Category: Newspaper Columns

Newspaper columns that I have written for the Fern Ridge Review in Veneta, Oregon and the Creswell Chronicle in Creswell, Oregon. I began writing them for the Fern Ridge Review on August 4, 2010; on December 6, 2012, the Creswell Chronicle began printing them, as well. I am still the Lorane columnist for both papers.

Sweet Lorane Community News, March 21, 2019

March 21, 2019Newspaper Columns, Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
March 21, 2019
By Pat Edwards

This past week has been a really strange one for Jim and me. For one thing, we had more doctors’ appointments to go to and errands to run than usual, but the most bizarre part of the week was that we only had one car between us. Jim had to take his pickup into town for some much-needed repair work and I had to delivery my car to a body shop to repair damage it sustained when the portable canopy I keep it in collapsed in the recent heavy snowfall. Fortunately, our insurance covered a rental car. We have always run our own errands with Jim doing store business in the early-morning hours—I’m talking 4:00 a.m.—two or three days a week, and me doing my own “thing” during the day in my car.

Fortunately, he agreed to cut out the early-morning trips to town. We did them while we were in town anyway for doctors’ appointments, and I became the designated driver in the rented mini-van, making several trips to take him to the store at 6:30 a.m. to open, picking him up again when he either needed to go to an appointment or when it was time to go home. Consequently, I have put all my writing and publishing projects aside and we’ve had a bit more “together time” than usual. In a way, it’s been kind of a nice change of pace.

Pat Dixon, the art and band teacher for the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District is asking for help from the community for an upcoming class project in art. He’s planning for the class to make a “soft sculpture” that requires the use of LOTS of wire coat hangars and white or light-colored bed sheets. He is needing at least 100 coat hangars and a dozen or more sheets.

According to Pat, “If you have any amount of these things and are willing to donate them, I will even come by your home in the Crow area and pick them up personally.”

Earl Ford obit pic

Sadly, I have just learned that another of Crow’s life-long community members, Earl Ford, has passed. Earl and Mary Ford have been fixtures in Crow for as long as I have been involved with the school district and much longer. Earl and my husband Jim served together for many years on the C-A-L School Board and Mary was the district’s much-loved secretary during the time our kids were in school. They both were regulars at all of the sports events that their kids and ours participated in.

We saw Earl and Mary last month at this year’s alumni basketball tournament at Crow High School. It’s the first time I had seen them in a long while, but they both looked good. Earl stopped by to comment to Jim about old times. It will seem strange to know he’s gone.

Our daughter Gloria wrote a message of condolence to Earl and Mary’s daughter, Laurie, and expressed our collective family’s thoughts:

“Your parents have always been amazing pillars of the community and the news of your father’s passing absolutely breaks my heart! I feel so blessed and grateful to have been able to spend a bit of time with them at the alumni basketball tournament last month! This life is far too short and we need to embrace and hold dear those we love! You and the family are in my thoughts and prayers. Your dad was a loved, respected, and admired man who will be missed by many…”

Earl Ford’s Memorial Service has been scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. It will be held at the Lane Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, 5300 W. 11th Ave, Eugene.

Earl Ford obit

Sweet Lorane Community News, March 14, 2019

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Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
March 14, 2019
By Pat Edwards

It’s so nice to be able to sit down this week to write my column and actually know ahead of time what I’m going to be writing about!

First off, I’ll begin with the Lorane Grange news…

The Lorane Grange has taken on a new project to help veterans in need. It is collecting and buying NEW socks and underwear and is asking the community to donate additional of these items, as well. They are receiving them from now through May, so drop off your donations of new men’s and women’s socks and underwear to the Lorane Grange during that time. The items will be given out at the Lane County Veterans’ Stand Down planned for later this year.

There will be a collection box set up at the grange on March 23 when the Spaghetti dinner and Bingo Night takes place, the dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. and Bingo at 6:30 p.m. All ages are welcome.

The doors to the grange will also be open for donations on April 4 when it has its monthly meeting. Take advantage of the excuse to stop by and learn a little about how membership in the grange works and what it involves. They’re welcoming new members.

Then on April 7, there is another opportunity to add your donation. The annual FREE Rural Art Center/Lorane Grange-sponsored Community Talent Show will be held that day. Someone will be there to receive your donations from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. The actual event will begin at 3:00 p.m. and they are looking for new talent to showcase. Of course, the long-established performers are always welcome, too. And, if your talent involves things you make or design, bring some samples of those, too, so it can be put on display.
Lil Thompson asks that anyone interested in participating in the talent show should contact her by text (541-520-3637) or email (lilyhillthompson@gmail.com) to give the organizers an idea of how many entrants they can expect. You may also contact a member of the Rural Art Center.

The Crow Grange has launched a membership drive in hopes of attracting some new members from that community, too. If you are interested in finding out more information about the grange itself and/or joining, contact Connie Suing or Patrick Dearth through their Facebook pages.

On Sunday, April 14, the Lorane Christian Church is once again hosting a popular event called the “Living Last Supper” to commemorate Easter. It has become an annual event and those who have attended it in the past tell me that it is a moving, inspirational experience. It will begin at the Lorane Christian Church at 11:00 a.m.

The planning committee has begun to plan this summer’s 2019 Art in the Country Art and Author Festival sponsored by the Applegate Regional Theater in Veneta. This year’s festival will be expanded to two days in late July. The date will be finalized at our next meeting to be held on Friday, March 22, at 10:00 a.m. at the ART theater on the corner of Central and Fleck Roads. We are currently in the process of lining up food and beverage trucks and vendors to participate and could use a few more volunteers. We will also be sending out a call to artists and invitations to authors and musicians for the 2-day event soon. If you are interested in making it an even better event than it was last summer, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Karen Andersen, at 858-525-3580 / andersenk76@gmail.com, or Vicki Sourdry at 541-935-3636 / art-inc@hotmail.com.

Sweet Lorane Community News, March 7, 2019

March 7, 2019Newspaper Columns, , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
March 7, 2019
By Pat Edwards

Well, I’m hoping that by now, everyone has had their power restored from the recent snowstorm. My brother-in-law and his wife were without power near Saginaw for almost 9 days. It was a massive job for all of the linemen and women who were working to clear away fallen trees, plow the roads and restore power to the thousands of homes throughout Lane County that were affected.

Yvette Hamby, a friend and local resident, works in the office at Lane Electric Cooperative, and she reported working 16-hour days for well over a week. We all owe a great deal to these people as well as neighbors who looked out for each other. Thank you to all.

Here’s a repeat notice from a previous column… The Lane County Pomona Grange’s Prime Rib Dinner fundraiser to raise money for scholarships offered to youth throughout Lane County was postponed, due to inclement weather. It is now scheduled for Saturday, March 16, at 5:00 p.m. at the Dorena Grange near Cottage Grove. It will include not only dinner, but music and a silent auction as well.

The Pomona Grange of Lane County oversees and coordinates events between the 22 granges in Lane County including Lorane and Crow. Grange is a fraternal organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community as well as agriculture, and is frequently the voice of each community it represents. They have long provided local scholarships to graduating seniors in our high schools to help with the high cost of college.

This month, the Lorane Grange’s Spaghetti dinner and bingo is scheduled for Saturday, March 23—typically the 4th Saturday of each month during the school year—with dinner at 5:30 p.m. with bingo for the whole family following.

The Crow Grange’s dinner and bingo nights are held every 1st and 3rd Saturdays beginning at 6:00 p.m. for dinner and 7:00 p.m. for family bingo.

And, if you’re a bingo player, Creswell has begun its own bingo fundraiser at the Creswell VFW at 6:30 p.m. It’s going to be held the 2nd Friday of each month.
All of these events are family-friendly and your participation helps to fund the many projects these organizations sponsor that benefit each of our communities. Please lend them your support and participation whenever you can.

As we all crawl out of our enforced confinements because of the snow, let’s look forward to the gentler days of spring that can’t be too far away. Here’s to gentle spring rains interspersed with sunshine. The crocuses and daffodils seem to be ready!