The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Thunder Mt. train rides available

Fall family fun and train rides are being held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through October at the Tennessee Thunder Stand & Railroad, 37672 KGAL Drive, Lebanon.

Activities include a pumpkin patch, train rides, a scavenger hunt and photo opportunities.

Admission is $7 general, $6 for children between the ages of 2 and 12, and free for younger children.

For more information, visit http://www.ttsrailroad.com.

Cyber trends topic of presentation

Retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Lori Reynolds will deliver a virtual presentation sponsored by Oregon State University at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28.

The talk, “Cyber Trends: Social Media, Information and Security of the Nation,” followed by a question-and-answer session is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register visit: https://beav.es/UAG.

Reynolds retired as a lieutenant general after a 35-year career in the United States Marine Corps. At the end of her career, she served as the deputy commandant for information, leading the team focused on the growing importance of securing information and data. Also during that time, she initiated the creation of a new Marine component for U.S. Space Command, the branch of the Department of Defense responsible for military operations in outer space.

The OSU Office of Information Security is sponsoring her visit.

Teen Challenge Western Shindig

Adult & Teenage Challenge Pacific Northwest is hosting its 10th annual Western Shindig beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Willamette Valley Campus, 31700 Fayetteville Drive, Shedd.

The event features testimonies, a Bo Mack BBQ-provided barbecue dinner and dessert and silent auctions. Western wear is encouraged.

“Lone Star” tables are available for $350 while “Wrangler” single seats are $50.

Register at shindig.tcpnw.com.

Meals on Wheels weekly menu

Meals on Wheels offers take-out lunch at the Sweet Home Community Center to seniors over 60 at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

The Senior Center serves a separate lunch on Wednesdays.

Suggested donation is $3.50. All meals are served with milk, coffee or tea upon request and diabetic desserts are available on request.

The menu on Friday, Oct. 29, is chicken with paprika sauce or liver and onions with gravy, creamed potatoes, succotash, squash bread and baked pumpkin custard.

The menu on Monday, Nov. 1, is hearty chicken stew or sweet and sour pork with brown rice, spinach romaine salad, a whole wheat roll and banana pudding.

The menu on Tuesday, Nov. 2, is scalloped potatoes and turkey ham or beef Spanish rice bake, brussel sprouts, creamy coleslaw, a white dinner roll and chocolate cake with frosting.

For more information, contact Norene at (541) 367-8843.

Leaf collection available in city

The City of Sweet Home is collecting leaves on city streets through Friday, Dec. 17.

Residents are asked to put loose leaves in piles on the street, away from parked cars and a foot away from the curb to allow for water drainage. Leaf piles should be larger than a 90-gallon debris can and must not contain limbs, yard debris or any type of bagging materials.

City crews will collect the leaves upon request.

To schedule a leaf pickup, please submit a work request through the Mobile311 Citizens Portal (https://bit.ly/3jdmSvu) or call Public Works Maintenance at (541) 367-6359.

Log brand renewal period continues

The Oregon Department of Forestry is accepting state-registered log brand renewals through Friday, Dec. 31.

Log brands, the identifying symbols welded onto the face of a hammer and struck into log ends for identification, discourage log theft and aid in the return of lost logs. Forest products and booming equipment must have ODF-registered log brands on public highways, waterways or railroads east of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain range. Under Oregon law, brand registrations must be renewed every five years.

Renewal forms will automatically be sent to registered owners on Monday, Oct. 18. Timber operators whose addresses have changed must provide ODF with their current address before that date to ensur their receive their renewal certificate.

Operators who registered in 2021 must still renew their brands for the new five-year period (Jan. 1, 2002-Dec. 31, 2026).

For more information, call (503) 945-7259 or email Log_Brands@oregon.gov.

Rural program for youth sign-ups

Rural Development Initiatives is kicking off its Rural Community Leadership class for seventh- through ninth-grade youth on Thursday, Nov. 11.

This program, made possible by the City of Sweet Home, helps thriving rural communities develop from a broad base of skilled, diverse and motivated leaders. A typical class consists of approximately 25 to 35 youth and is designed to connect different voices on the challenges and opportunities faced by rural places.

Area youth who wish to gain new tools for fostering positive change are encouraged to apply for the program. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 1.

More program information, training dates and links to online applications are available at https://surveymonkey.com/r/SHYouthF2021.

Sharing Tree accepting entries

The Sweet Home Volunteer Firefighters Association is conducting its annual Christmas for Kids Sharing Tree Program.

Children up to age 12 are eligible.

Parents who wish to have their child’s name placed on the Sharing Tree should fill out a request form, which can be found online at forms.gle/k3eKS6zxqura8eP39 or picked up between Oct. 25 and Dec. 3 at the Sweet Home Fire District office, 1099 Long St. Deadline for returning paper forms is Dec. 3. Online forms are submitted automatically.

Cash donations for the Christmas For Kids Sharing Tree toy program may be made at the office. All cash donations will be used to purchase toys and needed clothing for local children. The names of children and families needing assistance will be placed on the tree at the Fire Department starting Nov. 5.

Anyone interested in “adopting” a family should contact the Fire District office at (541) 367-5882 and leave a message on the Sharing Tree voicemail.

To stay updated, follow the Facebook page for Sweet Home Sharing Tree at https://bit.ly/3nmh8AX.

Trick or treat at Boys & Girls Club

Trick-or-treaters are invited to participate in “Trick-or-Treat Street,” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Boys & Girls Club of Sweet Home, 680 18th Ave.

The free event features hot chocolate, a raffle, a carnival and food in the gym.

The event is sponsored by the Holley Church, Coffee Hut and the Boys & Girls Club.

Reduce clutter in After 5 session

After 5 Connection returns with “Clutter Buster,” a program to be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, at Ma’s Restaurant, 2416 S. Santiam Highway, Lebanon.

All ladies and gentlemen are invited. Jesse Lopez of Corvallis’ Queen Bee Organizing will share tips on creating an “environment of harmony.”

Guest speaker Barbara Vernoski, of Blairstown, New Jersey, will discuss how she became a jack of all trades while her husband, a F-16 pilot, was away from home, and how she managed a household of seven children.

Enduring unthinkable heartache and pain, she started a ministry, Restoring Life Today. She travels with her husband, now a commercial pilot, and follows what she calls the right “flight plan.”

Cost is $15, which includes everything. Credit cards cannot be accepted.

For reservations, contact Sherri at (541) 258-6414 or Nancy at (541) 259-1396 or by email at NancyPinzino@comcast.net. If unable to attend, please cancel your reservation.

Holiday craft fair set in November

The 14th annual Holiday Craft and Gift Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5-6, at The River Center, 3000 S. Santiam Hwy.

About 20 spaces have already been reserved, but the event is filling up fast with a variety of handcrafted and other gift items including baked goods, cards, jewelry, soaps, painting, quilts, local honey, ornaments, knitted and crocheted items, signs, kettle corn, succulents, home décor and more.

Admission is free. Lots of parking and easy access is available.

Vendors interested in reserving a space can pick up an application at the River Center or by requesting one via email at milkinghoney@yahoo.com. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Cost is $50 for two days or $30 for one day. Cost for electrical access is $5, and tables can be rented for $5.

The Holiday Craft and Gift Fair is part of Lebanon’s Bazaar Weekend, so pick up a flier at the information booth for other events in town.

Understanding Life Cycle Analysis

The Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program is offering a series of free virtual monthly classes, The Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series, which will be broadcast via Zoom webinar at 3 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month through November at extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/growing-oregon-gardeners-level-series.

The classes, which include topics as far-ranging as Dazzling Dahlias to Adapting Your Garden and Landscape to Climate Change, are meant for those with a bit of gardening under their belt.

The topic for Tuesday, Nov. 9, is “Using Life Cycle Analysis to Understand the Sustainability of Your Garden Products and Practices.” Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an approach that is used to estimate the environmental impact of the production, distribution and disposal of manufactured products. Recently, researchers have modified LCA to assess the sustainability and environmental impacts of different farming systems. This talk walks through the component parts of LCA in agricultural systems and consider how they apply to gardening products and practices..

Before the pandemic, this series would have been held in person solely as continuing education for Master Gardeners, but the webinar format allows the sessions to be offered to the public.

The content, taught by horticulture experts from around the state, is meant to address current issues like wildfires, climate change and pollinators.

Reflections sought for ceremony

Samaritan Evergreen Hospice will hold another virtual Light Up a Life ceremony on Friday, Nov. 19, to remember lost loved ones and to support hospice patients and their families.

Although Light Up a Life focuses on Samaritan patients who have passed away during the previous yesr, it’s also open to community members who wish to donate in someone’s memory. The deadline to include loved ones’ names is Friday, Nov. 5.

The event will be held online at http://www.samhealth.org/LUAL2021. Viewers will be able to customize their experience by clicking through reflections from hospice chaplains, a memorial slideshow of hospice patients and a candle-lighting video. Since the ceremony won’t be live, visitors can enjoy the presentations at any time.

For more information, contact Samaritan Evergreen Hospice at (541) 812-4662. To participate with a donation, call Samaritan Foundation at (844) 768-4256.

SAFE to hold can and bottle drive

SAFE is holding a can and bottle drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at O’Reilly Auto Parts, 1118 Main St., Sweet Home.

Money raised from the event will go to Sweet Home High School’s senior class.

Dinner celebrates Jim Schacht

A retirement celebration for trapper Jim Schacht, followed by a short LCLA meeting, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the Brownsville Baptist Church, 27910 Seven Mile Lane, Brownsville.

Doors open at 5 p.m. The menu includes a lamb dinner.

Details, including cost and contact information, will be provided at a later date.