Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News, April 15, 2021

April 15, 2021Newspaper Columns, , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 15, 2021
By Pat Edwards

Welcome news for parents, teachers and administrators in the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District was announced last week. Beginning this Monday, April 19, the district will eliminate its A/B hybrid class scheduling, which alternated in-person days for middle and high school (grades 7-12) students. Instead, they will begin in-person morning classes 4 days per week as the elementary grades have been doing since late January. The classes will run from 8:20 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and the afternoons will be devoted to virtual distance instruction by the C-A-L staff with additional support interventions on Fridays.

The success of the in-person classes in the elementary school has allowed our district to be among Lane County’s earliest to come back on an in-person basis. Kudos to the administrators, teachers and staff who have worked so hard to make this happen—safely—for our district’s students.

The construction on the Territorial Highway project has resumed this week. Much of the initial work is taking place off the road. Flaggers have been in place this past week to keep the traffic flowing both ways through the site at a safe speed without delays. We are expecting, however, that as the work progresses, we will need to plan for some delays, up to 15 or 20 minutes in length, at each end.

Thankfully, almost all of our adult family members have gotten at least their first shot of the COVID vaccine or are planning to do so as soon as they are eligible. It’s a good feeling to know that we can venture out a bit even though we continue to wear masks and social distance in public.

A few weekends ago, after getting our 2nd Pfizer injections, Jim and I drove to Florence for a leisurely clam chowder lunch at Mo’s while watching crabbers along the dock pull up their pots to check for their day’s catch. Some, who came up empty or with few legal-sized crabs, threw their old bait out as a treat for the ever-vigilant seagulls and fish before restocking the crab-pot with fresh. It provided the entertainment we have been missing for some time, since Jim is no longer able to walk on the beach as we once loved to do.

On the way home, we ventured into the local casino, masked, after having our temperatures checked, and donated a $20 bill in the non-smoking room before heading home. It was set up with every-other slot machine out of play or with acrylic dividers between players, and attendants patrolling and wiping down those being vacated. We felt quite safe in the environment that was provided.

Now that the sun’s out and the temps are reaching into the high 70s and low 80s, our focus is turning more and more to outside chores and fresh air. I’ve already dealt with a pickup load of bark-o-mulch this spring and we’ll be getting another load this weekend. The birds I wrote about last week are apparently “passing the word” a bit and a few more of their family and friends have begun visiting our feeders.

We live in a beautiful world if we take the time to seek out the positives and stop looking for and dwelling on the negatives. Certainly, we must care—care for the injustices we see around us; for the heartbreaking struggles our country is experiencing. We must try to make a difference in whatever ways we can, but we cannot lose sight of the joys that await us each day if we just take the time to look for them.

If a choice is possible, let us choose to be happy.

Sweet Lorane Community News, April 8, 2021

April 8, 2021Newspaper Columns, , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 8, 2021
By Pat Edwards

So far, one week into the month, April’s showers have been sharing time with some spring sunshine, and it is so welcome. We have been spending time outside, trying to get a handle on the new green grass in our lawn and the prolific weeds that are growing in the flower beds. Both are competing for our attention with the voles and moles that have decided to take up residence and leave their holes and hills where we don’t want them.

A Black-Headed Grosbeak and a Lazuli Bunting at our feeder about 5 years ago.

In addition, I’ve put up my bird feeders to try to tempt the birds to stop by to visit and dine as they come back into the area. Right now, a few house finches, sparrows, juncos and chickadees are sampling the seeds from the feeders and the mourning doves are picking it up off the ground. Soon, the grosbeaks will be arriving as well as the goldfinches, blackbirds, vireos (occasionally), and so many others. For many years, the beautiful, brilliant blue and orange lazuli buntings arrived like clockwork every April to check in at the feeders. They would stay around through the summer until it was time to head south. For some reason, they stopped coming about 4 years ago. Oh, how I miss them.

Another April event is beginning this week. Lane County is set to resume the construction at Stony Point of the Territorial Highway project north of Lorane on April 12. They’re beginning to move in the heavy equipment now. According to Becky Taylor, Senior Transportation Planner with the Lane County Public Works Department:

“The public will be able to travel through the area, but flaggers may delay or hold traffic up to 20 minutes at a time throughout the summer… The public is encouraged to use alternate routes where possible and to travel safely.

“…Due to project costs exceeding available funding, the construction schedule has been adjusted to construct as much of the project as possible with the available funding. As a result, Phase 2 (from Lorane Hwy at Gillespie Corners to Easy Acres) has been pulled from the construction plans until additional funding can be secured.”

Principal Rodemack of the Crow Middle/High School reports that the newly-instituted hybrid schedule at the school is running smoothly. “Our students have been great in following Covid protocols and being safe. This time is so important for us to demonstrate to the state that schools can be safe so that we can return more and more to a normal school setting, especially for next year.”

The volleyball season was quite successful and they are looking towards the beginning of track, softball and baseball. According to Principal Rodemack, however, they have had few students sign up to participate so far. “We need a certain amount of athletes to field a baseball and softball team and we would love to have both of those sports back at Crow. Track also has a strong tradition at Crow, but our team is quite small at the moment. We encourage students to sign up and participate in sports this year. Experience doesn’t matter, and it can truly be amazing to participate and get to be involved with your school. Please come to the front office and let us know if you want to participate.”

The Lorane Grange meets next on Thursday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m. At that time they will set a date for the annual Lorane Grange Cemetery clean-up. The beautiful old cemetery sits at the top of the hill next to King Estate and is maintained by grange members and community members who want to help. Let them know if you are interested.

Happy Spring!

Sweet Lorane Community News – April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021Newspaper Columns, , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 1, 2021
By Pat Edwards

I’m going to cheat this week and share with you a couple of passages from our book, From Sawdust and Cider to Wine. While trying to remember what would fit with the season, I thought of lady’s slippers, an orchid-like wildflower that grew—and probably still grows—in the spring in the forests around Lorane that was mentioned in interviews we made in our research.

***********

FROM “The Gowing Family History”:

“Rena Rieck Gowing recalls some of the events of her childhood as she and her twin Reta grew up on the family farm in Lorane…

“Reta and I always liked the Spring and could hardly wait to find the first Wood Lilly or Blue Bell. Then came the Spring Beauties and the Lambs Tongues. Then in late March, the Lady Slippers would be out and our mother went with us upon the hill in the fir trees with a 2-pound cracker box and we filled it with Lady’s Slippers. We always had one that was pure white, and it was always exciting to see if it would bloom each year. It usually did.

************

FROM “The Way of Life: Growing Up in Lorane” chapter…

“Being a child 50-or-more years ago in Lorane was somewhat different than it is today. There was usually more physical responsibility put on the youngsters in the way of work and chores that they were expected to do each day. But, in turn, it seems that the pressures put on them mentally, emotionally and socially were less than they are now.

“It is true—Grandad did have to walk long distances to school. Many times there was no other way to get there. Each child was expected to do daily chores and to contribute in any way they could for the good of the family.

“Various jobs that children in Lorane took on in order to earn some money of their own included trapping for fur, peeling chittem and working in the orchards.

“Chores for girls usually centered around housework with large amounts of ironing and helping to take care of the younger children of the family. Boys helped with the outside work, feeding livestock, chopping wood and mending fences. They did a lot of hunting and fishing to help feed the family, also.

“Lorayne Kotrc and her brother Rodney Dillon always enjoyed walking in the woods when they were kids. Lorayne told of the times. “I don’t know why we kids didn’t get lost, because we always roamed these hills around here when they were all virgin timber. Folks never said anything just as long as we didn’t get too close to where they were falling timber. We’d take a sandwich and take off to the brush. It was pretty clear under the trees – not too much undergrowth. It was old growth and the small stuff was all killed out. It was pretty. We used to pick Lady’s Slippers and take them to town and sell them for a nickel a bunch.”

“George Damewood remembers that he used to earn money for school clothes by peeling chittem bark. He and a friend would take saddle horses into the hills, peel the bark, put it in sacks and tie the sacks together and throw them over the horse’s back. They took it to town and earned four cents per pound for it.

“Willard Gowing remembers only getting 1½ cents per dry-pound for his. He was lugging his sack full of chittem bark home one evening when he came to a fence bordering the road. He threw the sack over the fence and prepared to climb over when he heard a car approach. Not wanting to be seen, for some reason, he hid in the bushes until the car passed. Instead, Eddie Farman drove up, spotted the sack, stopped, looked inside, threw it in the back of his car and drove off. Willard had a set-back in his first million that day.

“Cooking took a good deal of time for mothers and their helpers. Large meals were usually fixed three times a day for the huge appetites of the men who worked on the farm and in the woods, and much canning had to be done each summer to help get the family through the winter months…

“Childhood was not all work, however. There was much time for fun and recreation. Swimming holes were put to good use on hot summer days, and snowball fights and sledding were popular ways of working off excess energy in the winter. There were no televisions, stereos, VCRs, DVDs, movies, discos, or much money “back in the old days,” but neither were extreme pressures put on the youth of yesterday as they are today.”  – From Sawdust and Cider to Wine; A History of Lorane, Oregon and the Siuslaw Valley (2006) by Pat Edwards

Fortunately, most of us have sweet memories of our childhood. During these difficult days, sometimes it’s nice to remember them and try to pay them forward whenever possible.