Sweet Lorane Community News – February 18, 2016

February 18, 2016Newspaper Columnsbarn fire, Crow High School, Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District, Fire, Health & Fitness, Lil Thompson, Lorane Fire Department, Lorane Health & Fitness Group, robotics, Scott & Tammy Walters, Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo, Talent showpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
February 18, 2016
By Pat Edwards

The major Lorane news this week is a large fire that took the barn of the Scott and Tammy Walters family of Lorane last Friday morning. At first, Jim and others at the store thought it was the house that was on fire. From the vantage point of the store, flames could be seen coming out of the roof of what they thought was the house. When Jim spotted it a little before 8:00 a.m., the Lorane Fire Department was already on site and a short while later, a water tanker arrived from Cottage Grove. It was put out fairly quickly, but according to Tammy Walters, “We lost the barn and some animals, but everyone is ok. I am thankful for our firefighters and great community.” We are so thankful that the Walters family and home were not hurt and I know there will many offers of help coming from the community.

Lorane is offering its residents a new activity. The Lorane Health and Fitness Group has recently organized. They even have a Facebook page called Health and Fitness in Lorane at https://www.facebook.com/groups/976090215803530/. According to their first announcement, “We are trying to organize some kind of exercise scene in Lorane. We know of yoga, crossfit and zumba instructors.” Last Tuesday night, they met at the Lorane Grange for the first time to workout to a Richard Simmon’s exercise video on big screen. One of the responses to that was that the evening was a success with lots of laughs and fun. On Wednesday night, they planned a Pilates session and urged everyone to bring a mats.

For those interested, the group is welcoming everyone who wants to participate. They will be spending part of these first sessions in discussing the various forms of exercise the majority are interested in as well as the day(s) and time(s) that would work best. Children are welcome. They are providing a play area for the young kids who come. Call Pam Kersgaard at 541-942-6193 for more information.

Amy Jentzsch of Lorane has posed a question for the area teenagers. After having recently returned from the Oregon statewide high school robotics competition, she wants to know if Crow High School might be represented there next year. She said that there is money available to start a team if there is interest for next year. For more information on Oregon’s robotics competitions, go to http://www.ortop.org/fll/

Saturday, February 27, is the monthly Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo evening at Lorane Grange. Dinner is 5:30 pm and bingo begins at 6:30 pm. No one has won the progressive bingo blackout yet, so it has to grown. There is also a 50/50 drawing. There’s good food, delicious desserts and lots of laughter to be had at this fundraiser for the Lorane Grange.

The Rural Art Center/Lorane Grange Talent Show is scheduled for Sunday, April 3rd at 3:00 p.m. According to Lil Thompson, it looks like some intriguing talent has been signed up, but they are looking for more. To sign up in advance, contact Lil at 541-942-5701 or the Rural Art Center at ruralartcenter@gmail.com. You may also sign in that day by coming a little early

Crow High School Seniors, be sure to get your Federal Student Aid applications in no later than March 1. Several local scholarships are being offered.

The Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District is still looking for District budget committee members. If you are willing to donate some valuable time to the district, call Lee Ann at 541-686-2100.

Thanks to Lil Thompson for providing many of the updates this week. I am still working through the virus from you-know-where that caught hold of me in January. It’s like a bad dream that keeps reoccurring, but I’m hoping that the doctor’s diagnosis that it also involves allergies I usually get this time of year, that we’ve finally got it figured out. Fingers crossed!

Sweet Lorane Community News – November 5, 2015

November 5, 2015Newspaper ColumnsAngel Tree, Applegate Regional Theater, ART, Fern Ridge Holiday Bazaar, Groundwaters, Inc., Lorane Christian Church, Lorane Fire Department, Marilyn Wenger-Cooper, Rebekah Lodgepaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 5, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Hooray for Lorane resident, Marilyn Wenger-Cooper! She spent several days on a respirator in the ICU at RiverBend with kidney failure and under-functioning heart and lungs. But, she is back!… at least she’s off the respirator, awake and in a regular room in the Heart and Vascular Center at RB. She scared the daylights out of our whole community. Marilyn has been a long-time clerk at the Lorane Family Store and is a member of our LFS family. In fact, she’s worked for Jim and me for much of the 38 years we’ve had the store. We’ve been in to see her several times and although she was looking like she had been through a war (she was), her smile and sense of humor are still intact. Welcome back, Marilyn! Jim looks forward to putting you back on the schedule when you are feeling better.

Thanks to a large response to the Rebekahs request for donations of scrap metal as a fundraiser for one of their building projects, the large dumpster is full. Since some of us have been slow in getting our metal brought in, another empty dumpster will replace the full one to, hopefully, be filled again. Let’s make sure that we fill this one, too.

It’s time to mark your calendars for the upcoming annual Thanksgiving Dinner sponsored by the Lorane Christian Church and held at the Lorane Grange. It will be held on Sunday, November 15 at 5:30 p.m. and is free to all local residents. Each family is asked to bring a dessert to share. It’s a wonderful event and a good chance to meet and visit with your neighbors.

The Crow Grange is also planning an annual Thanksgiving potluck on November 19.

Holiday plans are in the works for the local food drives and the annual Angel Tree. For me, the holiday season is not so much about ourselves, but to give thanks and show our care and concern for others. The Lorane Community Association will soon be installing Angel Trees at the Lorane Family Store and probably Crow Middle/High School.

Also, collection boxes will soon be placed all around Lorane to gather non- perishable canned goods and other necessities for the food baskets. It’s a joint effort put on by the Rebekah Lodge and the Lorane Fire Department. If you know of any family who would benefit from a food basket, please contact Sande Maxwell (541-942-5083 or sandemaxwell@wildblue.net) or Betty Willoughby (541-942-7539), and be sure to be generous in your giving this year. These baskets have been so very important to our local families in the past.

I will provide more information on both the Angel Tree project and the Food Drive in upcoming issues.

I wanted to also alert you to what’s become a huge event for the West Lane area, including Crow, each year. It’s the gigantic Fern Ridge Holiday Bazaar to be held on Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. each day. Local churches, organizations, businesses and schools will be participating and I’ve heard that this year there are more offerings than ever signing up. I’m not sure if my information is correct, but I was told that at least 20 sites will be participating. Groundwaters is taking part in the Lane County Authors’ table that will be set up at the Applegate Regional Theater site in the former Central School on Central Road north of Crow. We plan to offer books from many local authors, including many from the Veneta, Elmira and yes, even Lorane areas. Many of the authors will be manning the booth both days. The Applegate Regional Theater (ART) will have lots of other offerings of crafts, and mostly handmade, quality merchandise and food. They usually have live musical entertainment and we might even talk some of our Groundwaters’ poets into doing a few readings. It sits right next door to the Central Grange which also has a large selection of booths and tables. Be sure to put us on your list! Maps will be available.

And, authors… if we haven’t contacted you and you want to participate, please email me at edwards@groundwaterspublishing.com or paedwards42@yahoo.com.

Sweet Lorane Community News – July 30, 2015

July 30, 2015Newspaper ColumnsLorane Community Potluck, Lorane Fire Department, Lorane Ice Cream Social, Matchulat, Michael Matchulat, Pancake Breakfastpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 30, 2015
By Pat Edwards

Because of so much other Lorane news lately, I haven’t yet mentioned the upcoming Lorane Community Potluck and Lorane Ice Cream Social events that are being planned for Sunday, August 9. Doors at the Lorane Grange will open for the Lorane Community Potluck (the name was changed from the “Old-Timers” Picnic so people will know that they don’t have to be an “old-timer to attend..) at about 10:30 a.m. for those who want to drop off food or come early and visit with their neighbors. The potluck dinner will begin at 12:30 p.m. Historically, the food has been plentiful, not to mention delicious, and quite a few of our Lorane friends who no longer live here attend each year to catch up on news and share their stories.

Following the meal, the Lorane Fire Department’s Annual Ice Cream Social will be building up steam. It will feature exhibits, rides on fire engines, carnival booths for the kids, probably a dunk tank and most important of all, delicious hand-churned ice cream and homemade pies. Be sure to plan on making it a full day for the family!

This past week, the whole community has come together to plan and participate in the benefit fundraisers for Lane County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Matchulat whose family has lived in Lorane for many years. The Papa’s Pizza benefit was well attended and the garage sale benefit and Lorane Grange’s Pancake Breakfast took place this past weekend. I’ll have to give you a report on those in next week’s column. The on-line “YouCaring” fund has reached almost $6,000 (http://www.youcaring.com/michael-matchulat-388090#). Michael’s sister, Melinda, wrote in her recent update on the site that (at the pizza benefit), “Michael got to visit with Steve Grube, a stage IV cancer survivor from Crow. Steve is 10 years past his date of diagnosis and cancer free. They joked about Michael’s new career as a “professional patient,” and remarked about how well Michael was doing handling his Monday treatments – serious case of the Monday’s, but every career has its bad days. Steve continues to be a source of inspiration and knowledge for Michael.” I know for a fact that former Crow High/Middle School teacher, Steve Grube, has been an inspiration to all of his friends and neighbors over the years.

Other Matchulat funding sites for direct donations have also been set up including a Selco account and the Lorane Grange. Information on each of them can be found on the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page.

Speaking of the Facebook page, we are nearing 600 members who are following and sharing our Lorane news. Thank you to everyone who takes an active interest in spreading news about what is going on in Lorane… lately, that has been considerable. I have recently asked Lil Thompson to help administer it with me. Our focus is to keep it Lorane (and Crow) oriented and we thank everyone for respecting that.

The Lane Fire Authority has notified us that because of the extremely high fire danger to not only our area, but all of Lane County, no fires of any kind (including fire pits) are allowed. Gas and charcoal barbecues are permitted only if they are in a protected area away from dry grass, brush or trees. No one should be using a chain saw, lawn mower or other “spark-emitting” machinery on dry grass, trees or brush. Lawn mowers can only be used on green irrigated lawns.

We’re in a really bad spell of hot weather. Last Wednesday, Jim and I took our granddaughters to Hayward Field where our granddaughter, Hannah, planned to compete in the last all-comers’ meet of the season. When we left home, our car digital thermometer read 104 degrees. When we left Hayward Field, a couple of hours later, it registered 108 degrees. Fortunately, by the time we turned in our driveway, the temp was registering a few degrees below 100 degrees. Waaaaay too hot!!

… Oh yes, despite the heat and the fact that she has never thrown the regulation javelin in competition, Hannah, as an incoming freshman at Creswell, threw 70+ feet. Good job, Hannah! That was worth a stop at Dairy Queen afterwards with your dad and Miss Natalie who was with us in the stands, supporting her sister in that terrible heat!