Sweet Lorane Community News – April 28, 2016

April 28, 2016Newspaper ColumnsBoy Scouts, Crow Grange, Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District, Kindergarten Roundup, Lorane Bread Basket, Lorane Christian Church, Lorane Community Assoc., Lorane Fire Department, Lorane Grange, Lorane Rebekahs, Master Plan, Mother's Day Breakfast, Senior Lunches, Theta Rhopaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 28, 2016
By Pat Edwards

Thank you to Lil Thompson once again for passing on some Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District news that I can use in this week’s column. There’s not a lot of Lorane news to report right now and I haven’t come up with any ideas to share, so it’s very welcome.

Lil also reminds me that the Lorane Grange meets this month on Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. The grange is just one of our local organizations that could use new members to help carry on their many services to the community. We have very active service groups at not only the grange, but the Lorane Rebekahs, the Lorane Christian Church, the Lorane Fire Department, the Theta Rho group for young girls, a Boy Scout group, a Lorane Community Association, the Lorane Bread Basket which provides food and help to families in need, and the Senior Meals Program. I may have missed others and I apologize if I did. They could all use an infusion of new members who want to work through these organizations to serve our community. Hopefully the new Lorane Directory page on Facebook will be including information on each of these organizations, their meeting days/times, their visions and needs and their contact information. Helping others always seems to help make the problems in our own personal lives much more manageable.

Now, for the school district news…

On May 12, the C-A-L School District will be hosting a Kindergarten Roundup event at 3:15 p.m. at Applegate Elementary. If you have a child who will be 5 years of age prior to September 1, 2016, he or she is eligible for the 2016-17 school year. Applegate offers a full-day program, five days a week. Come meet your teacher, see the classroom and allow your child to interact in a classroom setting. Be sure to bring your child’s immunization records and a copy of their birth certificate. For further information, call the district office at 541-935-2100.

Because the area schools are aging, the district has been working with an architecture firm, community members and staff to develop a 10-year Master Plan for repairs, renovations and/or replacements of the current buildings and property. In order to allow district residents to review the findings and see, firsthand, what is being discussed, there will be two open house events and tours of the schools held in May. The first will take place on Tuesday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Crow Middle/High School. Then, on Saturday, May 14, a second open house will be held at the Applegate Elementary from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Your input is being sought once you have had a chance to review what is being considered.

Congratulations to the staff and students at the Crow High/Middle School for making the U.S. News and World Report’s top schools in Oregon list.

Don’t forget to treat your favorite mother to the Crow Grange’s Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday, May 8, if you’re fortunate to still have your mother in your life. I no longer am able to do special little things for my mother. She passed away at the age of 96 in 2012 and I still miss her. It’s an unbreakable bond for many people… it has been for me. Honor your mother… and your father… for giving you, not only life, but the tools to allow you to maneuver and make your way through this crazy world we live in.

Sweet Lorane Community News – April 21, 2016

April 21, 2016Newspaper ColumnsChris Starfire, Crow Middle/High School, Grace Wagner, Grow Grange, Lorane Directory, Lorane Elementary School, Marissa McNutt Cooper, Patrick Dearth, Rich Mitchell, Teancum Jentzsch, Yogapaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 21, 2016
By Pat Edwards

Lorane has an exciting new on-line resource, thanks to local resident, Chris Starfire. There has been a lot of interest shown in developing a list of Lorane resources, but no one, until now, has come forward to make it happen. Chris took the initiative and has set up a Facebook page called “Lorane Directory.” She has already put together a listing containing information on local businesses, services and other resources. She has also set it up so that people can post items for sale or trade from the area. In addition, she’s hoping to provide a section where locals can offer their recommendations on those services and goods offered.

Because Chris is not able to run it herself, she asked for volunteers to administer it once it is set up. Immediately, Marissa McNutt Cooper and Patrick Dearth generously offered their help along those lines.

This new resource will free up the Lorane, Oregon page for discussions, concerns, notices and happenings so that advertisements can now be kept separate. Check out the new Lorane Directory, https://www.facebook.com/groups/999281663489459/, if you want to contact local businesses or are looking for local products, services or resources in the area.

If you have a small cottage business, are a crafter, have a skill or are willing to provide various types of labor to local residents, be sure to post your information to the Lorane Directory and you will be added to the resource list. It is growing daily.

Thank you Chris, Marissa and Patrick for providing this much-needed and wanted service to the community!

The Yoga classes at the former Lorane Elementary School are being held in the upper building, the first classroom to the right, on Mondays and Fridays at 8:00 a.m. and Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. They are $50 for 10 classes or $7 drop-in fee. Bring a yoga mat if you have one. Call Rich Mitchell, 541-942-5459, or check out his website at http://www.theloraneschool.org/whats-happening/ for more information.

The Crow Grange is hosting a play night on Thursday May 5th at 7:00 p.m. Come and see three one-act plays. It’s free! They are a lot of fun to watch and they will have refreshments afterwards.

The Crow Grange is also putting on its annual Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday May 8th from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Last year, my family took me there and it was so much fun! They provide a wonderful breakfast of pancakes or biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs, fruit and coffee or juice all for a suggested donation of $5. They give each mother a special treat as well.

Crow Middle/High School P.E. teacher, Tracy Engholm, put out a request to area patrons to volunteer a few hours of their time for the Survival Class that she is teaching. In it, the students are learning how to sew using sewing machines. The students are assigned to make a bag of some sort by the end of the school year. Since Tracy is also teaching gardening at the same time, she hasn’t been able to figure out how to do both at once. She is hoping that someone from the district is willing to help the sewing class from 8:20 to 9:10 a.m. on school days. The school has two machines, so the volunteer would only be working with a couple of students at a time.

Tracy would also welcome donations of new or used thread, zippers, material, belting, buttons, etc. You can drop them off at either Crow High/Middle School or Applegate Elementary or leave a message for her at 541-935-2227.

Congratulations to Crow High/Middle School students, Teancum Jentzsch of Lorane and Grace Wagner for scoring among the highest at the countywide 2016 Math Fair held at Lane Community College in April. They both scored 12 out of 15 on their tests. There was only one other student from the participating schools that scored as high. The state competition will be held on May 14. Our congratulations and best wishes go to both students. Way to go!

Mark your calendars on May 17 for the upcoming Crow-Applegate-Lorane musical event. The C-A-L schools will present a night of music performed by district students and some guest performers from local music groups. There will also be food, raffles and door prizes to raise money for the district’s music department. There will be a spaghetti dinner at 6:00 p.m. for $5 per adult, $3 per child, or $15 per family of four.

Sweet Lorane Community News – April 14, 2016

April 14, 2016Newspaper ColumnsCrow-Applegate-Lorane School District, Grandparent's Tea, Hayley Kau, Institute of Neuroscience, Jamie Ledgerwood, Jim Jentzsch, West Lane Distinguished Service Awardspaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 14, 2016
By Pat Edwards

I’m struggling this week to come up with a column for Lorane events. Fortunately, I have a couple of upcoming events at the district schools. When I begin writing my column on these “slow news weeks,” I never really know where they will go. For me, at times, writing “just happens.” I don’t want to fill my space with nothingness, though, and it seems rather vain to write about my family or myself for the entire column, but sometimes, that’s all I have at the moment. So, here goes…

The West Lane Distinguished Service Awards event will be held at the Applegate Elementary gymnasium this year on Thursday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. In years’ past it has been held at the high school, but they are trying a new location this year. Come out and help honor the award recipients from local service organizations and schools. I believe that Lorane’s own Jamie Ledgerwood has been chosen as “Certified Employee of the Year” (aka Teacher of the Year) for the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District. Congratulations Jamie!

Jamie and I have a long history together. Not only have I known her since she was born, she worked for me at the University of Oregon as a work study assistant at the Institute of Neuroscience for all 4 years that she was there. I couldn’t have asked for a more dependable, eager assistant and I was so sad to lose her to graduation. Later, Jamie was our go-to person whenever we needed a housesitter for vacations. It was her secondary job until she was hired on with the school district.

Jamie has taught full time at C-A-L for the past 6 years and is currently teaching first grade. I’m so proud of you, Jamie!! They couldn’t have selected a more deserving person.

The annual Grandparents Tea will be held at Applegate Elementary on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. Parents, friends, and grandparents are all invited to come enjoy tea and a talent show. Parents are collecting items for the classroom baskets that will be auctioned at the tea, so check with the classroom teacher for the theme of the basket they are putting together and plan to donate an item to it.

I remember attending one of the first Grandparents’ Teas at Lorane Elementary School when our granddaughter, Hayley Kau, was in 6th grade, I believe. The students put on skits and provided other entertainment and snacks for us. They also had an open house where we grandparents were given tours of the classrooms by our favorite hosts and hostesses. It was a beautiful spring day and I remember heading outside where Hayley and I sat on the swings next to Jim Jentzsch who was there for his grandkids, too. Hayley had to leave to get ready to go home, so Jim and sat swinging, talking and reminiscing. The thoughtfulness that had gone into the day meant so much to me. I also realized that I hadn’t been on a swing in decades and found out that I could still pump a swing to get it soaring. What fun! If it had been about 60 years earlier, I would have let go and bailed off the swing, landing (usually) on my feet. But 60 years of wear and tear on these bones wouldn’t allow me to journey that far back into my childhood that day.

Memories…