Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News, April 18, 2019

April 18, 2019Newspaper Columns, , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 18, 2019
By Pat Edwards

Today, it hit 80 degrees on my car’s thermometer. What a nice reward for all of us who were beginning to wonder if the rain and cooler weather would be with us through the summer. It gave me the incentive to stop in town and purchase some burgundy petunias for the planter boxes I made a few years ago for our daughter, Michele, and me. I still need to get some in bright pink and white, but at least I’m ready to tackle my yard and flower beds.

We received word last Wednesday that there will be a community meeting scheduled with representatives from the Lane County Transportation Department sometime in June, regarding the realignment and widening of Territorial Road between Gillespie Corners and Lorane. The Lorane Grange has offered to host the meeting. For those who are interested in the Construction Schedule, you can go to the project page at http://www.lanecounty.org/territorialhighway and click on the “Construction Schedule” link. As soon as we have a date and agenda set for the public meeting at the Lorane Grange, I’ll post it in this column.

Jim and I own some properties—our home, store and the former Dew Drop Inn tavern properties—along the construction route that will be impacted by the proposed plans. Because of this, two members of the Lane County team agreed to come out to talk to us about what we can expect. I was very impressed with their concern for us and all of the other property owners. Be sure to attend the June meeting if you have questions for them.

Marissa McNutt Cooper asked me to include the following item in this week’s column:
“Crystal Nevins is running for a position on the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School Board. Some of her friends and supporters will be hosting a ‘Meet the Candidate’ event on April 26 at 6:00 p.m., at the Lorane Grange. This is a chance to meet Crystal, hear why she is running for the C-A-L school board, and ask her any questions you might have. We will be providing desserts, and the Lorane Grange will be providing coffee and tea. We hope you to see you there!”

Applegate Elementary School is having its annual Grandparents’ Tea on Thursday, April 25, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. This has always been a fun event for grandmas and grandpas each year. Even if you don’t have a grandchild attending Applegate, you are welcome to come and be honored with tea and snacks, wonderful music and lots of fun. If anyone in the district has donations for the silent auction and/or door prize drawings, please bring them to the school or let someone in the office know that you have something to include.

Here are a couple of other events to include on your calendar.

The Applegate Elementary Boosters are having a dinner and bingo night in the gymnasium on May 10. Dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. and bingo at 6:00 p.m.

The Crow Grange will provide it’s annual Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday, May 12, so mark your calendars. I don’t have the details this week, but I will include them in next week’s column.

Sweet Lorane Community News, April 11, 2019

April 11, 2019Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 11, 2019
By Pat Edwards

I’m finally able to turn my attention to community news this week. Although the going is slow, Jim is healing from his falls of a couple of weeks ago. I’m still his chauffeur, cook and morning help at the store, but we’ve fallen into a routine that works for us both. Hopefully, the physical therapy that he’s going to begin next week will help build his strength and balance again.

Thank you to the Lorane Grange for the wonderful community service awards that Lil Thompson presented to not only Jim and I, but Tara Wigle, Larry and Donna Moore, Heidi Langstraat, and Josie Skeers. We were deeply touched by the presentation at last weekend’s Lorane Talent Show sponsored by the Grange and the Rural Art Center.
While there, Jim and I were entertained, along with about 30 others, by some exceptional talent from the community. It included the always popular Kyle and Jim singing duo who are so popular at our annual Ice Cream Social held every August.

Then, there was the amazing “almost-six-year-old,” Jillian McGladrey, who sang and danced to two songs while her dad accompanied her on the guitar. My favorite of her songs was “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Members of the audience… including me… were encouraged to sing along with her and I haven’t done that in years. What fun!
The next entrant, “Little Banjo” decided that this year wasn’t going to be her debut to perform her dance after all, so she gave us a rain check.

The program was rounded out by the very talented Crow High School Junior, Cooper Morris, who sang and played the guitar. It was an afternoon that we all enjoyed immensely. Thank you to all!

Lil Thompson announced that there will be no Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo Night held again until next fall. They usually hold it through the school year, but are finding that they won’t be able to do it in April and May this year. Mark your calendars for the next one to be held on the 4th Friday in September.

If you’ll be having withdrawals from bingo, you still have some options. The Crow Grange holds their dinner and bingo nights every 1st and 3rd Saturdays through the school year.

Then, the Applegate Elementary Booster Club will be playing bingo on May 10, I believe. It will be held in their gymnasium. I’ll try to get more details closer to the time.

The Creswell Grange will be having a bingo night on Wednesday, April 17, at the grange hall at 298 West Oregon Avenue in Creswell. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the games begin at 7:00 p.m.

The Lorane Christian Church will be holding its Easter “Sonrise” Service again this year on the King Estate terrace at 8:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday morning, April 21. Following the service, at 9:00 a.m., there will be a free breakfast at the church. The regular worship service will begin at 10:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend all of the services.

I wish to personally thank Crow High School teacher, Heather Hohnstein, the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District administration and the students of CHS for my invitation to participate as an interviewer in the Career Mock Interview Day for graduating seniors. It was a wonderful experience. Each of the four students that I interviewed were respectful, neat, articulate, and self-confident. Those I spoke to have goals for what they want to do after graduation and showed their excitement in moving forward. I wish that other community members who do not have the opportunity to interact with today’s youth often, would be able to meet with these young men and women one-on-one as I did. If they are representative of the calibre of today’s generation, I feel our country’s future is in good hands. Thank you, Gracie, Stephen, Emily and Joel! You are all treasures!

Sweet Lorane Community News, April 4, 2019

April 4, 2019Newspaper Columns Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 4, 2019
By Pat Edwards

As I sit here, staring at a blank computer screen because I have no idea what I’m going to talk about in this week’s column, I realize how focused I’ve become on living from day to day, doing what needs to be done. My world right now is centered on one special person who needs me and my full attention. Oh, don’t get me wrong… Jim is doing well in his healing process, and we’ve worked out a schedule of sorts for each day. But, this whole process has brought me back to those wedding vows spoken so many years ago… “in sickness and in health…” I doubt that any bride or groom really thinks about what they are pledging to do; after all, things like that happen to other people when they are old… right?… no need to worry about it.

Well, the years eventually catch up with us, but as long as we have our health, we can refer to them as our “golden years”… and they have been for Jim and me. We’ve done some traveling and experienced the birth, childhood and young adulthood of our children and grandchildren, and now we are making and sharing such beautiful memories with our great-grands. As I’ve said so often, Jim and I truly have been blessed.

Now, however, it’s time to pay the piper. It’s time to put aside my own wants and needs and fulfill those vows we took almost 55 years ago. After loving and living with someone for that long, we do tend to take our lives and each other for granted. I’ve always had my own interests and activities, and he’s had his, but we have always supported each other in whatever way we could. We never really envisioned or planned for the “in sickness and in health” part of our marriage, but I’ve found that, when we arrived at that point, there was no question about what I not only must do, but what I want to do for him. So we live each day, one at a time… together; and we’ll get through this healing process… together.

We’re both going to do everything possible to get Jim’s mobility back to where it once was, but if not, then in late May, we’re still planning the exciting trip that we have been planning for over a year with my sister and brother-in-law to Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area. We bought a portable mobility scooter that we will take with us on the trip, and we’re going to enjoy every day, week, month and year that we are allowed beyond that, because, with the fulfillment of our vows, we have rediscovered a closeness we had let slide while pursuing our own interests.

“In sickness and in health” is a commitment that should not be taken lightly. As with most of life’s lessons, you can usually find a bright light shining through the darkest of days and it’s worth the time and effort to look for it.