Sweet Lorane Community News, October 19, 2017

October 20, 2017Newspaper ColumnsApplegate Elementary School, Crow Fall Harvest Festival, Dana Graves, fused glass, Groundwaters, Groundwaters 2017 anthology, Groundwaters Live!, Jennifer Buchholz, Katarina Digman, kiln-formed, Lorane Community Cares, Lorane Grange, Lorane Growers' Market, Margie McNutt, Michael Matchulat, Millie Graves, Stanley Buckpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 19, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Happy Autumn all! This is when I miss the days of cuddling around a warm fireplace or woodstove with a hot mug of coffee or cocoa. Don’t get me wrong… I love our heat pump, but there’s just something about the comfort of sitting on the raised hearth of our old fireplace and soaking up the heat in the evenings…

This is the time of year to celebrate our harvests… much of the canning and freezing has been done for those who still raise their own gardens and preserve their own produce. I kept my grandmother’s old pressure cooker going all through the late summer and early fall for a couple of decades when our kids were growing up. I always had a huge garden, but these days we enjoy the limited amount of fruits and veggies we plant fresh off the vine and donate extra to the Lorane Grower’s Market. Home canned vegetables, especially, are so much better than store-bought, but my back no longer allows me to stand at and lean over a kitchen sink for long periods, so we either eat fresh or bring home canned from the store.

I love the fact that the new group, Lorane Community Cares, is focusing on community gardens and canning and preservation clinics to work together and learn how to prepare and process the produce to donate to local food banks. Their first 3-day clinic was held this past weekend. Hopefully, I can report on its success in next week’s column.

Margie McNutt, an extremely talented kiln-formed, fused glass artist, in Lorane is offering to set up classes at her home studio on Cottage Grove-Lorane Road. If you would like to learn how to design and make your own creations for yourself or as a special gift for someone else, the 5-week course will be from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Schedule, TBA. The classes will go for 5 weeks with firings to complete two projects of your choice. If you’d like to see some of the work she has done, go to her Facebook page at MargieMcNuttGlass. For further details, call 541-942-7471.

The Lorane Grange is having “a baked potato bar dinner with just about any trimmings you might think of” night followed by family bingo on Friday, October 27 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

I personally would like to invite everyone who enjoys reading stories and poetry written by local writers to join us at the Groundwaters annual Groundwaters LIVE! It’s a celebration of the completion of our 3rd annual Groundwaters 2017: An Anthology which showcases 62 authors and poets. The event will take place on Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 p.m. at the Applegate Regional Theater (ART) on the corners of Central and Fleck Roads north of Crow. Ten of our contributors will be giving 5-minute readings of their work. Refreshments will be served and books will be available.

Lorane and Crow have a large representation in this year’s book. Jennifer Buchholz of Lorane provided the beautiful cover photo and Katarina Digman of Lorane provided the painting on the back cover. Norm Maxwell is represented in the book by three of his popular stories; Stanley Buck provides three stories, one of which is called “Carpenters By-Pass 1950.” A new contributor, Michael Matchulat of Lorane has written a moving story about his battle with Stage IV colon cancer; and always popular, Millie Graves from Crow, her son Dana, as well as numerous others from the West Lane area and Creswell who are also included. We hope to see a large attendance on the 29th.

Don’t forget! The annual Fall Harvest Festival will be held on October 28 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Applegate Elementary School.

Sweet Lorane Community News, October 12, 2017

October 13, 2017Newspaper ColumnsApplegate Regional Theater, Canning Preservattion Sharing Clinic, Crow Fall Harvest Festival, Groundwaters 2017 anthology, Groundwaters Live!, Lorane Community Cares, Rural Art Center, Ukulele lessonspaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 12, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Whew! I think I just put the final touches to this year’s Groundwaters annual anthology called “Groundwaters 2017: An Anthology.” Jennifer Chambers and I have been producing these books since we ceased publication of our quarterly magazine three years ago. We distributed the magazines free through libraries, organizations and businesses in the West Lane area and throughout the rest of Lane County for over 10 years.

For those who don’t realize it, the annual anthologies are the equivalent of 4-plus issues of the magazine that was so popular. We still feature stories and poems from many of the authors and poets who won your heart then, as well as many talented new local writers. Each of our three issues have showcased the stories, memories and poems of over 60 contributors. They make wonderful gifts. Check out our website at http://groundwaterspublishing.com, and look for them in the Fern Ridge Library and local stores soon.

To celebrate the publication, Groundwaters and the Applegate Regional Theater on the corner of Central and Fleck Roads, north of Crow, on Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 p.m., will host a free Groundwaters LIVE! event. Writers and poets whose works appear in this year’s anthology will give readings and refreshments will be provided. It’s become a hugely popular event and the ART theater is amazing. The gym of the former Central Elementary School, with its large stage and theater seating, has been turned into a wonderful venue for not only plays and musical shows that are performed there, but for community events as well.

Each writer and poet represented in the book have earned Jen’s and my respect and I hope our readers realize how much it takes to reveal so much of ourselves through our writing. We’d like to see a large group of local people show up to meet the authors and poets and to tell them in person how much they enjoy their work. You can probably even be able to collect some autographs.

Canning and Preservation.jpg For those of you in Lorane, don’t forget to sign up and participate in the free 3-day “Canning, Preservation and Sharing Clinic” on October 20 through 22. A new non-profit organization called “Lorane Community Cares” is sponsoring it in conjunction with their community garden project located on south Territorial Road. The produce from those gardens will be used in the clinic where those who want to fine-tune their canning and preservation skills can work together to process it. At the end, the food will be donated to those who need it within the community.

The clinic will begin with a dinner prepared from locally-grown products. At that time, donations can be made to help support the program. That will take place on Friday night, October 20 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lorane Grange. What a wonderful way to combine learning and sharing. Everyone benefits.

The Rural Art Center-sponsored Ukulele group will once again be meeting at Crow Middle/High School on Thursday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. The lessons started last week, actually, but you can still sign up or show up this Thursday if you are interested. This successful program has been happening for several years now, thanks to the sponsorship of RAC and the grant funding from the Oregon Country Fair Assn.

Other calendar notes: The Lorane Grange’s baked potato bar and bingo evening will be Friday, October 27. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. with family bingo to follow.

The annual Fall Harvest Festival will be held on October 28 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Applegate Elementary School. I understand that they would love some help with decorations and setting up and tearing down. Call or text 541-517-8556 for information or to volunteer. In addition, candy donations would be appreciated.

Finally, don’t forget the Fern Ridge Library’s annual book sale on October 20-21 at 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thousands of books, movies, music and more for all ages at great prices.