commissioner), Richard Iverson (FOBCR), Mark Pruett (county commissioner), Kurt Zibell (Banner Creek Reservoir director), Kyle Taylor (Frontier Concrete), Doug Holthaus (Champion Pest), Tristen McCammon (Aeschliman Construction), Mark Aeschliman (Aeschliman Construction), Cooper Baxter (Aeschliman Construction), (back row, from left) Byron Riley (Riley Electric), Eric Denault (FOBCR), Chris Gross (Chris Gross Construction), Aaron Deters (FOBCR), Keith Kelly (county commissioner), Dan Brenner (county commissioner), Tim Dugan (Ground Sources) and Dylan Aeschliman (Aeschliman Construction). (Photo by Ali Holcomb)