Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News – January 26, 2017

January 26, 2017Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 26, 2017
By Pat Edwards

“Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows…” Well, maybe our days have not quite reached those particular sentiments expressed by Lesley Gore so many years ago, but this past week has certainly been an improvement over what we’ve been experiencing, weatherwise.

The Ukulele Club, sponsored by the Rural Art Center has resumed its lessons on Thursdays in the Crow Middle/High School music room. Age groups, 4th grade through adult, are invited to join them. Beginners meet from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. and the class for those who have already had some lessons is at 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. each Thursday afternoon. If you’re interested, plan on joining them. From what I understand, it’s a fun group.

With all the dissension over politics on a national level these days, many people are feeling helpless about not really having a say in what is happening in our country. Individuals frequently cannot see how their efforts leave any major impact. But one way that you can see result of your caring is by serving your community in some way. By doing so, you can feel a rewarding sense of pride and accomplishment. Here are some great opportunities for area residents to make a real difference in our community.

Three positions are opening on the Lorane Fire Board and they are asking for applications from local residents who are interested in having a say in how our Lorane Rural Fire Department is run. Please contact a member of the Lorane RFPD for more information. The Fire Chief is Tom Soward and the Assistant Fire Chief is Jim Bailor. Go to their website at https://loraneorfd.samariteam.com to send a message or call and/or leave a message by phone at 541-942-1233.

In addition, the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District #66 is seeking volunteer patrons to serve on the Budget Committee this year. They will hold 2-3 meetings in May and a meeting in June with the school board and administration. If you are interested, contact Lee Ann in the district office at 541-935-2100.

I hope that these positions fill rapidly. Help is needed and the time you spend in service to your community will bring rewards, not only to Lorane or Crow, but to yourself, as well.

Sweet Lorane Community News – January 19, 2017

January 19, 2017Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 19, 2017
By Pat Edwards

WooHoo! The snow and ice are gone and – I thought I’d never say this in January – our rain is back! So far, it doesn’t look like there is much flooding in this area, if any. Hopefully, now I can find something to talk about besides weather this week

One bit of Lorane news connected to the weather, however… Magdalina Ware, one of Lorane’s long-time residents, was helping a neighbor last week during the icy conditions and fell and broke her leg. When her granddaughter alerted us via the Facebook page, an outpouring of meals and love were sent Mag’s way and Jerol, who is not known for his cooking skills, apparently, is now able to heat up a variety of dishes to get them through until Mag is able to be up and around again. I’m sure that Mag is champing at the bit to be able to get down to Seven Feathers to play a game of bingo again. I know that I’ve earned somewhat of a reputation as a bingo fan, but Mag has me beat. Jerol… not so much. He tags along with her and plays the slots, but he almost always has a Zane Grey or other western novel on hand to immerse himself in while she is playing, if need be. Get well soon, Mag!

Speaking of bingo, the Lorane and Crow granges are resuming their dinner and bingo nights. Lorane’s will be on Saturday, January 28… the 4th Saturday of the month. Crow’s started theirs again last Saturday and will continue until summer on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays. They are both fun events for the whole family and help to support the individual granges.

Dinner will begin at the Lorane event at 5:30 p.m. and bingo for the whole family starts at 6:30 p.m. At Crow, dinner starts at 6:00 p.m. and bingo is at 7:00 p.m. Both are fun, raucous times and I hope to see big crowds there this spring. For Lorane, contact Lil Thompson (541-942-5701 for information; for Crow, the contact person is Connie Suing. I don’t have Connie’s contact information, but she can be reach via Facebook and or the newly activated Crow Community Facebook page.

Members of the Lorane Christian Church invites the community to join them on January 21st for the film, “Miracle From Heaven” that they will be showing at 5:30 p.m.

Jo-Brew and I have some talks lined up this month and next on the history of Pacific Highway/U.S. Highway 99 through Oregon. This month it will be Albany; next month, Junction City and Willamalane in Springfield. I’ve decided to do my introductory portion as a PowerPoint presentation so I can show vintage photos while I talk. Jo is the storyteller of our duo and loves to relate some of the stories told to her in the course of her extensive research of “Oregon’s Main Street.” We’d love to give some more local talks if any of the service clubs are looking for program speakers.

In addition, Jennifer Chambers and I have put together a talk on self-publishing if any of the writing groups in the area are interested. The one we gave to the Willamette Writers turned out really well. We’ve learned quite a few ins and outs about self-publishing over the years and we’d love to share our experiences. We don’t charge for either talk.

I’m in the process of preparing for two cataract surgeries in the coming weeks. I always thought I would be nervous if I ever had to have any type of eye surgery, but I’ve heard so many stories of how easy the surgery is, that I’m really looking forward to being able to see without eyestrain and blurry vision. It’s a bummer when reading comprises a good portion of your life. I’m not going to opt for the correction of my astigmatism at the same time, so I’ll continue to wear glasses. Besides, when the DMV insisted that I have my drivers’ license photo taken without my glasses, it gives me a shock now whenever I have to show ID… I look at that and say to myself… “Who IS that person?” I’ve worn glasses for the past 35 years and the out-of-pocket cost is more than I want to pay for what I understand would be a rather short term correction since I’d end up wearing reading and computer glasses most of the time, anyway.

Enjoy the rain!

Sweet Lorane Community News – January 12, 2017

January 12, 2017Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 12, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Fortunately, the predicted ice storm that I mentioned in last week’s column produced few power outages in our area… no more big limbs or trees came down at our place, but it did cause many of us to be homebound for several more days while we waited for the roads to clear of the ice-crusted snow that remained from the previous week. The roads were clear and even dry in most spots today (Thursday) when I made a 10:00 a.m. appointment in Eugene, but I still need to put my little Jeep Compass in 4WD just to get out of our driveway. Snow, snow, go away; Come again… next winter, please! I don’t know about

There’s some Lorane news to report, but not much. Most of us have been so intent on staying warm and staying on our feet when we venture outside that we’re not making many plans.

I missed getting the information on the David Doughty celebration of life into last week’s column. It will take place on Saturday, January 14 at the Deep Woods event center in Elmira, so it will already have passed by the time you read this. Knowing how much David was respected and loved by our community, I have no doubt that there will be a packed house for his funeral. He was a good man.

For those interested in becoming members, the Lorane Grange will meet on Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m… a new time. Their next Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo night is scheduled for Saturday, January 28. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and bingo for the whole family starts at 6:30 p.m. It’s a fun, raucous time and I hope to see a big crowd there. Proceeds go towards maintenance of the hall. Contact Lil Thompson (541-942-5701) if you have any questions about grange membership and/or the upcoming events.

Many of you know that somehow, over the years, I have gotten involved in researching, writing and publishing local history information… first, Lorane’s and then the history of U.S. Highway 99 through Oregon. I never was a history scholar in school, so it’s surprising that I’ve grown to love it so much in my later years.

I’ve written an open letter to the people of Lorane and Crow to try to interest you in establishing a written and pictorial history of our area extending beyond the boundaries that were in place for our research on Lorane for the 1987 and 2006 editions of Sawdust and Cider; A History of Lorane, Oregon and the Siuslaw Valley. I’d like to concentrate on families living in the area lying between Lorane and Crow and Crow, itself… i.e. Gillespie Corners, Simonsen Road, Powell Road, Hadleyville (Briggs Hill Road), Doane Road and on into Crow.

When  Nancy O’Hearn, Marna Hing and I researched the Lorane history in the 1980s, we were able to conduct interviews of the people whose ancestors were some of its earliest settlers. We were told first-hand stories of the early part of the 1900s and were given access to vintage pictures from personal family albums. Most of those people we interviewed who had grown up in the early 1900s – my generation’s parents and grandparents – have passed on. In fact, those in my generation, born in the 1940s and 1950s, are now the “old timers.”

There is a lot of interest in the stories, pictures and information shared by those who lived in the early-to-mid 1900s. I’ve seen the interest first-hand and I worry that area histories that have not yet been documented might be lost.

I would like to set up a depository of stories, photos, letters, diaries and other documents so that they can be recorded and published and can be shared for generations. I can donate my time in organizing the information, editing, doing the layout and publishing everything as a book, but I no longer have the time or energy level to take on the info-gathering portion of such a project.

If this is something the community wants to do, then I would love to see it happen as a community project. Proceeds for book sales could go towards community needs and events.

If you’re interested in participating in this project, please read the full letter for more information. It’s posted on the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page. You can also contact me at edwards@groundwaterspublishing.com for a copy of the letter and/or for the guidelines for submitting photos and other material.

It’s up to you whether or not it happens.