Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 15, 2020
By Pat Edwards

The increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in Lane County and all over the country necessitates that we continue protecting ourselves and our loved ones as best we can. Wearing masks, social distancing, hand washing, and not seeing our loved ones as often as we would like are taking their toll on many of us, but we cannot let up our vigilance. The first three things have been easy for Jim and I to assimilate. They are simple inconveniences that seem almost natural to us when we are out and about these days. The hard part is not being able to spend more time with our son and daughters; our grandchildren and great-grands. We still get together—outdoors—maybe once a month or so for special events, and Jim and I get to hold and cuddle our babies and ration ourselves to quick “hello” and “goodbye” hugs from the other “littles” while maintaining distance from the adults. Jim and I know that each of our family members are as careful as we are around others and if they have any doubt about possible exposure to the virus or have symptoms, they would not expose us or the rest of the family. Now that we are getting into the fall season, however, we need to be even more careful… even around each other.

The groups in Lorane that hold events have made hard decisions about whether or not to try to proceed during this pandemic and a couple have come up with ways to hold them while still staying within the CDC guidelines.

The Lorane Christian Church continues to meet each Sunday. The members have the options of coming inside the church for services as long as they wear masks and social distance. They are also given the option of participating in the service in their cars, parked in the parking lot outside, while listening to it on the car radio on FM 89.1. Before the service, Pastor Dave Langstraat and his wife Heidi, spend time circulating among the cars while masked and welcome attendees and take any prayer requests from them.

The church’s membership is planning to host its annual Trunk ‘n Treat event on Halloween night between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the church’s parking lot. For those attending, masks are required and candy and goodies that will be handed out to trick or treaters from the trunks of cars must be sealed in individual ziploc bags. Hand sanitizer and/or disposable gloves will also be used.

Another annual fall series, the Rural Art Center’s Lorane Movie Night may or may not happen. The RAC board of directors canceled its initial October movie and is currently discussing whether or not they will try to offer future ones in the 2020-2021 season under CDC guidelines.

Last week, I provided an update on the plans for the Territorial Highway Road Project at Stony Point. As of this writing, truck travel between Hamm Road and Cottage Grove-Lorane Road will be restricted with the exception of those making local deliveries to the Lorane area. This past weekend, traffic lights were set up, covering 600 feet of roadway, to regulate one-way traffic through the most hazardous part of the construction. We ask everyone who is driving through that area to use caution and respect the other drivers who are also having to share this very difficult portion of the road.

We’ll soon be only 2 weeks away from a very important Election Day. Please! Remember to VOTE!… and send in your ballots early.