Sweet Lorane Community News – January 31, 2019

January 31, 2019Newspaper ColumnsDaryle Bloom, Lorane Country Cafe, Lorane Delipaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News ,
January 31, 2019
By Pat Edwards

Today is one of those days when I’m starting to write my column with no idea where I’m going with it. So, I’m interested in how it will develop, myself.

The most obvious observation I have this morning is what a glorious week we have been having, weather-wise. Someone remarked to me yesterday that we’re having a “February spring,” but we all know how deceiving that can be. I can feel the stirrings of spring fever, but I’m trying to settle them back into place for now. Let’s just enjoy it while it lasts.

Jim and I will soon be spending a few days with our daughter, Kelly, and her husband Justin, in Arizona. We’re both looking forward to seeing them in their winter digs. They are just not into spending another cold winter in their beautiful home in Montana as they did much of last year. They are trading the bears that stop by to visit them in the fall for the bobcats, coyotes and, as spring approaches, the rattlesnakes of Arizona. Fortunately, the bears and snakes hibernate, so now’s a good time for us to visit.

Life-long Crow resident, Daryle Bloom, has retired his auto repair business in Crow and has begun teaching shop classes at Crow Middle/High School in small engine repair. His last request for donations of broken small engines for the last class was so successful, he’s trying again.

“Wanted… seized-up or non-running small engines to use for high school shop class.” The ones donated last time were a great success and he extends his thanks to all who donated. The students loved working on the engines and they actually got many of them running again. He now has a new group of 8th graders coming in and would like to have more engines available for them to work on. You can respond to his posting on the Lorane or Crow Facebook pages or leave a message at the high school… 541-935-2227. If you have an old lawnmower or weedeater that no longer works, he will be glad to take it off your hands.

loranegeneralstore An exciting announcement was made this week by the management of the Lorane Deli. Beginning February 5th, it will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and will have a dinner special each night along with their standard burgers, sandwiches and more. The dinner specials will be posted on the Lorane Facebook page soon.

This is welcome news for the Lorane community. We’ve been needing an option for evening meals where you can drop by on your way home from work or after a long day’s gardening or painting project.

loranecountrycafe300dpi I remember the days when the Lorane Country Café was in business in the late 1980s and the 1990s. The Giles offered delicious comfort food while we kicked back and relaxed— sometimes while still in our work clothes. No reservations were required and the booths and counter were usually full. Neighbors could catch up on the news and gossip and go home without having to face a sink full of dishes.

I hope that the whole community will give its full support to Peggy, Jesse and crew. They’ve been successful in making the Deli a popular meeting place in the mornings and have a loyal following. Let’s show them how much we appreciate their willingness to take this on.

Sweet Lorane Community News, February 8, 2018

February 8, 2018Newspaper ColumnsAlesong Brewing and Blending, Dale and Bette Giles, Lorane Country Cafepaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
February 8, 2018
By Pat Edwards

Goodbye to the Lorane Country Cafe. Thanks for the memories!

We had a major event take place in Lorane this past week. We said goodbye to a piece of Lorane’s recent history when the Lorane Country Café was used for a practice burn by the Lorane and South Lane fire departments. I think that most agreed that although it was sad for those of us who have such good memories of stopping by for a delicious meal, usually cooked by Bette Giles or her son Dale, it was time. It had sat vacant for several years now, only being used occasionally by a private individual. Then the property was sold to Brian and Doug Coombs and veteran brewer, Matt Van Wyk of Alesong Brewing and Blending who built a nice new brew-pub building on the hillside above it. The café was deteriorating rapidly and when representatives of the fire groups contacted Alesong about using it for a practice burn, the owners felt it was the best option. In doing so, it provided the Lorane and South Lane Fire Departments much-needed practice on procedures they may face in real-life situations. There are pictures of the burn posted to the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page. Thank you to the participants for giving its demise a sense of purpose.

Mark your calendars: The Crow Booster Club is having a Bingo and Soup Dinner Fundraiser at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. Everyone is invited to attend.

A Little Bit of Lorane History: Lorane Country Café (written in 2006)
After seven long years of working after work and on weekends, Dale and Bette Giles opened the doors of their new restaurant, the Lorane Country Cafe. They located it next to their home and adjacent to the entrance to King Estate Winery on North Territorial Road. The property that had at one time been part of Bette’s family’s homestead. Dale had always promised Bette that someday he would build her a restaurant if she would run it and after moving back to Lorane from Alaska in 1979, they began the fulfillment of that promise. The bright and airy building seated 45 patrons and the full set of windows on the front overlooked fields and vineyards. They catered to local patrons who preferred good basic foods and in doing so, attracted others from Eugene, Cottage Grove, Veneta and other parts of Oregon looking for a good meal in a beautiful setting. They offered 3 daily specials and homemade pies, biscuits and soups. It was always difficult to find help at the store because of the rural location. Bette employed local people and in the summers she hired high school students. But she always believed that it is important for teenagers to participate in school activities during the school year. In an article for the Lane Electric Ruralite, Bette was quoted as saying, “I hate to see them tied up with work. Their high school years should be a special time in their lives. There is lots of time left for work.”

The Giles ran the restaurant for 17 years with the help of their two sons, Dale “Ben” and David, and their daughter Deeann Giles Brewer and eventually closed it in 2003 after not being able to find a buyer. In 2005, Richard Boyles purchased the land and building and at this writing, it is standing vacant, awaiting a new infusion of life. The Giles sold their home and other property at the same time and moved to Arizona where they have chosen to retire. Their daughter Deeann Brewer remains in Lorane with her husband Jeff and son Christopher Davis Brewer, and Dale, Jr. is currently living in Lake Havasu with his family. Their son, David, passed away in 2008. (From Sawdust and Cider to Wine, 2006)

Sweet Lorane Community News, July 6, 2017

July 6, 2017Newspaper ColumnsAlesong Brewing and Blending, Alix Mosieur, Community Gardens, Crow Church of the Nazarene, Karen Pidgeon, Lorane Christian Church, Lorane Community Association, Lorane Country Cafe, Lorane Fire Department, Lorane Growers' Market, Lorane Ice Cream Social, Marissa McNutt Cooper, Matt Van Wyk, Misty Burris, Montana, Mural, Oregon Institute for a Better Way, Terrie Johnson Morris, vacation, Vacation Bible Schoolpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 6, 2017
By Pat Edwards

As I anticipated, the days last week while on vacation managed to just slip by (as they are supposed to do while vacationing) and I didn’t get a column written. As an “in-name-only” retiree, days blend quite easily for me anyway, but while on vacation, I’m able to immerse myself into each day without thinking about whether it’s a Monday, Thursday or a weekend.

Montana was beautiful, as was the newly-built home of our daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Justin Fontaine, on Flathead Lake located near Glacier National Park. We spent the days kicking back, going out on the lake in Justin’s boat, having dinner in Big Fork, attending a Farmer’s Market in nearby Whitefish, walking our dogs and just enjoying being together.

Flathead Lake

Thankfully, there are a number of Lorane news items this week that I want to tell you about.

Lorane children who are interested in attending Vacation Bible School this year are encouraged to sign up with Heidi Rusten Langstraat (541-556-6223) at the Lorane Christian Church. The actual “Maker Fun Factory” Bible School will be held at the Crow Church of the Nazarene, but if enough Lorane kids are interested in participating, transportation will be provided. It is open to 4-year-olds through 6th grade students and will be held on July 16-20 from 6:00 to 8:15 p.m. each night. Activities include games, snacks, music and Bible Stories.

For those wanting an update on Lorane’s newest business-to-be, Matt Van Wyk, the brewmaster and one of the owners of the Alesong Brewing and Blending of Lorane, says that they hope to be open as early in July as possible. They are just waiting for Lane County, USDA, and OLCC to approve their permits. The plans are to have mainly a tasting room with cheeses and snacks available to compliment the beers. No meal menus are being planned at this time, but they will encourage people to bring their own foods so they can enjoy the experience “picnic-style,” if they wish.

The owners recently invited Lorane area residents to come and take dishes, silverware, syrup containers and other things from the former Lorane Country Café which shares the property with the new building. There are only a few items left and they expect to demolish or work out details with the Lorane Fire Department to burn the café in the fall.

It will be sad to see the old building go. Many of us have a lot of happy memories there, but the new owners of Alesong have been very gracious in extending a hand in friendship to the community and it appears that many locals are anxiously awaiting the opening.

The Lorane Christian Church is planning one of their yummy bake sales in the parking lot of the Lorane Family Store on July 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Recently, a group called the Oregon Institute for a Better Way became “the new stewards of the gardens that were formerly the Turnip the Beet Farm located at 79128 Territorial Road just about four miles south from the Old Lorane School.”

Misty Burris describes it as a non profit 501(c)3, based on her graduate study to promote community gathering and empowerment through free foods sharing. They are offering community garden space to local residents who want to gather, grow and process their foods together as a community. For more information, contact Misty at 541-530-3613 or
http://www.gatherandalign.org.

At the Lorane Community Association meeting this past week, I’m told that there are several new and enthusiastic members and plans are being made on several fronts.
First, the Lorane Grower’s Market table has now been set up at the Lorane Deli this year. It was completely refurbished by Terrie Johnson Morris and is very nice.

Be sure to stop by with your excess garden/orchard produce and trade for other items if you want. If you don’t have any of your own to share, you can take what you need. As always the purchase option is set up as donation only on the honor system. No prices are set on any of it. Proceeds go to the Lorane Community Association to be used for their various projects during the year including the Angel Tree, food baskets, the mural and some of the projects I’ll be talking about here in the coming weeks.

Something very exciting to me is the fact that Karen Pidgeon and Alix Mosieur have begun their work on the big mural that will be hung on the side of the Lorane Family Store. They are working on it in the Dew Drop Inn – the old tavern building that sits next to the store and it will be fun to see it take shape. The prototype of the mural is gorgeous, if you haven’t yet seen it.

The plans for this year’s Lorane Ice Cream Social were discussed. It will honor the 40th anniversary of the Lorane Fire Department which is a major sponsor of the event. The LCA is planning to add more carnival booths, water games and events this year and Marissa McNutt Cooper is asking for volunteers to help man them. She can be contacted at 541-517-6608.