Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News – July 16, 2015

July 16, 2015Newspaper Columns, , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review                                    
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 16, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Because of the dry spring, it seems as though we’re having an awfully long summer this year. For me, summer always zips by after the 4th of July celebrations, but I’m actually ready for a few days of summer rain to freshen things up a bit.

Jim’s still trying to get those last few big round bales of hay done, so I guess I can’t wish too hard yet. He’s had nothing but problems with his equipment (both mechanical and physical) this year and it’s going exceedingly slow. I was hoping that we could hit the road for a couple of weeks when he does, but we have some rental houses to clean up and refurbish first before we put them on the market. We’ve found that downsizing our lives after 70 is extremely difficult. The transition is sometimes painful, but occasionally, circumstances step in to force the issue.

I want to send our congratulations to Sam and Ashley Jentzsch who were married on Friday, July 11. Sam’s parents are Troy and Coleen Jentzsch of Lorane and the wedding took place on Coleen’s birthday. What a way to celebrate! Congratulations and best wishes, Sam and Ashley!

Jo-Brew and I had an enjoyable, but hot day at the Art in the Vineyard event at Alton Baker Park on the weekend of July 4. Thanks to those of you who stopped by the Oregon Authors’ Table to say hi. We’ll be at the Lane County Fair’s Oregon Authors’ Table this Thursday, July 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., too. I’ll be there the first half of the day and Jo will “hold down the fort” until closing. Come by and see us… it’s Senior Day!

The Oregon Paralyzed Veterans of America (OPVA) and several Lane County Granges are hosting a drive or cruise for all street-legal motorized vehicles including new and vintage automobiles, motorcycles, RVs, and even senior buses representing senior centers. This is a drive to help raise awareness and funds for OPVA as well as a bit of publicity for the local granges. It will be held on Saturday, August 8, beginning at the Crow Grange from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Participants pay an entry fee of $10 per vehicle.

The route will go from one grange to another and should end around 3:00 p.m. Various granges are hosting different activities and events along the way to entice the cruisers and riders to linger a bit longer at their sites. At Crow, you’ll be encouraged to stop and play a game or two of bingo; then on to the Elmira Grange which will host a show and tell about “Steampunk” (I know… I had to ask, too! **) and will have some vendor booths; from there, the cruise will head for the Central Grange on Central Road which will have Old Time Fiddlers to entertain; at Spencer Creek Grange, they’ll have an old-fashioned Saturday Market. The last grange visited before heading back to Crow to disband will be the Lorane Grange where they will be hosting the Lane Pomona Picnic. Another activity is still being considered but hadn’t been finalized in time for my column. Cruise participants will be able to purchase raffle tickets there for the Lorane Grange basket that will be filled with all kinds of goodies (including one of our Highway 99 books). Each grange has put together a similar basket and all will be displayed at the Crow Grange during the cruise and raffled off immediately following it. The winners of each basket will be announced at 3:00 p.m.

It seems like it will be a very interesting and innovative day for everyone! For more information, contact Laura Wyant at CruZintoGranges@aol.com.

** Give up? Ok… Here’s how Laura Wyant explains “Steampunk”: “With a backdrop of either Victorian England or America’s Wild West at hand, modern technologies are re-imagined and realized as elaborate works of art, fashion and mechanics. If Jules Verne or H.G. Wells were writing their science fiction today, it would be considered “steampunk.”

Sweet Lorane Community News – July 09, 2015

July 9, 2015Newspaper Columns, Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review                                    
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 9, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Before I get into the main part of this week’s column I wanted to make you are aware of a project headed by the Crow-Applegate-Lorane Booster Club. The group is undertaking the job of refurbishing the grandstand at the high school football field/track. This is a huge job and they are needing as many volunteers as possible to accomplish this task. A work party will be getting together on the evening of Friday, July 17 from around 5:00 p.m. until dark, and Saturday, July 18, beginning at 7:30 a.m., and as much help as possible is needed until it’s finished. There’s even a perk!… a BBQ on Saturday at the school for all those who volunteer.

One of Lorane’s own, Michael Matchulat, has recently been diagnos318d46e7-8bd2-449a-b679-532b9fdf75fe_profileed with stage IV colorectal cancer. Sadly, this young man, who was born 31 years ago and grew up in Lorane, is facing a long, hard, expensive journey through medical treatments. Even though he is a deputy with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, his expenses will be considerable.

Debbie Davis, another of our special and much-loved community members who now lives in Cottage Grove, tells about her own experience… “As someone who has had Stage 4 Melanoma diagnosed for almost 3 years now, I am wise to the expenses Michael will be facing… some treatments range from $54,000 to $250,000 per infusion. I have been taking $900 worth of pills a day for the last year, and that doesn’t include the 10 head scans and 5 body scans I had last year alone. My husband works so hard, and has the best insurance I have seen, and I worked for PeaceHealth for five years, too, but our coverage is still not enough. The benefits that are given for people like Michael and I (yes, Lorane had one for me, too) are life-saving, especially at reducing the stress you experience over what it’s doing to your family. What I have learned is that if we all give – always… somehow – the world becomes a better place.”

The communities of Lorane and Crow are organizing a series of fundraisers to not only help with Michael’s expenses, but to show our support to the Matchulat family. If you are interested in contributing, here are some ways to do so…

On July 27, Papa’s Pizza on West 11th in Eugene has issued a flyer that will earn 50% of your purchase that day which will go to the Michael Matchulat fund.

On August 1, the Lorane Grange is hosting a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Michael from 7:00 -11:00 a.m. Community members are being asked to volunteer to help out through the morning. I’ve offered my already-wrinkled dishpan hands to the cause, and I hope others will be signing on to set-up, cook, serve, clean-up, and, yes, even help with the washing and drying duties.

Also on August 1, I believe, there is a garage sale being planned, but I don’t have details. Donations of items for the garage sale can be dropped off at his mother, Trish Matchalat’s house on Territorial Road south of Lorane or they can be dropped off at his sister, Melinda McGladrey’s home in west Eugene. Just leave a message on the Lorane Facebook page and they will contact you with instructions.

In addition, there has been an account set up on YouCaring for Michael at http://www.youcaring.com/michael-matchulat-388090#

Each person must decide for themselves how much support, if any, they want to lend to the Matchulat family. I know the people of Lorane have a strong community spirit, so let’s all join together and see what we can accomplish.

Sweet Lorane Community News – July 02, 2015

July 2, 2015Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review                                    
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 2, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Whew! I hope that all of you were able to get out of the heat this past week, or at least spend the hottest part of the day in or on the water of our nearby reservoirs, lakes, rivers and streams.

Lorane Deli aka Lorane General Store

While the Lorane Deli is closed, the Lorane Rebekah’s have come up with a plan to provide a space for the very popular “coffee klatch” that has formed over the years at the deli. Every Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., the Rebekahs will provide coffee, pastries and rolls for $1 each for those who want to continue their social gatherings. Sounds like a great way to continue what has become an informal tradition. Be sure to tell your neighbors about it.

The Lorane Christian Church will be holding their “Worship in the Park” again this year on July 12 at Farmin Creek located just north of the entrance to Chateau Lorane on Siuslaw River Road. The church service will be held at 10:30 a.m. and

Lorane Christian Church

immediately following will be a community potluck lunch. The public is invited!

Has anyone noticed the bright purple field of lavender at King Estate recently? I don’t know if the way the light was hitting it the other day when I went by made the colors more vibrant, but it was a beautiful sight up on the hill in front of the winery.

I hope that all of you have marked Saturday, September 12, on your calendars. It’s proving to be a busy one for both Lorane and Crow. The Lorane Celebration will be hosting not only a community-wide yard/garage sale, but also a number of fun activities and events. Being discussed are: lunch, sale booths, arts & crafts and quilt show, and a small farmer’s market at the Grange; a bake sale and outdoor movies after dark at the Rebekahs; a barbecue at the church as well as kids’ games and activities including a dunk tank, bounce house and carnival booths. Another possibility that has not been finalized yet is a neighborhood walk for those who want to get out and socialize while exercising.

The popular 13th Annual Crow Car Show has also been set for Saturday, September 12, in the small athletic field across from the Applegate School in Crow. There are 12 show classes. Plan to get there early for a pancake breakfast from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. There will also be a children’s area, a silent auction and raffle drawings. It’s sponsored by the Crow Booster Club and all proceeds will benefit all of the Crow-Applegate-Lorane schools. It’s open to the public and there’s no admission.

Because of the nature of the work I do, I want to give recognition to our local writers whenever possible. I just discovered that retired teacher and Veneta resident, Michael Foster, published a book last November called Wakanisha: Is Love Enough. It’s the first book in a projected series and is about the Lakota Sioux tribe. The Lakota word “Wakanisha” roughly translates as “children,” but has a far deeper meaning. Wakanisha are their sacred vessels of culture, spirituality and most importantly, love. These first inhabitants of America strove for harmony in all things – with the land of rolling plains they freely roamed, and within their tribes, families and hearts. The book follows three generations of these remarkable people and its description sounds most interesting. The book can be found on Amazon.com and other on-line booksellers. Let’s support our talented local authors! We have a number of them!

Happy summer, all!