Sweet Lorane Community News, August 18, 2022

August 18, 2022Newspaper ColumnsLorane Community Potluck, Lorane Community Yard Sale, Lorane Ice Cream Socialpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge-Tribune News
The Chronicle (Creswell)
Sweet Lorane Community News
August 18, 2022
By Pat Edwards

Our normally quiet, little Lorane has become “busy” Lorane, Oregon, with lots of events planned within a 2-week period. The weekend of August 13 and 14 didn’t let us down as one of the busiest weekends of the year for the community. Jim and I were able to attend the events scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday that weekend. The Saturday event was our annual Lorane Community Potluck which has evolved over the years from being called the “Lorane Old-Timers’ Picnic” that has been held on the 2nd weekend in August for several generations.

When we walked in to the grange, we were greeted by many of our friends and neighbors who we haven’t seen for several months now. There wasn’t a large gathering this year, but being able to visit and be social once again was an especially enjoyable time for us. The food was excellent, as usual, as was the camraderie. The date of the potluck was changed last year from its usual Sunday slot, preceding the Lorane Ice Cream Social held on the same day, to the Saturday before in hopes of regenerating more attendance. There were a few more this year than last, but we are hoping that it will keep growing.

Then on Sunday, Jim and I came back to attend the popular Lorane Ice Cream Social that has been sponsored by the Lorane Fire Department for many years now. We brought Jim’s mobility scooter to drive around the grounds while we ate delicious ice cream and homemade pies. Jim parked inside the fire truck garage, out of the hot sun, where the food was being served and greeted more friends, neighbors and customers from our days owning the store as they stood in line to order.

After eating, we headed across the street where one of the fire trucks was parked near the bounce house, fishing booth and dunk tank set up on the church lawn. We watched as three of our great-grandchildren honked the horn on the truck as they pretended to drive it on a rescue mission, and played, bounced and slid down the water slide. Jim was tired by then, so we didn’t stay to watch them take a ride in the fire truck with other kids before heading back home.

This past weekend was the Lorane Community Sale. There were 19 sites recorded on the map for the 2-day event. It’s always well-attended and popular; this year was no exception.
Then on Sunday, August 21, the Lorane Christian Church held its annual “Worship in the Park” at Farmin’ Creek, followed by a potluck.

So, I think that with so much celebratin’ these past 2 weeks, it will soon be time to harvest our gardens, get our flower beds prepared for fall, take those final camping trips and get ready to hunker down as summer slowly begins to slip away. Labor Day will soon be here, signaling a time when school will be starting, leaves will begin turning brilliant reds, yellows and orange colors, and life for many will turn to football games, cooler temperatures and the coziness of home.

Sweet Lorane Community News, July 21, 2022

July 21, 2022Newspaper ColumnsBohemia Mining Days, Crow Grange "Joe's Barbecue", Lorane and Crow events, Lorane Community Potluck, Lorane Community-Wide Yard Sale, Lorane Ice Cream Socialpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge-Tribune News
The Chronicle (Creswell)
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 21, 2022
By Pat Edwards

For the last couple of days, Jim and I are feeling that we are finally beginning to emerge from a long, dark tunnel that we’ve been in for almost a full month. I’m not going to dwell on a lot of specifics because I’m anxious to soak in the light and sunshine that lies ahead of us now. Suffice it to say that while in that tunnel, which we entered with Jim’s lumbar surgery on June 27, we encountered and handled—with the amazing help of our family—not only the surgery itself (which went very well), but complications that involved 3 runs to the ER (2 by ambulance) in two weeks time. The whole experience was then capped off, last week, by a positive diagnosis of Covid and the resulting quarantine for us both.

We began this past week feeling so much better and both of us are ready to take on something other than our health issues as much as possible. Jim is going to begin his physical therapy journey here at home through Home Health and we are hopeful that he will be able to regain the strength in his legs and back he needs to walk upright for short distances in order to do and see the things we are anxious to experience. Together we’ll take it day-by-day, as we have been doing, and work towards that goal. Thanks to all of you for your kind words and prayers.

In the meantime, while we’ve been focused on other things, the Lorane community has been busy participating in Cottage Grove’s Bohemia Mining Days celebration after a 2-year hiatus because of Covid restrictions. Loranian, Bruce McDonald, has been one of the main organizers and pancake turners of the “Breakfast on the Mountain” portion of the festival for years. It’s estimated that approximately 800 people drove up the hill this year to be served a delicious meal by “prospectors and golddiggers.” Now, that’s what I call the “light at the end of the tunnel.” Congratulations to all of the event organizers who have done such a wonderful job at this popular festival each year.

Coming up and closer to home is the busy weekend of August 13-14, where Lorane hosts first the Lorane Community Potluck on Saturday, August 13, held at the Lorane Grange. The doors open at 10:00 a.m. and lunch begins at noon. Bring your favorite dish and plan to kick back, spend some time eating what has, historically, been a delicious lunch, and get to know and visit with friends and neighbors.

The next day, Sunday, August 14, will be the popular Lorane Ice Cream Social hosted by the Lorane Fire Department. Come sample the wonderful ice cream and pies, participate in the many activities, including a dunk tank and rides on the fire truck, and enjoy local entertainment and more visiting with friends and neighbors.

The following weekend, Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, plan on attending the Community-wide Yard Sale. The organizers are still signing up those who want to add their own sales at their homes to the map that will be available at each stop. Sign up at loranesale22@yahoo.com. Please include your name, phone number and the address where you will be holding your sale, plus hours and days of your sale.

For those who prefer, there will be outside spaces for rent in front of the grange for $10. This annual community event is sponsored by the Lorane Grange and the Lorane Community Association.

The Crow Grange’s annual “Joe’s BBQ” will be held on Saturday, August 6th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The popular dinner is $12 and includes a ½ chicken, potato salad, baked beans, roll, lemonade or coffee, and ice cream—unfortunately there will not be corn-on-the cob this year, as it will not be ready in time. According to Connie Suing (541-556-2609), “Classic Country will be playing music for us and we will have a few classic cars in our top lot for your viewing pleasure. Come join us as we celebrate our little community of Crow, Oregon.”

So, there are some fun things being planned and it will be nice for everyone to come out of their own tunnels and relearn what it is like to be social again. That’s all part of what constitutes the true meaning of “community.”

Sweet Lorane Community News, August 19, 2021

August 19, 2021Newspaper ColumnsCrow Chicken 'n Pickin, Groundwaters anthology, Lorane Bingo Night, Lorane Community Potluck, Lorane Community-Wide Yard Sale, Lorane Ice Cream Socialpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge-Tribune News
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
August 19, 2021
By Pat Edwards

The recent Lorane events were quite successful this past month. It seems that everyone was ready to get out and socialize a bit after our long period of social distancing during the pandemic. The Lorane Community Potluck, the Ice Cream Social, the Lorane Grange’s Bingo and Dessert Night, and the Community-Wide Yard Sale events were all well-attended. Unfortunately, the potluck, which was changed a year ago to be held on the day before the Ice Cream Social (held on the 2nd Sunday in August) fell on the 1st Saturday—the same day as Crow Grange’s “Joe’s BBQ (aka Chicken ‘n Pickin’ BBQ), and there was a conflict. Next year’s potluck will fall on the 2nd Saturday, as it normally will, on August 13th. Thankfully, both had a good attendance this year. The organizers apologize to our neighbors in Crow for the overlap, though.

The next Bingo and Dessert Family Night at the Lorane Grange will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27. We’ll all need to wear masks, but come and join in the fun if you’re able.

Plans for school in the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District are revving up. August 24-26 has been set for the Crow Middle/High School registration. The first day of school is September 7. For more information on what students and parents can expect from the 2021-2022 school year, check out their website at http://cal.k12.or.us or call the district office at 541-935-2100 or the high school at 541-935-2227.

Fall football practices and conditioning are underway. The middle school is in need of more students to sign up before they can field a team, however.

On Wednesday, September 1, the C-A-L School District will be hosting a “Welcome Back Hotdog BBQ.” It will take place from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Applegate Elementary parking lot followed by Ice Cream Sundaes served between 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Crow Middle/High School. Everyone is invited to meet our new superintendent, Heidi Brown, tour the new classrooms, and find out more about the athletic teams that are forming. I understand that there will be a bounce house and giant slide at the elementary school for the younger kids’ enjoyment, too.

I, personally, have begun work on what is supposed to be my last year of publication of the Groundwaters anthology. It’s been a labor of love that I’ve participated in for the past 10-plus years, but the process of juggling personal commitments with the labor-intensive job of showcasing the writing talents of over 60 ‘mostly-local’ authors and poets each year is beginning to take its toll, and I feel the need to put the publication to rest before it’s quality begins to diminish.

Right now, my colleague, Jennifer Chambers, and I are in the midst of reading, reviewing and editing over 200 submissions sent by 58 contributors. The short stories, essays, memoirs, nostalgia, poetry and photography submitted each year are truly amazing. Many of our contributors have been participating for a long time, but each year, we get new ones—some of whom are already published authors. Others, are frequently those who have never seen their work in published form before now. All of them are talented people we want to honor in print. If you haven’t read one of our anthologies before, please look for them on-line (our local bookstores do not sell anthologies, unfortunately), or in your local libraries. We have donated these books and quarterlies to the Fern Ridge and Creswell Libraries over the years, but I need to update them with the latest issues and will try to do that this week.

This has never been a “for profit” endeavor for us. Most of Jen’s and my labor is donated and the proceeds are used to cover our business license, taxes and website fees. As I said above, it’s a labor of love that I will truly miss.