Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News, May 24, 2018

May 24, 2018Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
May 24, 2018
By Pat Edwards

The Lorane Community-Wide Yard Sale event has been scheduled for Saturday, August 4th this year. Those who want to participate are strongly encouraged to attend one of the Lorane Community Association meetings to get their sale registered so it can be included on the map that will be distributed and advertised.

You’re going to have a choice of several events in the area on August 4th. I’ll fill in details as we get closer, but here’s a suggestion:

Why not plan to hit the yard sales early to find the best treasurers, of course. Then head for the Crow Grange for a delicious lunch of barbecued chicken at their annual Chicken ‘n Pickin’ event while you enjoy some foot-stomping old-time fiddlers’ music. Then, plan on spending the rest of the afternoon and evening at the Applegate Regional Theater’s first annual “Art in the Country” festival that will be taking place a short ways away on Central Road, north of Crow. It will feature professional and amateur art displays, an Oregon Author table, two performance stages, author readings, live music, a beer and wine garden, craft and concession booths and a kids’ area among other features. Be sure to block out the whole day on your calendars!

While you’re adding that to your calendar, mark down another event which will be coming up shortly. Loranian, Misty Burris, has joined the Bohemia Mining Days board and on Friday, June 1, the board will be “facilitating a 7,000 square foot kids’ zone this year. They will be holding a public tie-dye event called ‘Color Their World,’ as the participants create a colorful border by dying retired hotel linens into wall tapestries.” The event will take place at Coiner Park from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. South Lane Mental Health, Mountain Rose Herbs and Parent Partnership are some of the sponsors so far. It sounds like fun!

Each of us is struggling with the tragedies that are becoming all too frequent in our society in the form of school shootings. The most recent one in Santa Fe, however, made the horror more personal. The son of one of our Crow High School graduates was a casualty.

Jared Conard Black was the son of Pamela Conard Black who graduated from Crow in about 1993. According to information provided on a GoFundMe page set up by his cousin, Jared had just turned 17 on Wednesday, May 16th.

“He was anxiously waiting to celebrate his birthday party that weekend and couldn’t wait for school to end on Friday. Unfortunately, this did not happen, because he was one of the victims of the Santa Fe shooting on May 18, 2017.

“Jared loved art, drawing, playing video games and people. He was a kind-hearted soul who would do anything for anyone. He was a great kid.

“Due to the family’s loss, they are going to have to pull together finances for additional expenses, travel expense, lodging, etc., for family members. They also will need to home-school his younger brother for the rest of his school years. It is just too unbearable to put another child in harm’s way in public schools.

“Instead of planning his birthday party, our family is now planning his funeral. Please help my family as they mourn the loss of our loved one and keep us in your prayers. He will be greatly missed and forever in our hearts.”

May we all keep these children and their teachers in our thoughts and work towards a solution that will once again provide them with schools that can be considered “safe places.”

Sweet Lorane Community News, May 17, 2018

May 17, 2018Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
May 17, 2018
By Pat Edwards

I have a few leftover items from the Lorane Community Association’s recent meeting to tell you about. I wasn’t able to get everything included last week.

Volunteers are being sought to help with the Lorane Senior Lunch Program. Each week, area seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious lunch accompanied by entertainment and social interaction. Linda DeBos has been fixing the meals for quite some time, but she needs some volunteer help to keep it going. If you have some free time on Mondays through the lunch hour, contact Linda. Unfortunately, I don’t have a phone number for her, but a message can be left for her at the Lorane Family Store or Lorane Deli.

For those who have not heard, the Rural Art Center sponsors a monthly rug hooking group. No experience is needed and the members will show you how it’s done. If rug hooking doesn’t interest you, there are other craft projects you can do with the group, as well. Contact Mina Knittel at the Lorane Deli for information on days, times and locations of where they are currently meeting since the venues and times tend to change with the season.

Mike and Joanne Cantrell are active in veterans’ groups in the Lorane area and work to support those who have served our country in the past. They are currently selling tickets for a motorcycle raffle to benefit Lane County veterans! The tickets are $20 and only 2,000 will be sold! Please contact the Cantrells for details. A message can be left for them at the Lorane Family Store.

The Lane County veterans also will be doing their annual ‘Stand Down’ at the fairgrounds on October 3rd. They will be collecting warm winter coats later this fall, so keep them in mind if you clean out your closets between now and then.

A community-wide yard sale is being considered for next month if there seems to be enough interest. Contact an LCA member if you are interested in taking part and/or if you have suggestions or want to help organize it.

On August 4th, the Applegate Regional Theater north of Crow is going to host a new annual event—”Art in the Country”—at the theater property on the corner of Central and Fleck Roads. The property is part of the former Central School and the event will take place on the grounds outside and behind the buildings. Booths and displays proposed include juried professional art, selected amateur and kids’ art as well as visual art of all kinds—fabric, glass, sculpture, photography, writing, etc. There will be live musical entertainment on two stages as well as demonstrations, readings, a wine bar, a beer garden, and a kid’s area, among other things. The ART is hoping that anyone interested in helping to make this a big success, contact Karen Andersen at andersenk76@gmail.com.

The Crow High School graduation this year will be held on Friday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Congratulations, Seniors!

The Crow Middle/High School Booster Club is losing a couple of the senior moms who have been very involved in the good workings of the group for several years. It’s now time for others to step up and fill the huge shoes that they will be leaving. The group needs more members and more organizers to keep it going. Over the past few years, the Booster Club has been extremely successful in fundraising that has resulted in major benefits to classrooms and students of all ages in the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District.

It’s time to begin keeping an eye on the Lorane Farmer’s Market food stand in front of the Lorane Deli. I understand that there may be some plant starts for your gardens as well as the produce they will eventually produce.

Summer’s coming!

Sweet Lorane Community News, May 10, 2018

May 10, 2018Newspaper Columns, , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
May 10, 2018
By Pat Edwards

There seems to be lots of news to report this week. For these columns it seems to be either a deluge of things I need to tell you about, or I have to dig deep.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find out about the Taco Dinner and Fandango dance event held at the Lorane Grange until it was too late to include in last week’s column. It was sponsored by the Rural Art Center. If you missed the event, they will be performing at the Crow Grange (May 16), Crow High School (May 23), at the Applegate Regional Theater (TBA), and at the Blue Rooster Inn (TBA). This is part of their summer dance series. Check out the poster displayed on the Lorane and Crow Facebook pages and in businesses around the area for more details.

The music is provided by El Taller de Son Jarocho, a Eugene-based community group and everyone is encouraged to join in. They will teach the basic dance step, a simple tap dance style.

The Lorane Grange will be having a work day at the Lorane Grange Cemetery on Monday, May 14. Volunteers are encouraged and welcome to come. Everyone should meet at 10 a.m. and bring garden tools and equipment to use, if possible.

The Celebration of Life for Lloyd Porter will be held at Lorane Christian Church with a potluck following at Lorane Grange. The Grange doors will be open at 11:30 am to receive food. Jeri asks that everyone wear Western or at least casual attire in memory of Lloyd.

Mark your calendars, Crow High School Senior Recognition night, is May 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the CHS gym. This is always a fun time to honor the seniors and their accomplishments.

The Lorane Community Association (LCA) held a recent meeting and Mina Knittel provided very detailed minutes. They held election of officers and the 2018-2019 include President, Pam Kersgaard; Vice President, Marissa McNutt Cooper; Treasurer, Mina Knittel; and Secretary, Heidi Langstraat.

It has been decided to unveil the Lorane Mural at this summer’s Ice Cream Social! Kevin, at the Lorane Family Store, will be building a protective awning and seating area in front of where it will hang. The mural will include an interactive game for people to spot local birds, insects and wildlife within the mural!

For those who haven’t seen the prototype, the mural will be a beautiful scenic and historical landscape of Lorane that includes a map of points of interest in our community! Donations are needed to complete the project. If you have a winery, farm or local business and would like to be included on the map, please contact Pamela Kersgaard.

The Lorane Community Church is collecting cans and bottles for their annual women’s retreat on the Oregon coast on September 5-8. Donations of recyclables can be dropped off at the deli or Heidi Rusten Langstraat can come pick them up! Please contact through the church for details.

We are approaching the Growers Market season! Visit the beautiful produce stand in front of the deli. Anyone can place their fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants, and wares there for donation/sale to the community. Any funds received for these goods goes to LCA projects!

More things from the minutes will be included in next week’s column. I hope that everyone is enjoying our sunshine. One of these days, I’m going to catch up on everything that needs doing!