Sweet Lorane Community News, May 3, 2018

May 3, 2018Newspaper ColumnsAlex Rahmlow, Crow Grange, Crow Middle/High School, Firewise, Heather Hohnstein, Mother's Day Breakfast, Oregon Department of Forestry, Western Lane Forestry, Wildfire Preventionpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
May 3, 2018
By Pat Edwards

Last week, the Easy Acres Neighborhood Group invited all Lorane residents to attend a Firewise (Wildfire Prevention) program conducted by Alex Rahmlow, a coordinator from the Western Lane Fire division of the Oregon Department of Forestry. We had a really good turnout of approximately 30 people—about half from Easy Acres and half from the greater Lorane area. A lot of interest was shown and questions were asked about what should be considered when we are ready to make our properties less inviting for wildfires. Much of the information is common sense, but it sharpened our focus on how very important it is to try and minimize the dry, brushy undergrowth near our homes, leaving at least a 30′ green parameter around our houses and outbuildings and a much wider band where brush has been cleared around trees and dead limbs and lower branches have been removed.

Caution on following the rules of designated guidelines posted by the fire districts during fire season is vital for each of us. During hot dry summers we need to be careful not to use mowers, chain saws, trimmers or other equipment that can emit sparks usually after 1:00 p.m. each day during the extreme fire danger periods.

The program did not focus so much on the common sense considerations such as campfires in undesignated areas, throwing cigarette butts out the car window, dumping still hot charcoal briquettes into areas that could catch fire, or burning of any kind, but these are things that are still being done occasionally.

During the recent summer when the fire danger was extremely high, I frequently walked our dogs up Easy Acres and was shocked by the number of cigarette butts I found along the road… many that were obviously recent discards. Even though this is normally something that people know not to do during fire season (or any time), I shuddered to think what could happen to Jim and me and our neighbors if one of those had fallen on a dry patch of dead leaves and caught fire.

All of us need to be extra cautious—for our own sakes as well as our neighbors’. John Eckles is putting together an 8-member board for our community group on Easy Acres Drive to monitor and assess the conditions along our road. Other areas in and around Lorane that are particularly wooded or brushy should consider doing the same.

For more information on how to form these groups, contact Alex Rahmlow, the Western Lane planning coordinator at 541-935-2283.

I understand that congratulations are in order for Mrs. Heather Hohnstein, teacher of English, Drama, Health at Crow Middle/High School. She is to receive an award from the U. S. Air Force “in recognition of outstanding support and dedication to the ideals and principles of the USA in her careers class, and in helping students get ready for their futures.” Congratulations!

The Crow Grange will be sponsoring its annual Mother’s Day Breakfast to be held on Sunday, May 13 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. The menu includes pancakes or biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs, fruit juice and coffee. They suggest a $5 dollar donation per person.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there!

Sweet Lorane Community News, July 27, 2017

July 27, 2017Newspaper ColumnsAdvancedED, Albert Goins, Alesong Brewing and Blending, Applegate Regional Theater, Chicken 'n Pickin, Crow Grange, Crow High School, Dessert and Bingo, Lorane Community Potluck, Lorane Grange, Lorane Growers' Market, Lorane Ice Cream Social, Nunsense, Poodle Creek Pickers, tansy ragwortpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 27, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Goins family of Lorane. Sadly, Albert Goins passed away on July 19. He came to Lorane in 1957 where he met his wife Lucy and they had two children, Matthew and Vaunie. Lucy died in 1984.

Albert was a kind, gentle man who loved working in his garden and orchard. At one time, he had a plant stand in Creswell called The Plant Place. One of his neighbors, Bridgett Johnson-Elliott wrote that “His spirit will be forever endeared to the beautiful land and in memory by his dear family, and is daughter-in-law, Rebecca, added, “He was always there when we needed a shoulder to cry on and someone to laugh with and share moments from the Bible.”

The Lorane Grange, instead of a dinner, will host a Dessert and Bingo evening on Friday, September 15. Dessert will cost $3.00 and will be served at 6:00 followed by bingo at 6:30 p.m.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the annual Lorane Community Potluck at noon in the Grange kitchen followed by the annual Lorane Fire Department Ice Cream Social from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 13.

Don’t forget to check out the Lorane Growers Market at the Lorane Deli. There should be produce showing up on a regular basis soon. Proceeds go to the Lorane Community Association for their projects.

Alesong Brewery and Tasting Room held their grand opening last weekend and they had a full parking lot. Congratulations to our newest business!

Lil Thompson passed on the information that Crow High School recently received accreditation from AdvancedEd, a non-profit national group of education professionals. The endorsement means that they feel CHS provides quality education and high standards for its students. We can all be proud of the education our school district is providing for our children.

Don’t forget to support the Applegate Regional Theater’s first big musical production called “Nunsense.” Opening night was on Thursday, July 27, but you can still catch either the Friday or Saturday performance (August 4 or 5) at 7:00 p.m. or the final performance on Sunday, August 6, at 2:00 p.m. The theater is located north of Crow on Central Road where it intersects with Fleck Road. It’s the former Central Elementary School, but you won’t recognize the gymnasium. It’s morphed into a real theater with a stage, curtains and tiered theater seating. My friend and Groundwaters colleague, Jennifer Chambers is one of the “singing nuns.”

Another reminder for the Crow Grange’s Chicken ‘n Pickin’ to be held on August 5 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. There will be great food in honor of the late Joe Canaday and lively music provided by the Poodle Creek Pickers. And, this year, they have added a vintage car show in the parking lot. This is another event that you don’t want to miss.
Everyone… Be sure to check the local fire restrictions. As of this writing, fire danger is high. “Residents are required to stop the personal use of gas powered or spark-emitting equipment between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day,” according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.

And then there’s the on-going battle with Tansy Ragwort which seems to be popping up all over the place. It’s poisonous to cattle and horses, so please pull up any of those yellow-flowered weeds that appear on your property even if you don’t have livestock.

Sweet Lorane Community News, July 20, 2017

July 20, 2017Newspaper Columns4-H, Applegate Regional Theater, Chicken 'n Pickin, Crow Grange, Hannah Edwards, Lane County 4-H Fair, Lorane Growers' Market, Nunsensepaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 20, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Congratulations to all of the kids who participated in last week’s Lane County 4-H Fair. They can all be proud of their accomplishments.

I spent a couple of days there, watching our granddaughter, Hannah Edwards, showing her sheep and hanging out with family members in our motorhome that they are staying in while at the fair.

It brought back a whole lot of memories. Of course, in the 1970s, when we first got involved with the 4-H program, there were no motorhomes parked at the fairgrounds… at least not in our family. We got up at the crack of dawn each morning and headed into town so the kids could feed and water their animals, bath and groom them and get them – and themselves – ready for the day’s classes. Then, we’d drag home at night after the chores had been done and the animals were bedded down for the night.

Jim was involved as a leader and I was the Lorane 4-H Coordinator for over 10 years while our kids participated in several livestock projects as well as cooking and horse clubs. Later, our grandkids also became involved when they were old enough, so it’s been a long-held tradition for our family.

Hannah is our last grandchild to compete in 4-H and she came away with a Senior Grand Champion Sheep Showman ribbon this year. Congratulations, Our Miss Hannah!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming 9th annual Crow Grange “Chicken ‘n Pickin” to be held on August 5 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. You can enjoy a delicious “Joe’s BBQ,” named after Joe Canaday who was a big part of the event each year before his recent passing. There will also be foot-stomping music by the Poodle Creek Pickers to entertain you. The cost is $10 per meal. They’ve added a new feature this year. Because the annual Crow Car Show ‘n Shine is not being held this summer, a “mini” Classic Car Show will take place in the front parking lot next to the Grange. You can contact Connie Suing at 541-556-2609 or csuing@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

I haven’t heard how the Lorane Growers’ Market it doing so far this summer, but if everyone’s planter boxes and/or gardens are growing like my few tomato and cucumber plants are, then there should be plenty of produce to offer. My one little apple tree is loaded again with apples again this year, too. Be sure to check out the produce table the next time you are in the vicinity of the Lorane Deli.

I’d like to take this opportunity to alert you to a project that I’ve been interested in for quite some time, even though it’s not located in Lorane. I’ve watched and occasionally helped as the members of the Applegate Regional Theater in Veneta have struggled to get a foothold on their goal to establish a first-rate theater in the West Lane area. Their first potential home on Broadway didn’t work out, but they didn’t give up. A few years later, they had the opportunity to purchase the former Central Elementary School on the corner of Central and Fleck Roads north of Crow. After long hours of hard work and much help from their loyal volunteers, the theater is set up and ready to go with their first big production of “Nunsense” about “five nuns who are putting on a talent show to raise money to bury some of their sisters, who met untimely deaths.”

It will be offered for 6 nights, July 27-29 and August 4-6 at 7:00 p.m. (Sunday, August 6 will be a 2:00 p.m. matinee). Be sure to catch one of performances. It’s a feel-good and funny show that will leave you laughing, according to Vicki Sourdry. The play is directed by Marti Stevens Byers.

Please plan to come out and support community theater. The tickets are $10 each; or $5 for seniors, $20 for a whole family, and from what I hear, the play and the talent are well worth it.