Tag: Crow High School

Sweet Lorane Community News – October 6, 2016

October 6, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 6, 2016
By Pat Edwards

Fall is finally upon us and there has been enough rain to end the fire season. LRAPA (Lane Regional Air Protection Agency) has even opened rural backyard burning of yard debris a week early. It has been allowed, providing weather conditions are acceptable, since last Saturday, October 8. Before lighting that match or igniter, you must call ahead (541-726-3976) or check the LRAPA website at http://www.lrapa.org to find out if burning is allowed on that particular day in our area, however.

The Crow-Applegate-Lorane Booster Club, which also includes the district’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is in dire need of new members. Marissa McNutt Cooper has recently posted a plea to area residents to become members.

“I am hoping to spread the word to people who have children at Crow who might be interested in joining (the Booster Club). If they don’t get some new members soon, they may have to close, which would be catastrophic for our district. They fund an astonishing amount (usually around $20,000-$30,000 annually) for the entire district. Last night alone (Thursday, October 6), they approved close to $5,000 in funds requested for supplies for Science Classes at the high school, new welders, welding hoods and welding jackets for the shop and automotive class, and supplies and materials for the drama club. They also provide sports scholarships, buy new curriculum for the elementary and they’ve purchased new projectors for all of the classrooms. The list is endless. They meet once a month, usually the first Thursday of the month.”

This is a vital organization in our community. The boosters sponsor large fundraising events throughout the year that enable our area’s students to get the best education possible from our small school district. Until the state legislature figures out a better system for school funding, we are all going to have to do what we can on a community level. We all get frustrated with national and state elections and feel that we have no voice. But we do have a voice at the community level and if each community takes care of its own, then we are making a difference that may extend even further. We are all busy these days, but we need to find the time for something as important as this. For information on how to join, contact Linda Lay, Crow-Applegate-Lorane Booster Club President (541-844-5840), or one of its members.

Mark October 15 on your calendar! Roberta Pietila Miller and Pam Kersgaard have organized a community apple cider pressing at Roberta’s house, across from the Lorane Grange, on Saturday, October 15 starting at 10:00 a.m. All you have to do is bring your own apples and containers. They’ll break for a potluck lunch and proceed until all of the apples have been processed. For questions or more info, contact Roberta (360-318-6028 or e-mail robertamiller77@yahoo.com) or Pam Kersgaard through the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page.

Another date to mark is Sunday, October 23. Groundwaters will be presenting a program, Groundwaters LIVE! at the Applegate Regional Theater, 87230 Central Road, Eugene, in the former Central School gymnasium, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. to launch our just-completed 2016 Groundwaters anthology. We will feature 11 of our 63 contributors who will each read 5-minute portions of their stories and poems that are included in the book. The readers list includes: Jeanette-Marie Mirich, Jo-Brew, Vicki Sourdry, Demetri Liontos, David Erickson, Karen Wickham, Sherry Hunter, Michael Foster, gael Doyle-Oroyan, Eunice Scruggs and Stanley Buck. Refreshments will be provided and books will be available to purchase before, during the break and afterwards. There’s no admission… it’s free! Please come join us!

Attention all female Crow High School alums who played basketball for the Cougars! A women’s alumni basketball tournament is in the planning stages in conjunction with the annual men’s tournament to be held on December 9 and 10. Four teams from all age groups are being formed. If you are interested in participating, please contact Marissa McNutt-Cooper (541-517-6608) or a booster club member. More information can be found on the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page.

Sweet Lorane Community News – September 22, 2016

September 22, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
September 22, 2016
By Pat Edwards

By the time you read this, Jim and I will have returned from our 3-night inaugural trip to the coast to see if we’re cut out to be RV’ers. Since I’m writing this before we leave, you can just pretend that you’re in the same time zone as I am now.

This afternoon (Tuesday, September 20), we are heading to Honeyman State Park near Florence to spend three nights in our “new to us” motorhome. We will join my sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Dwight Isborn, and their good friends, Sherry and Mike McCall, who are all experienced at this sort of thing. We’re hoping that they can teach us the ropes before we attempt a longer trip on our own. I didn’t realize that there were so many “ropes” to think about, but we’re both excited about venturing into this new life-journey. We probably won’t plan any longer trips until this coming spring because the fall and winter are pretty-well booked up for me, especially. Our motorhome will spend the winter days snug under a new RV canopy at our son’s house in Cottage Grove, so we have to learn about the wintering as well as the “using” aspects of RV-ownership in short order.

I do have some Lorane news to report this week. One of the popular annual events that is held in Lorane is the big Hunter’s Breakfast put on by the Lorane Rebekah’s at the lodge hall. It will be held from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, the first day of the Cascade and Coast buck deer seasons. On the menu are eggs, pancakes, ham and beverage for $7 per person.

Whenever I am able, I like to promote some of the activities and events that are going on in our district’s schools and there are a few important notices that need to be shared.

Each year Crow High School students are invited to enter their artwork and photography into the (Eugene) Mayor’s Teen Art Show, sponsored by and held at the Maude Kerns Art Center. Four of our Crow students received awards from the 46 entries. All of the pieces of artwork will on exhibit from September 9-30, 2016.

The Crow-Applegate-Lorane district has been a strong advocate for hosting exchange students for many years. We hosted a young woman from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico when our own kids were in school in the 1980s. Because of that connection, members of our family have visited her family on a couple of occasions in Mexico.

The friendship that developed between our granddaughter, Hayley Kau, and Kim, a German exchange student at Crow has culminated in Hayley making two trips to Europe to visit and Kim has been back to visit here, too. It’s a wonderful experience for all concerned.

This year, host families are needed for several exchange students who want to come to Crow this year. These exceptionally bright students are a girl from Egypt,  and another girl from Kazakhstan. If interested, please contact Tressa Miller at Tressamiller@lanefite.org or text 541-606-4412. If you call, there is no voicemail available. Two boys are seeking to be placed with host families through AYUSA. More information can be obtained on them by calling or emailing Lisa Livelybrooks at 541-935-9502 or llivelyb@gmail.com.

Lane County Bond measure #20-264 will be on the ballot in November. This will fund C-A-L School District facility improvements.  These include improvements for student and staff security, updates for energy efficiency and access improvements. For more information, visit the district website at http://cal.k12.or.us or call the district office at 541-935-2100.

The week of September 26 through September 30 is Homecoming Week at CMHS and Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Don’t forget: The Rural Arts Center movie night season opens on Saturday, October 8 at the Lorane Grange with soup and salad dinner at 6:00 p.m. and the feature film, “The Little Shop of Horrors,” following at 7:30 p.m. The short film called “Tears of the Red Oni,” that was made during the RAC Movie Camp this summer, will also be shown.

Movie nights will take place every second Saturday of the  month, October through March. http://www.ruralartcenter.org/movie-night

Sweet Lorane Community News – September 15, 2016

September 15, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
September 15, 2016
By Pat Edwards

I apologize for missing last week’s issue of the paper, but it was a busy, busy week with a wedding, out of town guests and the fast-approaching deadline for our 2016 Groundwaters anthology. There was little Lorane news to report and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I asked to be excused.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Our granddaughter, Linsey Kau, and Brent Haxby were married on Saturday, September 10, at the Blue Rooster Inn next door to us. They’ve bought a home in Veneta and will move in once they have completed some renovation projects that are in progress.

The weather was perfect and the combined efforts of family members to provide food, photographs, wedding decorations and setup have allowed the couple to begin their marriage without being so hopelessly in debt as so many couples are. Thank you to Nancy Pelton of the Blue Rooster for providing such a beautiful venue, as well.

The Lorane Growers Market is really a popular spot these days. With all of the produce that’s now available – apples, prunes, pears, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and whatever else residents have to spare – there been a lot of donations which quickly get grabbed up.

Another home for extra produce is Crow High School. The school is offering a new class this year called Home & Farm. Students are learning food preservation and are in need of fresh fruit and vegetables to can, dehydrate, infuse, juice, etc. They are also needing donations of canning jars.

Students are wanting to make pickles and salsa, so tomatoes, onions and cucumbers are especially needed. If you have anything you would like to donate, please drop them off at Applegate Elementary or Crow Middle/High School.

This seems like a wonderful new offering for our students since the traditional cooking, shop and woodworking classes have been disappearing from many schools for lack of funding. Let’s encourage these valuable classes for our local students by donating what we can.

The Lorane Grange will be trying out a new menu and, through football season, a new schedule, for their upcoming dinner and bingo nights. The first one of the fall season will be held on Friday, September 23, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tacos with all the trimmings will be on the menu instead of the traditional spaghetti dinner. Bingo for the whole family will follow dinner at 6:30 p.m. It’s become a fun evening for many of the local families. Yes… kids are welcome to play, too! The winners of the games can select from the prize table for some regular games and win cash awards for others. The evening will culminate with a blackout game which will grow until it’s won. Come join us. There are lots of laughs and good, old-fashioned fun for all.

The Crow Grange has begun its Fall dinner and bingo night, as well. These are held every 1st and 3rd Saturdays beginning at 6:00 p.m. Bingo games start at 7:00 p.m. and pay cash prizes including a large blackout game at the end. Families, including adult-chaperoned children who are old enough to play, are also welcome. It’s also a night of good food and lots of fun.

The Rural Art Center movie night returns to the Lorane Grange on October 8. The first feature will be “The Little Shop of Horrors,” and the premiere of “Tears of the Red Oni,” the Japanese folktale movie produced by the 2016 RAC Movie Camp and starring our local residents. It is also “Costume Night” and you’re asked to come as your favorite monster. Dinner precedes the movie at 6:00 p.m. The schedule of movies will be presented every 2nd Saturday of each month at the Lorane Grange. For a list of upcoming features and to learn “the drill,” go to the RAC website at http://www.ruralartcenter.org/movie-night. Proceeds go towards local community projects.

There are some community concerns being discussed on the Lorane Facebook page currently. One involves suspected mail thefts from local mailboxes and the other is the fact that many residents are experiencing water shortages right now. If you’re interested in getting in on the discussions, log-in to the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page.