Sweet Lorane Community News

By the time you read this, Jim and I will have returned from our four day visit to Anthem, Ariz., to visit our youngest daughter, Kelly, and her husband Justin Fontaine. Since my submission deadline takes place while we are away, I’m submitting this short column ahead of time…
The gears have begun to turn on the proposed realignment of Territorial Highway between Gillespie Corners and Lorane. The Oregon Department of Transportation is proposing to pay Lane County $30 million over several years to take on the ownership of Territorial Highway, which has, until now, been a state highway.
Much of the proposed money will be used on a safety project to straighten the curves and widen our section of Territorial, where there are no shoulders or areas to pass the increasing number of bicyclists.
The county has already taken steps to outline a plan to survey a new alignment of the section that will include and address the long-term problem of the Stony Point curves, as well as the geological shifting and sinking of the pavement itself.
It’s long been a safety concern for all of us who drive that stretch on a daily basis — especially because trees were cut last year to make way for new power lines and the edges of the pavement leading up the hill are not protected by guardrails.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners was to meet last Tuesday to vote on the arrangement, but because I am writing this early, I won’t be able to include that information in this column.
Our own Karen Pidgeon, a professional artist who, with Alix Mosieur, gave us our beautiful mural, is one of 25 artists whose work is featured in the Eugene Love Show, a non-juried art exhibition that examines “the concept of love.” Karen’s piece, titled “Wolves at Play,” is one of those being used to promote the event. You can visit the exhibit that will take place in downtown Eugene just off Kesey Square (located on Broadway and Willamette) in the lobby of the Broadway Commerce Building.
Here’s a reminder about an upcoming event:
Friday, Feb. 15, from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. is The Eta Theta Rho Girls Club’s free Parents’ Night Out for Lorane and Crow parents — free childcare!
More details on this event can be found in my Jan. 24 column that’s posted on my website at https://allthingslorane.com/category/newspaper-columns.
I hope you enjoyed your snow while Jim and I were enjoying our Arizona sunshine.
Be sure to check out my personal website! http://allthingslorane.com