Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News – November 19, 2015

November 19, 2015Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 19, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Here’s an update on Marilyn Wenger-Cooper who has had a long stint in the hospital. She was temporarily moved to the Valley West Health Care Center on Bailey Hill Road and is now home. Welcome home, Marilyn! We’re so glad that you’re back, Wonder Woman!

Last Monday, November 16, a “Master Planning Session” sponsored by the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District #66 was held at the Lorane Grange. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the Lorane end of the district about proposed upgrades and safety measures for the district schools. The architect in charge of the project discussed the plans, answered questions for interested parents and residents and encouraged their input. A second meeting was held at Crow last Thursday, November 19. I apologize for not providing more information sooner, but we were not informed until after last week’s deadline. If you weren’t able to attend either meeting and have any questions about the school district plans, please call the District Office (541-935-2100) or check their website at http://www.cal.k12.or.us/.

Jim and I attended the Lorane Community Thanksgiving Dinner put on by the Lorane Christian Church at the Grange last week. Even though this event has been offered free to the residents of Lorane for quite a few years, this is the first one we’ve attended. We really enjoyed ourselves and not only enjoyed the great food, but we were able to visit with friends and neighbors that we have not seen for quite some time. I really encourage others, like us, who keep saying that they will attend, but just never have, to plan on it next year. It was a fun evening!

Collection boxes are being placed at the Lorane Family Store and other organizations in the community for donations of canned and non-perishable food to be used for Christmas baskets for those within the Lorane and Crow area. If you know of anyone who could use a food basket, please call Sande Maxwell (541-942-5083; sandemaxwell@wildblue.net) or Betty Willoughby (541-942-7539) in Lorane or the Crow-Applegate-Lorane District Office for Crow (541-935-2100).

This year, a week or so after Thanksgiving, the Angel Trees will be placed in the Lorane Family Store and the Crow Middle/High School gymnasium. Before they can do that, however, community members of both Lorane and Crow are asked to nominate, right away, families with children ages birth to 18 years who could use an angel this year. Children do not have to attend the area schools, but they just must live within our school district.

Nomination forms were sent out through the schools this past week. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance this year, please return the form to the school office or contact Marissa McNutt Cooper at 541-517-6608. She wants to assure everyone that all information received is completely confidential.

Once names and information on each of the children are collected, the trees will be hung with felt angel “ornaments” representing these area children whose families are in need of assistance. Attached to each ornament is a tag showing the age, gender – not names –  and a suggestion of what the child would enjoy as a Christmas or holiday gift.

Once the Angel trees are in place, our community members, who have hearts of gold, are asked to select one or more angels from the trees to buy gifts for the holidays. After they  have been purchased, bring these unwrapped gifts and the felt angels to which they correspond to either the Lorane Family Store or the Crow Middle/High School (wherever you obtained them). Let’s be as generous this year as we were last!

As a fundraiser, the Crow High School senior class is taking orders for two different sizes of wreaths to be picked up on Sunday, December 7. The 22″ to 24″ size sells for $20; the  26″ to 28″ size sells for $35. Both size wreaths are made from fresh greens with Ponderosa pine cones. An order form may be downloaded from the C-A-L website or picked up in the CHS office. It must be filled out and dropped off with your payment in the school office by noon on November 30.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Sweet Lorane Community News – November 12, 2015

November 12, 2015Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 12, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Winter is truly approaching now. Even though we’ve had some sunshine, the cold dampness seems to be seeping into my bones these days. Even though our thermostat is kept between 70 to 72 degrees, I find I frequently need to wear a sweater to stay warm in our large common areas of the house. The dogs and I still take our almost-daily mile-long walks up the hill, and the exercise helps with my “internal heating” problem. I’d like to go for longer distances, but for Shortie, with his basketball-size abdominal tumor, the mile is his maximum, and I won’t go without him. He loves it so. I really dislike the ellipticals and stationary bicycles, although I will turn to them as the weather gets worse. I miss the wind and even a few sprinkles in my face, but most of all, I miss the scenery of those walks this time of year.

Lorane and Crow are gearing up for the holidays. By the time you read this, the Lorane Thanksgiving dinner will have taken place, but the free Crow community potluck for Thanksgiving is still in sight. It will be held on Thursday, November 19 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Crow Grange will provide turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. Those attending are asked to bring a side dish and/or dessert. They are also accepting donations of canned foods for the Crow holiday food baskets.

Lorane’s own Michael Matchulat, who is fighting Stage 4 colorectal cancer, is taking an aggressive plan of attack of surgeries and treatments programmed by a special team of surgeons from the Oregon Health Sciences University in order to get on top of his cancer. Michael’s first surgery on Friday, November 20, will involve removing the 4 or 5 malignant tumors from the left lobe of his liver. It will be followed later by the removal of his whole right lobe. Obviously, this young man needs all of the prayers and support we can muster for him. We all admire his openness and grit in dealing with the grueling fight he is waging. For details and more information on what he is facing, check out his postings on his Facebook page in the name of Mychel Matchy.

The West Lane Holiday Bazaar is approaching fast… this coming Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21. Please keep our Lane County Author’s booth in mind that will be set up at the Applegate Regional Theater in the former Central School gymnasium. Books make excellent gifts and we will have several local authors there to sell and autograph their books for you including Michael Foster, Michael J. “Hoss” Barker, Ava (Muriel) Linder, Terah Van Dusen, Joe Blakely and Jennifer Chambers. I will be there on Friday, too.

And, remember… The Farm Store has our Groundwaters 2015: an Anthology on hand for gifts, as well. Your support of local writers and poets will be most appreciated!

Sweet Lorane Community News – November 5, 2015

November 5, 2015Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 5, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Hooray for Lorane resident, Marilyn Wenger-Cooper! She spent several days on a respirator in the ICU at RiverBend with kidney failure and under-functioning heart and lungs. But, she is back!… at least she’s off the respirator, awake and in a regular room in the Heart and Vascular Center at RB. She scared the daylights out of our whole community. Marilyn has been a long-time clerk at the Lorane Family Store and is a member of our LFS family. In fact, she’s worked for Jim and me for much of the 38 years we’ve had the store. We’ve been in to see her several times and although she was looking like she had been through a war (she was), her smile and sense of humor are still intact. Welcome back, Marilyn! Jim looks forward to putting you back on the schedule when you are feeling better.

Thanks to a large response to the Rebekahs request for donations of scrap metal as a fundraiser for one of their building projects, the large dumpster is full. Since some of us have been slow in getting our metal brought in, another empty dumpster will replace the full one to, hopefully, be filled again. Let’s make sure that we fill this one, too.

It’s time to mark your calendars for the upcoming annual Thanksgiving Dinner sponsored by the Lorane Christian Church and held at the Lorane Grange. It will be held on Sunday, November 15 at 5:30 p.m. and is free to all local residents. Each family is asked to bring a dessert to share. It’s a wonderful event and a good chance to meet and visit with your neighbors.

The Crow Grange is also planning an annual Thanksgiving potluck on November 19.

Holiday plans are in the works for the local food drives and the annual Angel Tree. For me, the holiday season is not so much about ourselves, but to give thanks and show our care and concern for others. The Lorane Community Association will soon be installing Angel Trees at the Lorane Family Store and probably Crow Middle/High School.

Also, collection boxes will soon be placed all around Lorane to gather non- perishable canned goods and other necessities for the food baskets. It’s a joint effort put on by the Rebekah Lodge and the Lorane Fire Department. If you know of any family who would benefit from a food basket, please contact  Sande Maxwell (541-942-5083 or sandemaxwell@wildblue.net) or Betty Willoughby (541-942-7539), and be sure to be generous in your giving this year. These baskets have been so very important to our local families in the past.

I will provide more information on both the Angel Tree project and the Food Drive in upcoming issues.

I wanted to also alert you to what’s become a huge event for the West Lane area, including Crow, each year. It’s the gigantic Fern Ridge Holiday Bazaar to be held on Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. each day. Local churches, organizations, businesses and schools will be participating and I’ve heard that this year there are more offerings than ever signing up. I’m not sure if my information is correct, but I was told that at least 20 sites will be participating. Groundwaters is taking part in the Lane County Authors’ table that will be set up at the Applegate Regional Theater site in the former Central School on Central Road north of Crow. We plan to offer books from many local authors, including many from the Veneta, Elmira and yes, even Lorane areas. Many of the authors will be manning the booth both days. The Applegate Regional Theater (ART) will have lots of other offerings of crafts, and mostly handmade, quality merchandise and food. They usually have live musical entertainment and we might even talk some of our Groundwaters’ poets into doing a few readings. It sits right next door to the Central Grange which also has a large selection of booths and tables. Be sure to put us on your list! Maps will be available.

And, authors… if we haven’t contacted you and you want to participate, please email me at edwards@groundwaterspublishing.com or paedwards42@yahoo.com.