Eight years ago, Maddy Wood decided she wanted to begin collecting pinecones for the crafts she enjoys, and she put out the word, asking the community if they had any they could give her. The response was, she says, “overwhelming.” Now laden with pinecones, she brainstormed ways to use them and came up with “Pinecones for Pets,” ornaments honoring the furry and feathered members of one’s family.
     Before beginning this venture, however, she went onto Facebook and asked if there would be an interest in such as this. In response to her query, people were enthusiastic, and Wood soon found herself selling over 200 of her new creations.
     Six years later, “Pinecones for Pets” still does robust business, and many customers are repeat buyers. The pinecones feature the animals name, the year, three jingle bells, and a burlap bow with either black or red dots or chevrons, which she uses consistently so those who make more than one purchase will have ornaments with a theme. The pinecones will also have an animal’s birthday and death date for those that are memorials and, in some cases, a small photo of the animal or a pawprint tag.
     Wood has shipped ornaments to New York, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and even England, but she says her claim to fame came when a former Veneta resident moved to Utah and put her in touch with a friend who trains cocker spaniels. At this friend’s request, Wood made an ornament for Rose, the canine star of Disney’s live action version of Lady and the Tramp.
     Wood’s creations come alive in her “she shed” which has been refurbished top to bottom and outfitted with a table, electricity, a comfortable chair and footrest, and numerous bins and storage containers of crafting supplies that are purchased at places like Joann’s Fabrics, Michael’s, thrift stores and Dollar Tree. When not keeping the books at Bi Mart, she works on her crafts and each pinecone takes approximately 15 minutes as the bows are made up ahead of time. Orders are placed over Wood’s Facebook page, though she also has sold her creations at The Emporium as well as the Harvest Festival, and previously sold at Cottage Treasures when it operated at the Harold’s Center.
     Because she does this to help as much as for her own pleasure, Wood donates at least 50% of her proceeds to local cat and dog rescues, keeping only enough for herself to cover expenses. She hopes to contact Sara’s Treasures cat rescue on River Road in Eugene to inquire about the possibility of erecting a “Paws for Pets” ornament festooned Christmas tree in their store as she would like to do even more to help out pets in need.
     Retirement is on the near horizon for Wood, and she hopes the extra time she has will allow her to do even more. She goes hunting expeditions up the McKenzie and finds the large sugar cones that she happily adds to her collection and even has extra large cones that have come from Lake Tahoe. They are carefully kept in storage drawers, awaiting becoming works of art while she diligently turns their smaller counterparts into the ornaments that are so loved. Those who are interested in making a purchase need only to go to her Facebook page Pinecones for Pets and get in touch.
     Pinecones for Pets does more than just decorate a tree. These ornaments memorialize deceased pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and act to show that just because a beloved pet is gone, he or she is not forgotten and will always be loved by those who have had to say goodbye far too soon to an animal who was so very loved and so very missed. It is a way to show that despite that animal’s absence, love is immortal, and each year as the Christmas tree is decorated, the pet is honored with a place, a bough, just for him or her.  In the process, other needy animals are helped to have it better in this life.  
    
 
                                                                                                                                                                

     A Veneta man has been arrested on theft charges stemming from a case that began to be investigated over a month ago.
     Late in August, a Lane County Sheriff’s deputy made the discovery that a lock securing a private timber gate had been cut open in the vicinity of Highway 126 and Austa Road. Further investigation revealed that someone had absconded with several thousand feet of telecommunication cable and hardware owned by local power and telecommunication companies. All told, the theft and damage totaled approximately $65,000 dollars.
     Deputies subsequently identified the suspect in the thefts and damage as Marshall Allen Stucky, 60, of Veneta. Forest Patrol Deputies subsequently located his vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on September 7th. Stucky was taken to the Lane County Jail on charges of Aggravated Theft in the 1st degree, and Theft in the 2nd degree. He was also charge with Criminal Mischief in the 1st degree, Criminal Mischief in the 2nd degree, Trespass in the 2nd degree, and a U.S. Marshall’s warrant.

     Sunday, October 6th sees the return of Writers & Wine for its yearly presentation at the Fern Ridge Library and this year’s featured author will be none other than esteemed writer and columnist Bob Welch.
 
     Welch’s columns on everyday people and everyday life used to grace the pages of the Register-Guard twice a week and were enjoyed by many. Who could forget his tales about becoming a grandfather, wiffleball games in his north Eugene backyard, and, of course, his references to wife Sally, better known as “She Who?” Twice, Welch won the National Society of Newspaper Columnist’s “Best Writing” award, a well-deserved honor. When he stepped down to enjoy a well-earned retirement, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend.
 
     Bob Welch is also the author of more than two dozen books, including The Wizard of Foz, Track & Field Writers of America’s 2019 Book of the Year, and American Nightingale, an Oregon Book Award Finalist and featured on ABC’s Good Morning America.
   
      For Writers and Wine, however, Welch will be discussing his latest work, Seven Summers (And a Few Bummers), a sequel to Cascade Summer (2012) both of which chronicle his completion of the 2,650 hike of the Pacific Crest Trail with his brother-in-law Glenn over a decade of summers. Seven Summers provides the answer to one question among many: After “just doing Oregon,” are two sixty-something brothers-in-law capable of a hike that serves up defeat to more than half who attempt it? Poignant, poetic, and outrageously funny, this engaging tale helps readers understand the soul of America’s iconic trail, find humor in aging, celebrate the gift that is friendship, and whether one hikes or not, urge the reader to consider living a life with a deeper thirst for adventure.
 
     Presented by the Fern Ridge Library Foundation, Writers and Wine also features wine from Silvan Ridge Winery. Raffle tickets, including a $400 gift certificate to the Overleaf Lodge in Yachats, are on sale for $10 and Fun Raffle tickets to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and other prizes are available for $5 each. One does not need to be present to wine.
 
     For those who cannot attend but would like to participate, new to Writers and Wine this year is a gift bag purchase for $55 that includes a copy of the book, gift card for $25 that can be used at Silvan Ridge Winery, all in a library tote bag that may be picked up during regular hours at the library after October 7th.
 
    
 For more information and ticket sales, visit www.frlfoundation.org/events or purchase tickets at the Fern Ridge Library for $65 per person or $100 per couple. The event runs from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.