Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News – November 3, 2016

November 3, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 3, 2016
By Pat Edwards

On Thursday, November 17, the Lorane Hookery Group, sponsored by The Rural Art Center, will be on-site at the Camas Country Mill Schoolhouse (91949 Purkerson Road, between Alvadore and Junction City) hooking their rugs, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  A special guest, Tammy Pavich, writer from Rug Hooking Magazine, will be joining in. The group invites you to bring your project, ask questions and give rug hooking a try! Finished pieces will be on display.

A Meal Train has been set up by some local residents for the Bowman family who lost their little girl, Payge, to an automobile accident on Cottage Grove-Lorane Road a few weeks ago. The organizers are asking local people to help the family during this time with meals or “even with a simple prayer.” For those who want to provide a meal, go to https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/2g9z97 and enter the date and the dish that you would like to prepare for the family.

The recent barn dance-fundraiser for the Bowman family was a huge success according to the organizers, Roberta Miller and Pam Kersgaard. It was very well attended with an estimated 90 people there. Pam remembers counting 60 people on the dance floor during the Virginia Reel alone.

The dance featured the Hanson Family, an award-winning group from Veneta known for their “Western Swing, Cowboy Yodeling and Blazing Harmony.” They taught and played dances such as the Virginia Reel, Scottish Polka, the Butterfly, Cane dance, Polka, 2-Step and more. You can check them out at http://www.hansonfamilymusic.com/

Another dance is being planned in November, but they might have to find a bigger venue as the grange was absolutely packed. More later…

Here are some dates to put into your calendar… The Lorane Christian Church will host their annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the Lorane Grange on November 13 at 5:00 p.m. Everyone in the community is invited.

The Lorane Taco Dinner and Bingo Night, held at the Grange, will resume on Friday, November 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m.; bingo for the whole family begins at 6:30 p.m.

The Lorane Grange’s annual Christmas Dinner is December 11 at 1:30 p.m.  Lorane residents are invited. The Grange will provide the turkey, potatoes, gravy and dressing. Those attending are asked to bring a side dish or dessert.

The Crow Grange will hold it’s annual Thanksgiving Potluck and Open House on Thursday November 16th at 6:30 p.m. The Grange provides the turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy. They ask friends and neighbors to bring a side dish and/or dessert and join them for a fun evening. Contact Connie at 541-556-2609 or Ruth at 541-935-3119 for more information.

The 2016 Groundwaters anthologies are now in the Lorane Family Store if you’ve been waiting to get one.

Jen Chambers and I just delivered our last talk of the year to the Willamette Writers group at Tsunami Books in Eugene last Thursday night. We were asked to deliver a talk called, “So You Think You Want to Self-Publish?” We had a very interested and responsive group as an audience. It’s so much fun to do these informal, interactive talks about things that we can share. It takes away the “public speaking onus” from the event and allows it to be more of discussion among people with a similar interest. Thank you, Willamette Writers, for inviting us.

Sweet Lorane Community News – October 27, 2016

October 27, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 27, 2016
By Pat Edwards

As I write this, I have just returned from a wonderful day attending and participating in the TEDxVeneta event held at the Applegate Regional Theater on Central Road. I am sure that Sandy Larson will have a nice article on it, so I won’t go into much detail, but it was very well-organized by my friend and co-editor of Groundwaters, Jennifer Chambers. Some time ago, she invited me to be one of the speakers. She asked me to talk about the changes that have occurred throughout my life and, although I accepted, I was not sure what I had gotten myself into. I’m not a trained speaker and, as I mentioned at the end of my talk, “Writing is my passion, but speaking is especially hard for me. I’ve found throughout my life that the words flow much easier from my fingers and hands than vocally, but I feel that facing this particular challenge is another difficult source of change and growth for me that I must embrace.”

Lorane was well-represented in today’s talks. Beth Robinson of Lorane and my “up-the-hill-neighbor, Evelyn Searles Hess, were also featured speakers and it was fun working with them and the others who had such varied and interesting presentations.

Thank you, Jen, for believing in me. Despite all of the stress I felt in being out of my comfort zone, the experience was a very positive one. If you didn’t get to make it to this year’s event, be sure to mark your calendars for next year, because I understand that Jen hopes to continue these TEDxVeneta events.

There are several people in Lorane needing dry firewood. If you have any on hand… and especially if you deliver, you might check out the requests on the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page or post information about your firewood on the Lorane Directory page.

Our Groundwaters LIVE! event held last Sunday afternoon to introduce our 2016 edition of the Groundwaters anthology was, in our opinion, a huge success. We had a good turnout, the Applegate Regional Theater was a welcoming and impressive venue, the readings were entertaining and got great reviews, and the support that Jen and I felt from everyone was amazing. The only “problem” we experienced was that we sold all 100 books that we ordered and some people had to return home without theirs. I have made arrangements, however, to deliver books to those who didn’t get them as soon as the new shipment arrives next week.

When I get the new order, they will be at the Lorane Family Store and we will try to get them into local bookstores, too. If other local businesses want to take them in on consignment, that can be arranged as well. Just let me know at edwards@groundwaterspublishing.com. We will, of course, leave a copy at the Fern Ridge Library sometime next week for those of you who are waiting to check it out. There are 63 local authors, poets and artists represented in this year’s anthology. Go to our website at http://groundwaterspublishing.com/anthologies for more information.

Jim and I became great-grandparents again on October 21. Not-so-little Hayden Rae Furlong was born in Roseburg, weighing in at a hefty 10 lbs. 5 oz. We were not able to see her for several days afterwards as we were in Portland at the time with our son while he underwent a heart procedure. Hayden is doing great, as is Rob, so we are very thankful for both.

I hope your Halloween was a fun one. We had some exciting events last weekend to enjoy. I wasn’t able to make it to the barn dance, the Lorane Trunk or Treat, or the Crow-Applegate-Lorane Halloween Carnival this year, but they were all generating a lot of interest within the community. The Applegate Community Theater was also hosting a Halloween celebration. There were lots of fun things to do and I hope that each received a good turnout.

Sweet Lorane Community News – October 20, 2016

October 20, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 20, 2016
By Pat Edwards

The community is still reeling from the death of 4-year-old Payge Bowman in an automobile accident last week. The proceeds of the upcoming barn dance to be held on Friday, October 28, at the Lorane Grange will go to the Payge Bowman fund. It will be from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. and donations will be taken at the door. A suggested donation per family is $10.

The dances will include a combination of squares, line dances and reels. The caller will tailor his calls to the abilities of those attending and the music will primarily be provided by fiddles and guitars. For more information, contact Roberta Miller (360-318-6028) or Pam Kersgaard (541-942-6193).

The Rural Art Center is once again offering free ukulele lessons for children and adults alike. Anyone interested should contact Pat Dixon – pdixon@cal.k12.or.us or Lisa Livelybrooks@ruralartcenter@gmail.com. If you don’t have your own ukulele, some are available for a refundable damage deposit. The classes are being held every Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. The next lesson is October 27.

Applegate Elementary and the C-A-L Booster Club is hosting a Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 29 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help run the booths, so if you are able to help, please contact Jen McNutt-Bloom (541-520-4868 or jennifermcnuttbloom@gmail.com) if you have some time available.

The Rural Art Center’s “Half Day Art Program,” being held at the Applegate Elementary on November 2, will be making Hawaiian Kapa-style paper using cornhusks and pebbles. Be sure your kids are signed up to participate. Go to the RAC website at http://www.ruralartcenter.org/ to find contacts and information on other programs they offer.

Another of RAC’s programs that is starting again is the Rug Hookery Group. The group gathers the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the Rebekah Lodge hall. They also meet on the first Thursday every month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lorane Fire Hall.

A blurb from their website says, “Please let us know if/when you are coming by sending an email to ruralartcenter@gmail.com so we can be sure that we have the materials you will need.” You will need to bring scissors, a rug hook and a hooking frame. A “kit” including backing material with a design drawn on it and wool strips to hook into it and some of the supplies listed above are available to buy at the meetings.

The Siuslaw Watershed Council will be holding its October general meeting at the Lorane Grange on Wednesday, October 26 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All local residents are invited to attend. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the admission is free.

The topics of the program include “Changing Northwest Climate” and what the USDA Northwest Climate Hub is doing to address climate impacts on farms, forests and rangelands.” – a presentation by Dr. Gabrielle Roesch-McNally, USDA Climate HUB; and “Federal Cost-Share Programs for the Upper Siuslaw” by Dave Downing, District Manager, Upper Willamette SWCD. For more information, contact the Siuslaw Watershed Council at 541-268-3044 or e-mail watershed@siuslaw.orgor visit http://www.siuslaw.org.

Don’t forget the TEDxVeneta event on Friday, October 28 at the Applegate Regional Theater. For more information, you can contact its organizer, Jennifer Chambers (jennifer@groundwaterspublishing.com) or visit its website at http://www.tedxvenetawomen.com.