Sweet Lorane Community News, April 5, 2018

April 5, 2018Newspaper ColumnsA Little Bit of Lorane History, Calapooya Mountains, Cartwright House, Crow Middle/High School, Divide, Estes Ranch, Goshen-Divide Highway, Hawley Land and Cattle Company, Ira Hawley, Michele Kau, Mountain House Hotel, Parade of Heroes, Pat Dixon, Robert H. Ward, Umpqua River, Washington DC, Willamette Riverpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 5, 2018
By Pat Edwards

We got the news yesterday that the Crow High School band, led by Music Director Extraordinaire, Pat Dixon, has been selected to represent Oregon in the “Parade of Heroes” in Washington, D.C. over Veterans Day weekend. According to our daughter, Michele Kau, Teacher Extraordinaire at Crow, the band is desperately needing help with funding to make the trip happen. They are accepting cash donations and have begun a fundraising effort by selling really great-looking t-shirts to commemorate the trip. The t-shirt order link can be found on the Lorane, Oregon and Crow Community Facebook pages and more information is available by calling the school at 541-935-2227. Let’s show our pride and help make this happen for our local student/musicians!

Speaking of Crow Middle/High School, we also got word that last week – sometime between Friday, March 30 and Sunday, April 1, someone broke into the auto shop at the high school and stole multiple items that belong to the school. It has been so exciting to see our schools providing vocational classes again for our students and to have this one crippled by tools and equipment being stolen over Spring Break, is very upsetting. If anyone has any information on the theft, please contact the sheriff’s office and the school.

Once again, we don’t have a lot of news to report this week. This time, I’m going to tell you a little about when the stage route that went through Lorane was changed…

A Little Bit of Lorane History:

The Divide landmark is located at the I-5 exit 170. It marks the little-noticed pass that divides the Umpqua River watershed from the Willamette River watershed—Southern Oregon from Northern Oregon. It is here where a traveler can return to U.S. Highway 99, now called the Goshen-Divide Highway, to visit the towns where the highway once brought prosperity.

At one time, there was a post office called Divide that was established on May 31, 1900 and was closed on January 15, 1921. It may have been moved across county borders, or its county designation may have changed in a boundary shift between Lane and Douglas counties.

After 1865, the stagecoaches no longer used the steep Territorial Road to cross the Calapooya Mountains, past the Cartwright House/Mountain House Hotel and Lorane on their way to Eugene City. Instead, they were rerouted by way of an old road which wound through Pass Creek Canyon. The road was poor, soft and muddy along the creek bottom and the canyon passage was narrow.

Robert H. Ward, who lived at the southern end of the new route, built a corduroy road by laying 8-foot cedar logs side by side across the road through the pass. This road became known as Ward’s Toll Road, with Ward collecting a toll from northbound travelers and Ira Hawley collecting the southbound tolls.

On the stage route, Hawley’s Station was located 10 miles north of Estes Ranch on the Ira B. Hawley Donation Land Claim. It provided a rest stop and a horse-changing station there.
“The passengers found food and overnight accommodations at the house and a big barn sheltered the team of horses on the large 4,000 acre cattle and sheep ranch. There was also a small community school on the property that served the surrounding area.

Today, U.S. Highway 99, south of Cottage Grove passes the red ranch buildings and barns which belong to the present Hawley Land and Cattle Company on the site of Ira Hawley’s Stage Station.

(From OREGON’S MAIN STREET: U.S. Highway 99 “The Folk History” [2014] by Pat Edwards)

Sweet Lorane Community News – January 26, 2017

January 26, 2017Newspaper ColumnsBudget committee position, Crow Middle/High School, Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District, Lorane Fire Board, Lorane Rural Fire Department, Rural Art Center, Ukulele Club, Weatherpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 26, 2017
By Pat Edwards

“Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows…” Well, maybe our days have not quite reached those particular sentiments expressed by Lesley Gore so many years ago, but this past week has certainly been an improvement over what we’ve been experiencing, weatherwise.

The Ukulele Club, sponsored by the Rural Art Center has resumed its lessons on Thursdays in the Crow Middle/High School music room. Age groups, 4th grade through adult, are invited to join them. Beginners meet from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. and the class for those who have already had some lessons is at 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. each Thursday afternoon. If you’re interested, plan on joining them. From what I understand, it’s a fun group.

With all the dissension over politics on a national level these days, many people are feeling helpless about not really having a say in what is happening in our country. Individuals frequently cannot see how their efforts leave any major impact. But one way that you can see result of your caring is by serving your community in some way. By doing so, you can feel a rewarding sense of pride and accomplishment. Here are some great opportunities for area residents to make a real difference in our community.

Three positions are opening on the Lorane Fire Board and they are asking for applications from local residents who are interested in having a say in how our Lorane Rural Fire Department is run. Please contact a member of the Lorane RFPD for more information. The Fire Chief is Tom Soward and the Assistant Fire Chief is Jim Bailor. Go to their website at https://loraneorfd.samariteam.com to send a message or call and/or leave a message by phone at 541-942-1233.

In addition, the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District #66 is seeking volunteer patrons to serve on the Budget Committee this year. They will hold 2-3 meetings in May and a meeting in June with the school board and administration. If you are interested, contact Lee Ann in the district office at 541-935-2100.

I hope that these positions fill rapidly. Help is needed and the time you spend in service to your community will bring rewards, not only to Lorane or Crow, but to yourself, as well.

Sweet Lorane Community News – April 21, 2016

April 21, 2016Newspaper ColumnsChris Starfire, Crow Middle/High School, Grace Wagner, Grow Grange, Lorane Directory, Lorane Elementary School, Marissa McNutt Cooper, Patrick Dearth, Rich Mitchell, Teancum Jentzsch, Yogapaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 21, 2016
By Pat Edwards

Lorane has an exciting new on-line resource, thanks to local resident, Chris Starfire. There has been a lot of interest shown in developing a list of Lorane resources, but no one, until now, has come forward to make it happen. Chris took the initiative and has set up a Facebook page called “Lorane Directory.” She has already put together a listing containing information on local businesses, services and other resources. She has also set it up so that people can post items for sale or trade from the area. In addition, she’s hoping to provide a section where locals can offer their recommendations on those services and goods offered.

Because Chris is not able to run it herself, she asked for volunteers to administer it once it is set up. Immediately, Marissa McNutt Cooper and Patrick Dearth generously offered their help along those lines.

This new resource will free up the Lorane, Oregon page for discussions, concerns, notices and happenings so that advertisements can now be kept separate. Check out the new Lorane Directory, https://www.facebook.com/groups/999281663489459/, if you want to contact local businesses or are looking for local products, services or resources in the area.

If you have a small cottage business, are a crafter, have a skill or are willing to provide various types of labor to local residents, be sure to post your information to the Lorane Directory and you will be added to the resource list. It is growing daily.

Thank you Chris, Marissa and Patrick for providing this much-needed and wanted service to the community!

The Yoga classes at the former Lorane Elementary School are being held in the upper building, the first classroom to the right, on Mondays and Fridays at 8:00 a.m. and Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. They are $50 for 10 classes or $7 drop-in fee. Bring a yoga mat if you have one. Call Rich Mitchell, 541-942-5459, or check out his website at http://www.theloraneschool.org/whats-happening/ for more information.

The Crow Grange is hosting a play night on Thursday May 5th at 7:00 p.m. Come and see three one-act plays. It’s free! They are a lot of fun to watch and they will have refreshments afterwards.

The Crow Grange is also putting on its annual Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday May 8th from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Last year, my family took me there and it was so much fun! They provide a wonderful breakfast of pancakes or biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs, fruit and coffee or juice all for a suggested donation of $5. They give each mother a special treat as well.

Crow Middle/High School P.E. teacher, Tracy Engholm, put out a request to area patrons to volunteer a few hours of their time for the Survival Class that she is teaching. In it, the students are learning how to sew using sewing machines. The students are assigned to make a bag of some sort by the end of the school year. Since Tracy is also teaching gardening at the same time, she hasn’t been able to figure out how to do both at once. She is hoping that someone from the district is willing to help the sewing class from 8:20 to 9:10 a.m. on school days. The school has two machines, so the volunteer would only be working with a couple of students at a time.

Tracy would also welcome donations of new or used thread, zippers, material, belting, buttons, etc. You can drop them off at either Crow High/Middle School or Applegate Elementary or leave a message for her at 541-935-2227.

Congratulations to Crow High/Middle School students, Teancum Jentzsch of Lorane and Grace Wagner for scoring among the highest at the countywide 2016 Math Fair held at Lane Community College in April. They both scored 12 out of 15 on their tests. There was only one other student from the participating schools that scored as high. The state competition will be held on May 14. Our congratulations and best wishes go to both students. Way to go!

Mark your calendars on May 17 for the upcoming Crow-Applegate-Lorane musical event. The C-A-L schools will present a night of music performed by district students and some guest performers from local music groups. There will also be food, raffles and door prizes to raise money for the district’s music department. There will be a spaghetti dinner at 6:00 p.m. for $5 per adult, $3 per child, or $15 per family of four.