Community

County’s new schedule means flooding remains

With the sunshine of the past week and temperatures tickling the 60-degree mark, I have begun to feel a special awareness that spring is just around the corner. A certain energy and revitalization is slowly creeping into this 78-year-old body that has sought the languid warmth and coziness of home all winter. I actually cleared off my large, covered front porch yesterday in preparation for the power-washing that will precede this spring’s new coat of paint that the whole house is scheduled to get.

It really needs it, but selecting the new color is proving a bit difficult. Fortunately, we have three daughters who have an eye for that sort of thing who are more than willing to help me decide. Our son Rob would help, too, if not for the color-blindness … a trait he inherited from my maternal grandfather, I have no doubt.

New growth is also showing up in my flower beds. I welcome the early tulips, daffodils, jonquils, crocuses, bluebells and other spring flowers that are reaching for the sunshine and beginning to “bud-up” – but not-so-much the weeds that are also trying to establish their places among the beds. As our days warm up and the sun makes more appearances, I will need to begin to spend short spurts of time outside, pulling weeds to make way for the flowers, despite a back that complains loudly if I bend over for more than five minutes at a time. I usually find myself sitting on a rolling cart or scooting along on the ground to get the job done. Once the first attacks on weeds are accomplished, I can usually keep up with the chore fairly easily. The work is well-worth it to me. I so enjoy the flowers that I care for and encourage each year!

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 We live along Phase 2 of the Territorial Highway Project and have put off our plans to put in a new perimeter fence along Territorial until the construction was complete, knowing that the property line will most likely be changed anyway and that any new fencing we put in would have to be moved. Now, it looks like it won’t happen for several years, so I guess we’ll be planning a fence project this spring.

All of us who drive along that stretch are disappointed that the flooding problem won’t be addressed for some time yet. We were really looking forward to having that done. According to the county, however, the initial costs they had factored into that segment have risen dramatically in the last year and now exceed what they have on hand. New funding in the form of grants is being sought so that Phase 2 can proceed as soon as possible.

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 March is bringing a further opening of the Crow-Applegate-Lorane schools. For the past month or so, the district’s K-6 grades have been operating under hybrid, in-school classes called “cohorts” that also include some online instruction. Beginning March 15, the Crow Middle/High School will be split into two cohorts that will allow students to begin in-school instruction once again, along with the established online instruction. Those who wish to continue with just the online classes will also have that option.

Parents of Crow High School seniors are being asked to provide close-up senior pictures as well as baby pictures of their graduating sons and daughters by April 1. These photos, which will be used for the yearbook and the senior night celebration, can be dropped off at the school or sent as email attachments to [email protected] or [email protected].

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The Lorane Grange is continuing to meet each month while social distancing and wearing masks. Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact Lil Thompson at [email protected], or any grange member for information and meeting dates. … The Lorane Christian Church is also offering Sunday services each week at 10 a.m. Those attending can either join other members inside the chapel or sit inside their cars in the parking lot to listen to the sermon that is broadcast simultaneously on the radio. The sermons are also being offered on Facebook until the pandemic protocols have been lifted for those who cannot attend.

Before long, I hope to be providing info on other local, scheduled celebrations and events as our world begins to awaken from this pandemic that has taken so much joy out of our lives this past year. Let’s all continue to do what we must to allow our lives to take on some semblance of “normalcy” again.

  Happy soon-to-be Spring!

Website: allthingslorane.com

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