Hebron Crossroads 6-02
By Jeff Gill

Memorial Day was clear and beautiful out at Hebron Cemetery, with just enough breeze to make the flags snap and keep the air cool. A platoon's worth of American Legion Post 285 was on hand in their simple uniforms, with seven armed for the 21-gun salute, and the Lakewood Band provided a bugler for "Taps" as they in their own summer uniform marched down the National Road behind a Hebron/Union Township fire engine.

Pastor Wes Baker of the Hebron United Methodist Church gave an address on the history of the observance, our unity in creation, and how sacrifice and freedom can bring us closer together. Chaplain Wayne Tressemer of Post 285 gave the traditional prayer for the departed, and Post Commander Doug Amspaugh oversaw a moving celebration of "our honored dead," right down to the laying of the wreaths for the Legion, their Auxiliary, and the Gold Star Mothers.

You may hear that, in some communities, there's not enough interest to sustain a Memorial Day parade and commemoration, but the simple dignity and straightforward elegance of this last Monday in May shows that it isn't all that complicated to bring a community together for a cause such as Memorial Day, especially in the wake of 9-11.

Of course, after the solemnity comes the celebration, and many families and groups began a season of grilling, horseshoes, croquet, boating, fishing, and deck building: and that's just what I heard people talking about walking back down Main Street! Open houses for high school and college graduates are also going on this weekend along with last week and well into next week.

Summer is truly here, and once we're past Lakewood commencement June 9, the chorus will begin in many homes of "I'm bored!" Activities that are regular, cheap, or even free can be hard to come by, but we are blessed in this area with a variety of Vacation Bible School programs in some churches as soon as the week after school is out, group activities at Ryan Park and Water's Edge Ministries in Buckeye Lake, and various kids programs for low fees at Dawes Arboretum and Licking Park District (at the Craner Nature Center NE of Jacksontown and at Infirmary Mound Park on Rt. 37).

One of the best children's offerings is through the Hebron Public Library, on the north side of the Municipal Complex, and their Summer Reading Programs. These have much more than just reading going on; the staff is creating a variety of activities which help reinforce good reading and learning habits.

Tuesday morning Storytime is on throughout June and July at 11 am, where children are invited with an accompanying adult, as this is aimed at the younger crowd of 4 to 6. The library will have Wednesday evening activities for ages 7 to 13 at 7 pm. Thursday afternoon specials at 2 pm with a story and craft will interest a wide range of younger readers, with enough activity to help focus even the pre-reader on what's going on. You'll also hear from special guest readers, like Dave Lehman on June 13 and Bob Kreidler on July 18.
Weekly trivia games for ages 10-16 from June 10 to August 2 will offer prizes to the weekly winners, in the "Circus of Fun Trivia" contest at "The greatest show in town," your Hebron Public Library.

That should keep most of us from being too "glued to the tube" this summer, but my son Chris and I have to take issue with fellow columnist Larry Fugate. We liked Steve on "Blue's Clues," but Joe is great, too. What else would you expect from a TV character that's been focus-grouped to the nth degree? Maybe we need a Joe Appreciation Society. . .every new member gets a block-pattern rugby shirt. . .or maybe Larry and Chris and I all need to get out and around this summer!

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and really likes Oswald even more than "Blue's Clues," but likes playing backyard tournament croquet even more; if you have reports on summer activities in the Hebron area, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

The Church Window
May 2002 e-letter
Hebron Christian Church
Hebron, Ohio

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Come Have a Life-Changing Summer With Us!

May 19 - Pentecost Sunday
8:30 am van(s) depart for ClownTown worship in Newark
(at OSU-N)
10:30 am Worship

May 26 - Memorial Day Sunday
8:30 am worship continues through Labor Day!

May 27 (Mon.) - Memorial Day
Parade from Legion Hall to Hebron Cemetery
Observances by Legion and Gold Star Mothers

Hebron Christian Church, as part of 135th, will hold a
Wreath-Laying Ceremony for Thomas & Nancy Madden
Thomas was a Civil War veteran, founder, and first
"settled" pastor of our church.

June 9 - Graduate Recognition Sunday
Chi Rho (6-8th gr.) Campers leave for Camp Christian

June 15 (Sat.) - "Keep The Fire Burning" Bus Trip
to Camp Christian; this is part of our regional capital
campaign (plus picking up our kids from camp).
If you've never seen our crown jewel of the
Christian Church in Ohio, come get on the bus!

June 30 - CYF Phyo (9-12th gr.) Conference
at Camp Christian, thru July 6

June 30 - Work Trip group from Metropolis, IL
St. Paul Lutheran Church staying overnight

July 7 - Badger Partnership (3-5th gr.) Camp
at Templed Hills, thru July 13

July 26 (Fri. eve) to July 28 (in worship)
Hebron Community VBS
"Rainforest Adventure"
hosting congr. this year - Hebron UMC
hosts, crafts, and kids still needed!!!

Aug. 3 (Sat.) to Aug. 10
Hartford Fair in Croton
Prime Producers 4-H all week!

Aug. 11 - Land of Legend Barbershop Chorus
in 10:30 am worship

Sept. 8 - Rally Day and end of Early Service

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Notes From My Knapsack

Back in college, someone who knew i loved reading Chekhov's short stories and
Dostoyevsky's novels told me that i really needed to learn Russian, so i could appreciate all the more what i had been reading in the original languages. I promptly signed up for Russian 101, and spent a very long semester getting nowhere, in part no doubt due to failings on the part of the student, but also because the teacher admitted on the first day of class "I'm very sorry, but i actually don't speak Russian. I read it a little, and there are not enough Russian teachers, so you got me."

You have to appreciate her candor, but the obvious drawback was that we were all at sea in the the same boat, and fairly quickly the teacher lost control of the class. I still read Chekhov in English translation, if that tells you anything.

Later on, in seminary, when i learned to read Hebrew and enough Greek to fight my
way through a line-reading, i had the privilege of being taught by professors who knew
the language in question well, loved the history and the structure of them, and delighted bringing us along so that we might experience what they already knew.

My point here isn't really about languages, though; it is about teaching and learning.
The reading tutoring program at Hebron Elementary has been a pleasure to participate in, and often i regret how often i end up having to miss . . . but as few as they have, even my sporadic participation is a help. Michelle Henry and Judith Strain are doing a great job with what they have, but they need adults who love reading and can effectively communicate that love to their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders.

We're about to have hundreds of new Hebron residents in the next few years. Believe it or not, you do have to learn to "speak Hebron" to truly enjoy living here. Obviously not a whole 'nother language, speaking Hebron is knowing some of the shorthand and customs and references that we all take for granted. Nosy, obstinate folk like myself will dig their way through on their own (kind of like how i had to learn the Cyrillic alphabet), but many will need help. How will we provide that? In the absence of Welcome Wagons and other now-bygone rituals of introduction, who will teach Hebron? It would be best if that can be done by those who know well and love the language.

And of course, there is the language of faith. We have our own dialect of it at Hebron Christian, one rich in nuance and meaning. I got a chance to see that so clearly last week as i taught a class in "what does it mean to be a Disciples of Christ pastor" at Methesco, but that's another story.

We have wonderful church school teachers and fellowship group leaders who have much to share about the language of faith, but we have a specific and unique task ahead in teaching the language of faith to ones who are barely literate in matters of the spirit. How can we teach this tongue to new Christians, renewed Disciples, recent arrivals in our church? It would be best if that can be done by those who know well and love the language.

What we don't want to do is teach the wrong language at the wrong time to the wrong people. This final thought occurred to me as i was listening to Jimmy Carter on the news, speaking in (no doubt Georgia-accented) Spanish to a Cuban audience. Two more different presidents than George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter you could not find, i daresay, but they have one thing in common. They both know that an effective politician in America today speaks Spanish, and they both do. Meanwhile, when i was preparing to enter seminary, i thought i was all set when i saw the recommendation in the catalogue (circa 1984) that "Latin and German" are useful languages for prospective pastors, and i had two years in each.

As i pastor, i've never used Latin or German -- but i've sure wished i knew some Spanish, if only to help make someone feel a little more comfortable in a difficult situation, and to speak the language of their heart. Anyone have an old Spanish textbook?

In Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

Don Thorp Field sounds pretty good, doesn't it? The only surprise was that it hadn't been named for him sooner. There's probably folks who've been calling Lakewood's diamond that for years already.

Out at Evans Park on Refugee Road, the evenings are drawing out so much longer now, which is a good thing considering that the ball fields are all filled most nights - with tee-ball, youth baseball, the occasional softball crew - and at the north end, soccer teams are running north-south, east-west, young and younger. Canal Park hosts girls' junior softball, and out at Thorp Field the annual hunt for boy's baseball victory is accompanied by the equally energetic Lakewood girl's softball line-up.If you haven't been to a ball game or soccer game this spring, you've really missed something. (Plus you can get a taco in a bag out at Evans for $2 from Jody or William, ask for extra peppers.)

At the Gill house, we're missing our three robin fledges, formerly chicks, formerly eggs. Right on schedule, 14-16 days after hatching, they flew away, and we wish them well. Truth be told, it is nice to have our front door back. Spring certainly is moving right along, no matter how cool it's gotten, if baby birds are already heading out of the nest.

Welcome to PAL Printing near the main crossroads on Main St., right next to the Duke/BP station. The former hardware/clock/body shop is now beautifully renovated into a top-notch looking print shop, and looks well worth our business! We'll let you know when word of "grand opening" activity is coming.

As you can tell, this is an "assorted items" column, with the rush of May events kind of washing past us; this is a good point to remind folks that if you have news of the Hebron area, this column is usually written and always turned in about a week to a week-and-a-half before the paper shows up in print. Next week, we'll have a full column of info about the summer programs at the Hebron Library, so if you have Vacation Bible School info from your church, ice cream socials or even particularly interesting yard sales (that means ones with lots of books), you need to e-mail me soonest at disciple@voyager.net or call 928-4066.

Next Sunday Hebron Christian Church adds again the summer "early service" at 8:30 am, which is a shorter and simpler service especially for those who may have just the one day to head off on family outings and such. Worship together is a great way to begin a family day of any sort. This service runs through Labor Day and often approaches the 10:30 service in attendance! Other churches with summer schedule changes are also encouraged to let me know pronto.

Pat Miller and her daughter Beth Walters, long-time local residents as well as local realtors, will be putting out small American flags again for Memorial Day weekend, all along East Main Street. Saturday the 25 they'll be out in the morning planting them along the roadway if anyone wants to help, and they will usher in the simple, dignified parade on Monday at 10 am from the Legion Hall to Hebron Cemetery, where Memorial Day observances will be held.

Finally, National Trails is booming out its presence across the evening skies, and the Pontiac Nationals are just weeks away. Hey, Hebron Crossroads may even issue its first traffic reports for that week! Many of us will be ticket-ripping, car-parking, and concession-standing for our various teams and charities that week as we welcome 100,000 new neighbors. Stay tuned . . . oh, and Happy 4th Birthday, Christopher!

Hebron Crossroads 5-19
by Jeff Gill

Down US 40 to the east end of town is the Hebron Cemetery, where each year on Memorial Day much of the village and surrounding area gathers to remember those "who gave the last full measure of devotion."

Behind the American Legion color guard and the Lakewood Band, local dignitaries and "just folks" of the township all walk down East Main to stand in tribute among the stones and markers, laying wreaths and keeping silence during "Taps."

We'll have more detailed information about Memorial Day observances next week, but as many of us anticipate being present for that observance, we can also anticipate a change in view, one more of many that have closed in around this once isolated spot. Just across the National Road is the rising profile of the new Kroger store, with Buckeye Outdoors already filling out part of the horizon due south. Southwest of the cemetery entrance can be seen the northern edge of what will soon dominate the southern approach to Hebron, the Lake Forest subdivision of Dominion Homes. And clearly in view to the north, at what's become the "north entrance" to Hebron at Enterprise Drive is the framing of the new McDonald's.

So much changes each year, and this year in particular, but out at Hebron Cemetery the stones keep their stations, and silently speak about what does not change. These foundation stones of our community heritage may lean in the earth, their inscriptions may fade a bit against the west wind, but our gathering each Memorial Day is something that doesn't have to change, and might even grow stronger.

Whatever the new Hebron will look like when the current round of construction and development is over, it will look all the more beautiful with the preservation not just of memorials, but also of traditions like our Memorial Day gathering. I hope you can join us that day, as veterans and citizens and all people of good will come together as a living memorial.

If you want to go a bit farther afield to see some of the visible memorials of our national heritage, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) in Columbus will have a very special exhibit from the National Archives in Washington May 24 to September 2. "American Originals" is the name of the display, which will include the Louisiana Purchase treaty of 1803, Thomas Edison's patent application for the electric lamp of 1879, and a letter from Neil Armstrong to President Nixon inviting him to dinner before the Apollo 11 launch in 1969.

A very special part of this exhibit is the fragile original of the Emancipation Proclamation from 1863, which will be on display only from June 20 to 23. More durable for your ongoing access, at least, is the web site www.ohiomemory.org where digital versions of many aspects of Ohio history are already on display.

Starting Memorial Day weekend most of the 62 OHS sites around the state are opening up for regular weekend and some weekday hours, but my summer will definitely include a visit to the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus, just north of the Fairgrounds, to see the "American Originals" and . . . remember.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a strong supporter of national service of all sorts; if you have thoughts on that or any other subject of general interest, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

There Are Clowns Among Us!
by Jeff Gill, Contributing Scribbler

Newark may have 200 years of history to celebrate this year, but for an event which has been around just 7% of that time, "ClownTown" is turning into one of Newark and Licking County's chief claims to fame. Their signature "Clown Parade" at 4:00 pm, Saturday May 18, on Courthouse Square in Newark has become a don't miss experience for many, enhanced this year by the particpation of the Bicentennial Commission with added attractions from 2 to 6 pm.

With 300 red-nosed, floppy-shoed registrants hailing from Conneticut to Mars (they're pretty sure about the Conneticut one, anyhow), "ClownTown" is beginning its 14th year out at OSU-N/COTC. The three days of workshops, displays, and programs officially begin on Friday, May 17, but last weekend a dozen beginners went through a full day clown workshop that begins the "ClownTown" experience for many. The syllabus shows that they learned "adequately animating festive figures with your fingers," as well as "creating clever characters on children's cheeks," plus "talentedly twisting darling dirigibles," which turned out to be making balloon figures with Mr. FunnyBunny.
The next program was "Grandiose Gourmandizing," or lunch, so I took the opportunity to talk to Mr. FunnyBunny, who is occasionally called Mike Wesley when he's delivering mail . . . when he's not called "hey, balloon guy!"

Mike has been involved with "ClownTown" since the beginning, and has enjoyed the fellowship with clowns from literally all across the country. He and his brother Choo-Choo have been Mayors of "ClownTown," and the title this year goes to Choo-Choo's daughter Christina, also known as Crystal Clear.

Crystal Clear has grown up with "ClownTown," starting as a child and still active while teaching at Blessed Sacrament School. When asked what she most hoped to enjoy as mayor, she replied, "Getting to boss my dad and uncle around, and laughing the entire weekend."

As their beginner workshop titles show, even when clowns get serious they're pretty funny. Clowns do have a strong sense of history, and Jeff Potts, aka Bungles the Clown, told me about the three main types of clown.

"There's the classic whiteface, which can be both serious and funny," he told me, "and that basic kind of clown goes back to Rome and ancient Egypt as a comic figure." This is the "harlequin" type of appearance, often with a striped coverall and "clown white" makeup covering the entire face and head. "This type grew into the comedy whiteface, who you see in well-known clowns like Bozo and Ronald McDonald."

"Then there is the "Auguste" type or just "Gus," from the German for a clumsy boy," Bungles went on, with the red nose and big feet that might indicate a bit of drunken foolishness; this type emphazises physical humor and slapstick.

The last type is the character clown, like the Tramp made famous by Emmett Kelly in our day. In the 1800's, Joseph Grimaldi amazed audiences at circuses with his many characters and quick changes, memorialized in the clown nickname "a Joey."

Just as the beginner clown day ended with the "conscious conclusion of cavortation," all good things must end . . . but not "ClownTown," which seems to just keep going and going! The crowds at the Saturday Clown Parade just keep getting bigger and bigger, and the Mayor and Clowncil of "ClownTown" keep making plans for a newer, more exciting event each year. They also appreciate the help and support through the years from Moundbuilders Kiwanis, and this year from the Newark Bicentennial Commission to add activities to Saturday on the Square.

But they'll never stop making balloon animals, Mr. FunnyBunny promises.

For more information on ClownTown, see www.clowntown.org.

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

Mother's Day this weekend reminds us to be thankful for and appreciate the mothers in our lives. Our own, our wives, grandmothers, aunts, even Sunday school teachers and friendly neighbors with a motherly way about them.

This year, I have a mother to appreciate that gives me a slightly different angle on appreciating motherhood. I mentioned a couple weeks ago that a robin had built her nest cradled in the welcome wreath hung from our front door. One egg appeared, and then disappeared into bits and pieces around our front stoop; then three more appeared.

Thinking that some of you might have robins' nests in odd spots around your home, and wondering how long we'd be directing visitors through the garage, Joyce and I did a little research. Robins tend to mate in February and lay eggs in late March or early April. The eggs are warmed under the mother in the nest for about three weeks, when they hatch.

Right on schedule, our eggs have turned into three gape-mouthed nestlings, each of which expect (loudly) their body weight in grubs, bugs, and worm bits every day. They tell us that from hatching, the nestlings (and Mother Robin!) have 14 to 16 days of this routine until they "fledge," or become fledglings, which is the most hazardous part of their average two- to three-year life-span.

During fledging, as they learn to fly, robin chicks may be found on the ground, and this is when well-intentioned folk often think they've found an "orphaned" chick. As any pilot can tell you, ground training is at least as important as learning aerobatic maneuvers, and that's what little robins have to get through. The flunk-out is a bit harsher than flight school normally imposes, though.

If you find a chick wandering and chirping, odds are mother is at a safe distance, but grimly watching nature take its course. Look around, and you may well see a nest nearby in a low branch . . . or on a door wreath. Resist the temptation to pick up the bird and replace it, and instead shoo away the gimlet-eyed cat or toddler who want to "hewp da tweedy burd."

Meanwhile, about a week after you read this, we should have our front door back! We'll see how fledging goes, but watching Mother Robin build her nest (good architecture), brood on her nest, and now feed her voracious nestful gives me a whole new appreciation for a mother's work, which we all know is never. . .!

Which brings us to a guest speaker at the Hebron Library on Wed., May 15, at 6:30 pm. Dr. Lorle Porter will be speaking on and signing her book "Sara's Table: Keeping House in Ohio, 1800-1950." Focused on New Concord, Ohio during that time period, her materials are gathered under the auspices of the old saying "A man may work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done."

Any guest speaker who can talk authoritatively about head cheese and souse has my attention, and I strongly encourage Hebron area women AND men to come welcome this local author.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a friend to robins everywhere; if you have a story of mother's love to share or local news, call 928-4066 or e-mail him at disciple@voyager.net

Commish Corner
by Jeff Gill, Dist. Commissioner

A number of questions have come up lately about Youth Protection Training, which is one of Scouting's benchmark adult training requirements -- and the envy of many other youth-serving agencies. In fact, I've done "YPT" for a number of church and civic youth groups at their request, after they've heard how good our program is.

Basically, the full 90 minute YPT is a one-time requirement for the "trained" chevron with any leadership position. About 30 of you (in Licking District) completed that, or repeated that, up at Falling Rock during Spring Camporee. Jim Francis and I appreciated your interest and attention, and those who don't get their YPT cards at May or June Roundtable will get them in the mail. We discussed at that time regularly offering a "refresher" to review changes and developments in reporting requirements and Scouting procedures, but those will be for those who have completed YPT and won't replace the full training.

As always, there are three "exceptions." First and foremost, this still means that you may have to repeat the training for things like camp staff, Philmont leadership, Woodbadge, etc. Secondly, it is an annual expectation that each pack, troop, and crew will offer to the youth a presentation on child safety and abuse -- age appropriate material on video is available through the council office, and we hope to have copies in the district soon. Thirdly, Venturing YPT is the one entirely different training, since you're working with both young men and women ages 14 to 21. No one on the district level is currently certified to provide such training, but Steve Hoar has gone through it and finds it well worth the extra time.

And as always, if you have questions, call me at 928.4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net, and we'll find the answers!

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

Last Sunday under a threatening sky, a dozen kids rode their bikes out at Evans Park on Refugee Road for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The difficult upwind struggle was made easier by remembering the cause they rode for.

"When you get tired and it feels hard, think of those kids at St. Jude's who are really struggling," Glenna Jones reminded the kids (and some brave parents!). "They're fighting cancer and leukemia and other illnesses that they can't just go home from." Clay's Cafe has been a regular sponsor of this event for some years.

Another thing that felt good about the ride was the pair of lead riders starting the St. Jude's Bike-a-thon off: Chief Carney and Sgt. Brooks of the Hebron Police on their patrol cycles. They did their best to serve as a wind break on the southern leg as the kids got going. The skies cleared and the weather alerts were canceled, but the winds just grew stronger. If you pledged one of these riders, you may want to think about doubling your contribution, because the kids really did pedal twice as hard to go around the perimeter track!

Tuesday, May 7 is a voting day in Ohio, and along with a number of county primary contests is our Lakewood levy for the local school district. Many of us in the area hope that the school board will be empowered again to offer full kindergarten programs, eliminate pay-to-participate, and give some raises instead of one-time year-end bonuses. We'll keep our quality teachers and staff for only so long while we're at 11th place out of 11 districts in Licking County. This columnist says: Lakewood Yes.

The Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society, with a museum in Buckeye Lake that includes displays of all area communities, including Hebron, is responsible for helping the Dept. of Natural Resources with the once a year visitation of Cranberry Bog/Island. When I lived in Newark, my predecessor at Hebron Christian, Morgan Wickizer, would always call to tell me when "the day" was so Joyce and I could come walk on the famous "floating island."

Officially called "Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve in Buckeye Lake," this 11 acre area along the north shore of the lake is a remnant of glacial times, a mat of sphagnum moss, cottongrass, and mud sedge that broke loose and rose to the surface in 1830 as the lake was created as a feeder reservoir for the Ohio-Erie Canal. Rare orchids, cranberry and pitcher plants, and round-leafed sundew grow wild there, along with other wild and endangered plants.

Sat., June 22 is the date of the "open house," which is selected to coincide with the peak blooms of grass-pink and rose pogonia orchids. It is only one day, because of the fragile nature of this shrinking ecosystem (formerly 50 acres, Cranberry Bog is now barely 11 acres of area). And only 480 people can visit between 8 am and 4 pm; demand has been so great in recent years that a lottery system has been set up to keep us from loving this natural wonder to death.

To visit our local "Brigadoon" of the Ice Age, send a postcard to ODNR Div. of Natural Areas, 1889 Fountain Square Court, F-1, Columbus, Ohio 43224. Put "Cranberry Bog" on the postcard, along with your name, address with zip, daytime phone number, and number of people in your party not exceeding 10. There's only one postcard per family, and you'll get confirmation of your time if selected in June.

That may seem like a whole lot to go through just to visit a bog, even one with boardwalks and meat-eating plants (well, insects anyhow), but everyone who visits comes back marvelling at how it really is like a trip through time. Consider joining this lottery with much better odds and a very worthwhile payoff!

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a long-time bog walker. If you know of interesting places to get your feet wet or have other community news, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

Notes From My Knapsack -- for May print issue

An editorial page from a Columbus Dispatch sat near the computer for the last two weeks; I had kept it to read more closely a lead editorial on "interstate dumping," the disposal of other states' trash into Ohio landfills. We received 1.77 million tons of trash in 2000, 26% from New York alone. Low-bid landfills in places like Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio are making money on this dubious transaction, which fills the highways with more long-haul trucks carrying noxious loads to rural areas where farmland is becoming a dump site.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make of this issue originally, other than a general "we are all downstream" kind of reminder of what goes around, comes around. But what brought a pastoral concern into focus was that, when I finally got around to reading this op-ed page, I also read a letter from a long-time resident of the campus neighborhoods near OSU, warning (5 days before!) of riotous behavior brewing around street keggers and block parties.

The writer's point was to the broader readership of the Dispatch, out even into Licking County. She points out that "Many students from suburbs and small towns are not just naive; they are destructive and disrespectful. Their parents somehow taught them that when they arrive in the urban environment around campus, they no longer have to respect other people and their property."

Just like the editorial on out-of-state garbage, the point is that there is no "somewhere else" in this world. Everywhere is someone's home -- even nature is home to wildlife -- and we have certain mutual obligations to each other that must be taught, and learned, and reinforced. We all have a stake in "somewhere else," and we need to live in relationship to others wherever we go.

Obviously a faith perspective helps us see that we are brothers and sisters, children of God, all together part of Creation. That perspective does not magically happen: it must be taught, and shared, and affirmed. A good immediate example for us is that just as much of our congregational leadership was shaped in places like Mansfield, Gallipolis, and Valparaiso, Indiana, we are training tomorrow's leadership not just for Hebron but for places so distant we can't name them yet. Our participation in the larger church affirms that important reality -- that in God's world there is no "somewhere else."

In Grace & Peace, Pastor Jeff

The Church Window
Hebron Christian Church
Hebron, Ohio
April 2002 on-line newsletter

Notes From My Knapsack

As a regular blood donor myself (O-, 7 gallons ;-D), I want to avoid sounding like i'm tooting my own horn, but the fellow you can read about at this link:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/04/23/record.blood.donor/index.html

-- shows far better than I can how blood donors are quiet, necessary heroes in our communities. If you'd like to make your contribution, Hebron Village Hall is hosting a Blood Drive on Wed., May 8th from 1:00 to 7:00 pm. All blood types and all ages are accepted; the usual exclusions are if you've had a recent surgery or have a pacemaker or defibrillator on your heart. Just about anyone else can donate!

This really is an important task that can only be accomplished one pint at a time, and since blood can only be stored (even frozen) for so long, an ongoing supply is so very important. The post-9/11 surge of blood donations has not resulted in new regular donors -- you can give a pint every 60 days -- so the need is now as great as it was on Sept. 10th.

The idea came from Village administrator Mike McFarland, who was looking for new ways to use the public spaces of the Municipal Complex (editor's note: somehow, i find "village hall" more chummy) and let Hebron area citizens know that this is their building. He has other plans in mind, but we had talked months ago about how either Hebron United Methodist or Hebron Christian couldn't sponsor a blood drive on their own, due to building limitations and the need to "guarantee" over 25 donors to make the mobile blood service worth the trip. I'm moving my regular donation appointment to be there May 7th, and i hope to see many of you there!

In Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff

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Excuses, excuses . . .

This month's e-letter certainly missed the 15th (to complement the print letter, which comes out the 1st). While Joyce did have a good trip to Austin, TX for some training, and took the laptop with her, it was in fact taxes that bumped this e-missive, but not the filing of 1040's as you might think.

If you'd like to see in part what diverted me, click on:

http://clergyrant.blogspot.com

-- and see what's had me on the phone with the Pension Fund, Reps. Ney & Tiberi, and even with staff in House Minority Leader Armey's office. In short, while Congress is truly being helpful, the odds are that the long-standing (since 1921) tax exemption for the clergy housing allowance is going to be declared unconstitutional. The immediate case, before the Ninth Dist. Federal Court of Appeals, is being mitigated by the bill before Congress which passed the House like lightning and likely will cruise through the Senate ("Rev. Gill, you're on hold for Sen. DeWine's legislative counsel . . ."), but the other "interested parties" now involved will probably throw the Ramstad Bill in front of the Supreme Court, and friends whose views i trust are not optomistic.

The short-term (3 to 5 year) impact will be that average clergyfolk like myself will pay about $3000 more a year in taxes, and that's accordingly more for larger churches, a bit less for smaller . . . but not much less, since many smaller church pastors and bi-vocationals take much of their church compensation as housing allowance.

The slightly longer-term impact will be all of those churches, as they try to make up the difference (the amount plus 30% +/-, since you pay taxes on the "new" increase), and then taking some or all of that difference out of Basic Mission Finance, local mission projects, and community assistance.

It's that impact, as we're looking to churches to pick up more and more slack on the social safety net, that makes this not just a "pastor's paycheck" issue, and all the House staff i've talked to agree. At the very least, if we can't stop this $550,000,000 tax increase (i think that's *way* low, myself, and so do most others i've talked to) on 850,000 pastors, rabbis, and imams (yep, imams use the housing allowance, too), there needs to be some way of cushioning the impact on churches as this change in the tax code takes effect.

So, there you have it; you can keep checking http://clergyrant.blogspot.com for more info if you want. Not the stewardship issue i'd hoped to be spending time on this Spring, but like the pollen, we take the bitter with the sweet . . . atchooo.

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That's all for now; we'll save the cheerier stuff for the next print newsletter! A quick link if you're enjoying the night skies to the west with the five-planet-alignment coming together:

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/almanac/

-- which you can customize for "43025" or wherever your zip code is. This gives you not only sun/moon-rise/set info and links to star charts, but also info on when the Space Shuttle or Int'l Space Station pass overhead. After a day of frantic activity, the task of calming your breathing and steadying your hands to look for Jupiter's moons through a pair of binoculars, or picking out a galactic cluster near Andromeda by careful focus of the lenses, can bring you to a state perilously close to . . . prayer!

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

"People think we're trying to extract blood from them anyhow," says Hebron village administrator Mike McFarland. "So we're giving them a chance to do just that."

Mike isn't talking about taxes, but about the village-sponsored blood drive coming on Wednesday, May 8, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the lobby and council hall of the municipal complex. This new gathering space in Hebron has been the site of a dedication, some zoning displays, and other civic uses. Mike and the village staff were looking for new ways to let the area citizenry know that this is their building, and one idea that came up was to sponsor a blood drive.

"They still need blood all the time," Mike observed, noting that immediately after 9-11 so many came to donate, but relatively few thought to donate again. As a seven gallon blood donor who gives every 60 days myself, I can confirm that the Red Cross blood centers are in as much need for regularly given pints of blood as they were on Sept. 10. In seminary, I organized two or three blood drives a year, and the exclusions back then meant that every volunteer was precious to the supply, and the increase of piercings and tatooings (not a permanent exclusion, but still a short-term "can't donate" factor) along with other reasons has left the Red Cross in a permanent state of "blood supply emergency."

So thanks to our village staff, an opportunity as close as West Main St. will be available on the afternoon of May 8 to help someone in need. It's fairly painless, and may well be a good deed that only you can do. See you there!

This Sunday is the St. Jude's Children's Hospital Bike-a-thon out at Evans Park on Refugee Road; Clay's Cafe is the sponsor, and Glenna Jones would love to have you come out to cheer the kids on at 1 pm. She'll probably also extract a donation from you, but that's even more painless as blood donation. Call 929-2529 if you haven't pledged with a child to get signed up.

That kind of caring and sharing shown by our youth is just part of why so many area residents want to support them on May 7, when the Lakewood levy is up for a vote. This levy (unlike the last two proposed) is for a five year period, making the property tax burden each year a bit less. "The Music Man" production was a great argument for how great a job our teachers, staff, parents, and especially youth of all ages are doing in creating an educational system we are all proud of.

Whatever your perspective on schools and education, there's no denying the job Lou Staffilino and everyone involved in the Lakewood School District has done in bringing our "educational outcomes" this far, and it sure looks like a good investment to keep backing the route they've been taking. Kudos to board member Rick Black and parent Jim Dobos for putting together the campaign for "Lakewood Yes May 7."

Have you taken a look up at the western sky just after sunset lately? About the time you get this Booster, the planet Mercury is visible just above the horizon right after sunset, and that's the first of five planets you can see ascending past the moon in the west. Venus, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter at the top are all bunching together over the next few weeks.

Don't worry about collisions: their closeness is a trick of the perspective we have here on Earth, 93 million miles out from that handy, nearby star that we call the Sun which all those planets revolve around. In a good pair of binoculars you can see the bumps of Saturn's rings on either side, and sometimes you can see one of Jupiter's moons. Obviously a telescope shows you all this very clearly, but you don't have to have expensive equipment to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Clusters of galaxies, nebulae, and even the craters of the Moon are quite visible through binoculars . . . plus you can use them during the day to check out the birds migrating back north (a future column).

Please remember the "Full Pool" Breakfast sponsored by the Greater Buckeye Lake Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 3. George Pugh has gotten Sam Speck, the head of ODNR for us as guest speaker, and residents of the Buckeye Ocean area will no doubt have questions! Tickets are $10 and are available to anyone, and this is a great opportunity to meet local leaders and decision-makers.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a proud member of the Greater Buckeye Lake Chamber of Commerce; if you have new commerce to promote or other worthwhile news, call him at 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

This is a little different from what i usually put on this blog; not print material per se, but a response to a request for my perspective on how the day went at the Apr. 13th

Saturday Open House at Octagon

Greetings to all --

As promised, a report on the Octagon Open House last Sat., Apr. 13th, including what i saw and what i learned from other folks posted at various areas through the afternoon: Despite less than 48 hours notice in the local paper (The Advocate), almost 200 people total showed up from around central Ohio, primarily Licking County, to take the tours and share the activities at both Great Circle & Octagon areas of Newark Earthworks State Memorial.

Jim Kingery, the Newark Earthworks/Flint Ridge site manager, and a crew from the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) in Columbus set up a tent at the Octagon, which proved to be much less necessary than the forecast had indicated. About 12:30 pm the skies parted, the sun shone, and cars instead of rain poured in, broadly filling the "country club" parking lot. (The club had sent out some sort of mailing reminding members that there was no golf that day, and at least 12 of the 130+ at the Octagon said they were members; the club pro stayed at the door of the clubhouse and told three arriving golfers that they weren't golfing here today, and kudos to him for staying around to take the heat! I suspect more than the 12 were, in fact, with the club, perhaps up to 20, and i hope they learned a great deal . . . . .)

I understand that over 50 showed up at the Great Circle who didn't transit over to the Octagon, and participated in atl-atl activities and tours of that part of the memorial. At Octagon, groups of about 50 were split into two tours of a half-hour each and then swapped, both at 1 pm and 2 pm. The 3 pm group was around 25, and a few showed up toward the end and tagged along or walked the paths. Martha Otto and Brad Lepper, archaeologists out of the Columbus OHS center did most of the guided interpretation. Jim Strider, the VP for external relations, was in Chicago that day, but his second-in-command was present throughout, visited both sites, and was very happy with the turnout and level of positive interest. He seemed to indicate that this first "golf-free" date came up very suddenly in the OHS/Moundbuilder Country Club discussions, and their thought was to take it even on short notice, with more "build up" on the next few. I also get the impression that they know they inadvertently and unnecessarily upset their own site staff, archae staff, and FoM by "springing it on us all", but thought that we'd all be delighted by any golf-free days they could assemble. The intention does seem to be to target the Oct. date as one where the program/plan is done largely by Native American/Indian participants.

My own personal take was that everyone who came -- including the club members -- were delighted that the course was open, excited by the chance to get a guided tour out among the earthworks, and interested in asking questions and having them answered. A number of folks did ask the "reconstruction" question (didn't the CCC/national guard/WPA build these from the ground up?), and seemed quite accepting of the answers folks like Brad and i replied. Most appeared quite willing to return for future events and bring friends; a sign-in sheet was somewhat imperfectly offered under the tent which gleaned some addresses and e-mails for future publicity.

While i was, like everyone else, kind of surprised by the suddenness of the Apr. 13 event, i'll happily concede that every golf-free/public emphasis day at Octagon State Memorial is a good day in my book. I do think now is not too soon to start planning what should be this site's and central Ohio's biggest event for public access to a common cultural treasure, and that's the prime axis moonrise (max. northern with full phase) on or around Nov. 18, 2005. Having felt the awe and wonder of standing in "the neck" when, on a winter late afternoon, the sun was setting through haze down one end and the moon rising just off to one side of the other, i think the experience of seeing and interpreting the moonrise along the full length of the Circle & Octagon, to no doubt thousands of visitors between early October and early December of that year, will leave an impact that could dent even a country club's complacency. To start planning selective tree removal (and stopping the planting and plaques for club member planting along primary viewscapes!), determining lighting and site management for evening/nighttime visitation, as well as the general, Native American community, and science community PR work will all take every bit of the 3 years we've got -- so we can let the moon and the builders have their say, the telling that they deserve in how this site will be seen and used in the future.

Hebron Crossroads
By Jeff Gill

When robins start building a nest on your front door wreath, you know Spring is knocking.

Actually, tapping and scratching is more what the vernal robins have been doing. We spent about a week wondering what wind currents were banging about the ornamental wicker wreath that’s been on our front door since we moved in last fall. Like many families in newer houses, the so-called front door is rarely used by visitors, let alone our family, so Joyce got a shock when she opened the door and saw a mass of straw, twigs, and mud cradled in the bottom arc of the wreath.

Right now, we’re of a mind to let Mrs. Robin be (yes, we’re those kind of people) and raise a family on our doorstep. The UPS delivery person is probably the biggest threat those prospective eggs face, but we’ll keep you posted.

Excitement out the back door, too: many folks on the west side of Hebron have seen odd lights just beyond the last houses or heard a rumbling across the rooftops carried along by the wind. Much as I’d enjoy starting some good extraterrestrial rumors during this last season of "X-files", the truth is that a gas well is being drilled these next few weeks just below the Smith house, and right behind ours. The assembly of the drilling rig and the beginning of the work has been impressive, and the view at night is reminiscent of a pre-dawn view of an Apollo gantry at Cape Canaveral getting ready for launch, with bright white lights and tiny figures bustling under giant metal structures, surrounded by ramps, catwalks, and trailers. You just have to mentally add the rocketship.

Actually, the truth is pretty dramatic. The crew is drilling down to a geologic formation 5,000 feet below, or almost a mile. As I write this, the first 400 feet of casing is going down to protect the water table, and then they’ll be drilling about two more weeks. From the perspective of an almost four-year-old boy, seeing this directly out his bedroom window is way cool; I mean Chris, not me.

The forsythia is finally in full bloom, in a yellow that nicely complements the many "We paid for this sign, and we will pay for Lakewood Yes!" signs that are blossoming around the area. May 7 is an election day, and in many ways more important than folks realize, as the primary contests directly shape the better publicized general elections. "The Music Man" just wrapping up at Lakewood High, the soccer leagues busting out all over, and the service projects by young people like Dan Osborne of Troop 33 out at Dawes, all show how young people contribute to our community in many ways, and all well worth supporting.

Speaking of Dawes Arboretum, you no doubt know that Arbor Day is April 26 this year in Ohio (you did, didn’t you?), and on Saturday the 27th we’ll see events all day on the grounds of our own piece of Arbor Day history. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day, dedicated one of the trees at Dawes back in 1927, and his vision was one of the streams of inspiration that watered Beman and Bertie Dawes’ work that brought us the arboretum.

From 10 am on through the afternoon there will be wagon tours of the grounds with a narration telling these and other stories about local history and the natural world, and your intrepid correspondent will be one of the wagoneers. We all tell the truth, mostly.

For the more adventurous, tree climbers and chain saws, workshops and entertainment will round out the day. The first 250 families through the gates will get a tree to plant at home, so come early!

The next day, April 28, is the St. Jude Children’s Hospital Bike-a-thon at Evans Park; Glenna Jones of Clay’s Café is co-ordinating this event from 1 to 3 pm. They hope to raise $1000 for this very worthwhile charity, and if Daphne Cable can get in 2000 miles I’ll have to meet that goal personally. If you’d like to participate or contribute, call Glenna at 928-3739, or just tell ‘em while you order a stromboli.
While we’re looking at our calendars down the road, mark 7 am on May 3 for the annual Full Pool Breakfast. I’d better check with Jimmy to see who’s going to cover this story, but as a member of the Greater Buckeye Lake Chamber of Commerce, I’ve enjoyed attending this event the last few years and meeting many other community leaders . . . plus George Pugh usually asks me to do the invocation.

One way or another you’ll hear more about this event, since Sam Speck, the head of Ohio Department of Natural Resources, will be our guest speaker. No word on the status of the "pool" on what the level of Buckeye Lake is on May 3. That sounds like a job for my colleague Jimmy! George and members of the Chamber can sell you tickets for the meal and program, which is at the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club. Nancy Dix of Hebron (remember, Harbor Hills is a Hebron address!) will have some special presentations; Nancy is also one of the newest members of the Ohio Historical Society board of trustees, and congratulations to her on that new and important responsibility.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a proud member of the Greater Buckeye Lake Chamber of Commerce; if you have new commerce to promote or other worthwhile news, call him at 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

Commissioner’s Corner
By Jeff Gill, District Commish

Thanks to the thirty-plus unit leaders who attended both Steve Hoar’s brainstorming session for the district, and just as significantly at the Youth Protection Training (YPT) after lunch. Steve Crissinger, our new District Director, is off this week at a long-scheduled training week in Irving, Texas, and will find out the official word on a number of questions, from our hope that the "high adventure" age will be lowered to 13 from 14 (where it stands currently), to what the desired cycle on adult YPT is.

Current signals are mixed, but we expect to provide regular "full training" in youth protection on a biannual basis, and to offer a refresher at events like camporees and one of the roundtables for those who’ve had the complete YPT within the last few years.

Anyone who reads the paper (on wood pulp, on-line, however) knows that child sexual abuse is on people’s minds and in public discussions again. Thanks for all the positive feedback both on my piece in The Advocate (click http://www.newarkadvocate.com/news/stories/20020405/opinion/75837.html) and for the energy and attention as Jim Francis and I got to work with so many of you at Falling Rock. If you have more questions about youth protection in Scouting or any other youth organization you serve, e-mail me at disciple@voyager.net anytime!

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Commissioner’s Corner
By Jeff Gill, District Commish

"Three snows after the forsythia blooms" is what I grew up with; many of you know folk wisdom and woods lore about weather, planting, and gardening that holds up well to scientific scrutiny.

Have you ever thought about a troop or pack project of gathering those nuggets together from the family members and neighbors of your Scouts? The noted "Foxfire" series of books started just that simply. Springtime is one of the times of year that folks are thinking about those things – from "Spring forward, fall back" to "green skies, barn flies!"

There are many advancement awards in both Cubbing and Scouting that this kind of project fulfills, from Showman to Citizenship in the Community, from service project hours to leadership posts. Let me know what obscure wise words you learn if you try this, and send them to disciple@voyager.net and I’ll print ‘em!

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Commissioner’s Corner
By Jeff Gill, District Commish

Have you colored in your patrol mascot, or x’ed all the squares, or checked off the boxes toward summer camp fees?

Many Scout troop use a troop bank approach to paying for summer camp, with credits marked in from product sales or troop activities by the troop treasurer, and payments added across many weeks or months by the Scout himself. Five dollars a week from January through May adds up to $100, but $5 at a time is a whole lot easier than bringing in the $100 all at once! Even starting now, $20 a week for four weeks is more manageable for most families.

Of course, the other reason for this approach is that money paid in the winter will help maintain commitment in the spring and anchor the choice to the summer. When a last-minute invite to Cedar Point for a day the week of camp terminates a registration, odds are the level of felt commitment wasn’t what it could have been. Help your Scouts start anticipating camp as a can’t miss event! If you’re looking for ideas to promote summer camp, e-mail me at disciple@voyager.net, or send me the ideas you’ve seen work.

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Commissioner’s Corner
By Jeff Gill, District Commish

Warm weather and the onset of daylight lasting past the meeting time of your unit always makes me think of the first packing demo leading up to camp.

Even Cubs getting psyched for Day Camp can participate (June 13-15!). Just don’t do it yourself! Find a youth who’s been to camp and who has a good sense of their gear, and let them come early and lay out on a groundcloth their contents. Ideally, your PLC and/or SPL will pick out this person, but whoever it is, resist the temptation to improve on their presentation – at least at first. One good idea about what to bring, what not to bring, or how to pack it, will last longer in the other scouts’ memories than 15 great ideas from you.

I’ve listened to dozens of packing demos, and can honestly say I’ve never heard one that I haven’t learned *something* from. Listen, learn, and then teach the critical elements you believe were missed or underemphasized. I’m betting there won’t be that much left to say! If you learn something really great, let me know at disciple@voyager.net.

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Commissioner’s Corner
By Jeff Gill, District Commish

Last week we were thinking about the senior scout leading the packing demo as you get set for camp. The obvious – but deadly ;-) – next step is to have everyone bring their packs next meeting for layout and review.

This really can be a helpful program, and as long as the kids don’t start channelling my old platoon sergeant (that’s why we don’t call it an inspection), everyone learns stuff in your parking lot or church basement that they’d really rather not learn on a rainy Sunday night in a muddy campsite setting.

A fun and success-building addition: have the adults going to camp bring their packs, too. Ideally, they’ll speak silently of how to do a neat, efficient, pared-down collection of gear. Realistically, adults procrastinate just like the kids do, and need that prod so we don’t bring a ton of un-needed stuff either. And the carefully not-so-well-hidden teddy bear in the scoutmaster’s pack makes a nice touch . . .

Contact me at disciple@voyager.net

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Hebron Crossroads
By Jeff Gill

If you didn’t get around to half a dozen churches on Easter Sunday to hear different choirs sing their anthems (I know I didn’t), St. John’s Lutheran Church on Linnville Road has a deal for you.

This Sunday, April 14, at 3 pm, a number of area church choirs will each perform a few selections that they had prepared for the Easter season. In the way of such things, many weeks of rehearsal culminate in one, maybe two performances at most, and then the calendar moves on. This Choir Fest is intended to give choirs a chance to share their hard work and skill one more time in front of a wider audience.

All are welcome to attend and simply enjoy the music; choirs from the Jacksontown, Hebron, and Buckeye Lake area have been invited to participate and refreshments will follow.

Next weekend, musical skills will be on display in River City, Iowa, which will occupy the Lakewood High School stage April 19, 20, and 21. There’s trouble coming to River City, and that’s trouble that starts with "T" which rhymes with "P" and that stands for Plenty of Talent presenting "The Music Man." Meredith Willson’s musical is much beloved from many stage performances including a movie version and a recent Broadway revival, but there’s nothing to match a live performance filled with familiar faces(isn’t that right Dean, Julie, Jana?).

At 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday, and 3:00 pm Sunday, a quality performance is available for just $6 (other discounts available). When you can pay more than that for a bad movie, even at the video store, and five times that for a live concert at Polaris, not to mention what seeing such a show on Broadway would cost, you just can’t afford to miss this.

Plus, parking at Lakewood High is much easier than around 42nd and Broadway in New York . . .

You may not be the sort to read legal notices in the paper, and if so I commend you, but did you see the bid notice for inspecting and cleaning the sewer system for Hebron? There are three miles of sewer line in our town! Now that could be trouble in River City. It makes sense when you think about it, but how often would you think about it? What is even more amazing is that they can do most of the work with little cameras and remote viewing, kind of like a municipal colonoscopy, and we all know how much fun those can be.

And in terms of our civic infrastructure, we’re less than a month away from the Lakewood Schools levy on the ballot May 7. The current plan is to stretch the request for funds from property taxes over five years instead of three, and among other things that will allow the return of all-day kindergarten and busing for the high school next year, along with rolling back pay-to-participate.
Our area needs good schools in the same way Hebron needs a safe reliable water and sewer system with room for expansion: we make use of and benefit from them everyday even when we’re not aware of them. Our police and fire, streets and safety functions are not necessarily parts of our life that we come into contact with every day, but we count on them doing their jobs and doing them well all the time. With or without kids in school, the Lakewood School District is serving you all the time.

If you’re still not sure how, come see "The Music Man" and have your heart lifted by some of your community’s youth, and leave humming "76 Trombones!" Keeping them out of the pool halls is just a bit of what our school system is so successfully doing.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and grew up not far from Gary, Indiana; if you’d like to sing something in his ear about local happenings, tell him at one of "The Music Man" performances or call 928-4066, or e-mail disciple@voyager.net

Churches can take steps to ensure child safety
Guest column -- Newark Advocate, 5 April 2002

Child safety and child abuse by responsible adults is a topic suddenly splashed across the news. The issue is not new, but our willingness as a society to discuss it openly is a recent development. Whether in child care settings, church activities, or youth programming, parents and guardians recognize the need to ensure their child’s safety, and that may be one good that can come out of the tragedies that have gotten so much attention in recent weeks.

How can we guarantee that children are safe from abuse or molestation? Answers are not hard to find once we admit that the problem exists and that we must take active steps to stop it. Denial has been a silent ally of child predators. Openness on the issue disarms them. Openness also helps in circumstances of false accusations, which do sometimes occur.

Since the early 1980’s, the Boy Scouts of America has a "two deep leadership" policy. In brief, at no time is a single adult alone or solely responsible with children. Initially, some scouters resisted this policy, arguing that one-on-one interactions were important to mentoring and directing youth development.

But adults quickly realized that much more was gained than lost in using "two deep leadership" as an absolute requirement. Counseling was often enhanced by two adults responding to a youth’s questions. "Two deep" applied equally to everyone, so no adult leader need be offended by the policy. When an outing was planned, backup was now a requirement – "we’re just not going without another adult with us." And there was no room for a "my word versus the child’s word" situation if an accusation was made.

The other key element in"Youth Protection" is requiring two references. Background checks, which can cost up to $50 a person, are relatively ineffective. Even most well-founded accusations never have charges filed, let alone a conviction, as families hesitate to put their child (or themselves) through the legal system. But the average "problem adult" is often so un-self-aware that they don’t realize what their references will reveal about their last situation working with youth. Background checks rarely catch even long-term molesters, while references often do . . . if you call them, which of course is the last necessary step.

As a pastor as well as a scouter, I am chagrined at how rarely churches take such basic steps. These are two techniques that can be done by any organization, and have the potential to do immense good. On the other hand, neglecting these simple measures can result in incalculable harm.

There is no obvious sign for those who would harm our children. All of us who have worked extensively with youth programs have our own stories: both of the ones we caught and acted against, and the ones where we had no idea until it was too late. It is the latter that haunt us, and keep us vigilant. More eyes, more awareness, more willingness to confront inappropriate behavior, and a refusal to live in denial over the problem can get our entire communities to a place where predators can find no space to operate, and where kids can find a truly safe place to play and grow.

Rev. Jeff Gill
Pastor, Hebron Christian Church,
Church camp director, and
Dist. Commissioner, Licking District BSA

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

This is time change weekend, and firefighters everywhere would like to
encourage families to use the occasion to save lives.

When we use Saturday evening to meander around the house tracking down
every coffee pot, CD player, bedside clock/radio, and automatic cat
food dispenser that has a time readout on it, along with setting them
all one hour forward, we can make sure that the smoke detector on each
floor has a fresh battery. How often does the news story of a family
losing their home to a fire include the words "the smoke detectors in
the house did not function due to dead batteries." Or worse, the
batteries were taken out.

Your carbon monoxide detectors may be wall plug devices, or they may
also need new batteries with time-change-time. No CO detector in your
house, you say? That's a very worthwhile addition to your household
health and safety equipment as well. Just like a first aid kid and an
evacuation plan for where to go if a fire breaks out in your home, a
CO detector can save lives, or at the very least brain cells! A number
of families in just the last couple years have had close calls in the
Hebron area, and we don't need any more newspaper stories like that .
. . at least I don't want to write them.

Tornado season is starting up in the Midwest this month, with cold air
masses still sliding down from the north and hitting the warmer,
moister air billowing up out of the south. A battery powered radio
would be very helpful in that household preparedness pile. Do not,
repeat do not count on the Booster for tornado warnings: this is a
great publication, but we cover the aftermath of severe weather a
whole lot better than we predict it! What we can do is help you get
prepared adequately for the storms and situations we know will come,
even if we can't tell you when.

And finally, my neighbor Mike Halter of Action Pest Control reminds me
that it is "swarm season," and that termites devastate more houses
than tornados do each year. So check your home this "time change"
weekend, and let it be a bi-annual reminder to change batteries, stock
up supplies, go over plans, and be ready for the unpredictable.
Oh, and set your clocks forward an hour, too.

Last weekend after the Easter Sunrise service at Dawes, my family
enjoyed the Nelson Workhaven Memorial Breakfast at Hebron United
Methodist. There was locally made maple syrup, bacon from Hebron area
hogs, and the corn meal mush was local if you count our old friend Bob
Evans from Rio Grande, Ohio. I know the Cable Farms offerings of
chickens, turkeys, and sausage are catching on as people as seeing the
advantage to eating locally grown, raised, and processed foods (give
'em a call!), and my grandmother always spoke highly of the importance
of eating honey that was locally produced because of the benefits of
getting the pollen and plant content of honey from your own area. She
claimed it helped keep allergies and other breathing problems to a
minimum, and who am I to doubt my grandma? Perhaps some local
"apiculturists" could drop me a line about their work and where their
honey is available. There are plenty of their white, boxy hives
visible along field edges around Licking County.

Local talent is certainly worth supporting down at Lakewood High
School. You'll hear more about this next week, but don't forget that
you need to go see "The Music Man" April 19, 20, and 21. Talented
youth of all ages are involved in this show, from Jackson and Hebron
Elementaries right up through the high school. For $6 you can see a
show that would cost you $60 in NYC, and that from the third balcony.
If you think I'm exaggerating a bit, I can honestly say that last
year, "Guys and Dolls" was every bit as enjoyable as when I saw the
same show with Nathan Lane and Faith Prince on Broadway, and this
year's production will be no less delightful. See you at the show . .

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a fan of preparedness
since his Boy Scout days; if you have a safety tip or news to share, call
928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

Notes From My Knapsack

Opening Day for major league baseball is April 1st -- really, no foolin'! Some say the true first day of spring is the first "crack" of the bat down in Cincinnati, and never mind the robins.

Out at Evans Park, we hear the "ping" of aluminum bats as youth baseball gets underway. I have to admit that this particular sound will probably always grate a bit on my ear, and a part of me says "that's not real baseball." That's silly, of course, because the bases are still run, the pitchers still pitch, and the genuine imitation leather polystyrene laces on the gloves still glint as infielders chant "hey battah, battah, hey battah battah, swing." The ball is made with space age inner core material, but the grass is still green (where it's not brown) and the chalk lines are laid down with a chunka-chunka machine that rolls from the batter's box to first base and on out to infinity.

So, some things change, some things stay the same, and we have to decide what's the core meaning that doesn't change: sportsmanship, practice, hustle, teamwork. With our 135th anniversary celebration on Palm Sunday, we looked at the original communion service glinting behind the newer plates and trays; the flagon, the single chalice, the two bread trays telling their own story as we shared some of our more recent tales, including Gabriella's and Autumn's as they were dedicated by their families during the service. Some new things we celebrate -- new babies, new ways of doing things -- and some we don't, like aluminum bats.

We'd never toss aside that old communion set, but I doubt that anyone during the last 100 years has missed sipping communion from a common cup. That change was one everyone agreed was good! As Doris Cordray affirmed after church, David Ford is playing only our third organ, "but there was some discussion over that first one." And there will be no end to our discussions over what to play on our harmoniums, our organs, or our electronic MIDI-enabled sythesizers.

But there was something so fitting when a battle-scarred old piano migrated from the Mason's former home to the parsonage/ed building on our celebration weekend. From the Clays to the Slaters to the Masons (and some stops before the Clays?), and now as a resource for Sunday School classes, something quite old has a continuing value.
Not as an artifact, but as a tool for ministry to share the Good News of God's Love. May we all find newness of life this Easter season, from Romans 6:4 to even the "ping" of a line drive deep to right field!

In Grace and Peace, Pastor Jeff

. . . and when the editor said, "i like it, now cut 265 wds.," here's what Joyce's genius for editing accomplished:

Child Safety and Abuse
Reader's Write -- Newark Advocate

Child safety and child abuse by responsible adults is a topic suddenly splashed across the news. The issue is not new, but our willingness as a society to discuss it openly is a recent development. Whether in child care settings, church activities, or youth programming, parents and guardians recognize the need to ensure their child’s safety, and that may be one good that can come out of the tragedies that have gotten so much attention in recent weeks.

How can we guarantee that children are safe from abuse or molestation? Answers are not hard to find once we admit that the problem exists and that we must take active steps to stop it. Denial has been a silent ally of child predators. Openness on the issue disarms them. Openness also helps in circumstances of false accusations, which do sometimes occur.

Since the early 1980’s, the Boy Scouts of America has a "two deep leadership" policy. In brief, at no time is a single adult alone or solely responsible with children. Initially, some scouters resisted this policy, arguing that one-on-one interactions were important to mentoring and directing youth development.

But adults quickly realized that much more was gained than lost in using "two deep leadership" as an absolute requirement. Counseling was often enhanced by two adults responding to a youth’s questions. "Two deep" applied equally to everyone, so no adult leader need be offended by the policy. When an outing was planned, backup was now a requirement – "we’re just not going without another adult with us." And there was no room for a "my word versus the child’s word" situation if an accusation was made.

The other key element in"Youth Protection" is requiring two references. Background checks, which can cost up to $50 a person, are relatively ineffective. Even most well-founded accusations never have charges filed, let alone a conviction, as families hesitate to put their child (or themselves) through the legal system. But the average "problem adult" is often so un-self-aware that they don’t realize what their references will reveal about their last situation working with youth. Background checks rarely catch even long-term molesters, while references often do . . . if you call them, which of course is the last necessary step.

As a pastor as well as a scouter, I am chagrined at how rarely churches take such basic steps. These are two techniques that can be done by any organization, and have the potential to do immense good. On the other hand, neglecting these simple measures can result in incalculable harm.

There is no obvious sign for those who would harm our children. All of us who have worked extensively with youth programs have our own stories: both of the ones we caught and acted against, and the ones where we had no idea until it was too late. It is the latter that haunt us, and keep us vigilant. More eyes, more awareness, more willingness to confront inappropriate behavior, and a refusal to live in denial over the problem can get our entire communities to a place where predators can find no space to operate, and where kids can find a truly safe place to play and grow.

Rev. Jeff Gill
Pastor, Hebron Christian Church,
Church camp director, and
Dist. Commissioner, Licking District BSA

Child Safety and Abuse
Reader's Write -- Newark Advocate

Child safety and the abuse of children by responsible adults is a topic suddenly splashed across the news. The issue is not new, but our willingness as a society to discuss these concerns openly is a fairly recent development. Whether in child care settings, church activities, or youth programming, parents and guardians are aware of the need to ensure their child’s safety, and that may be the one good that can come out of the tragedies that have gotten so much attention in recent weeks.

How can we guarantee that children can be safe from abuse or molestation? Answers are not that hard to find once we start admitting that the problem exists and that we have to take active steps to stop it. Denial has been a silent ally of child predators, and a little sunlight has the same effect on them that it does on rot and decay, not only revealing but disinfecting. For those concerned about false accusations against adults, which do sometimes occur, openness and transparency can help in those circumstances as well.

Since the early 1980’s, the Boy Scouts of America has had what they call a "two deep leadership" policy. In brief, at no time is a single adult alone or solely responsible with children. Initially, some scouters resisted the implementation of this policy, arguing that one-on-one walks and talks were important to helping mentor and direct youth development.

But adults quickly realized that much more was gained than lost in using "two deep leadership" as an absolute requirement. Counseling is often deepened and broadened by two adults responding to a youth’s questions. When bringing into leadership new adults, no one could be offended by someone else having to be present during youth activities, since "two deep" applies to everyone. When an outing was planned, the need for backup was now a requirement – "we’re just not going if we don’t have another adult with us." And there was no room for a "my word versus the child’s word" situation if an accusation was made.

The other key element in what Scouting calls "Youth Protection" is the requirement of listing two references. Some have suggested that official background checks are the way to go with this, but the problem with those checks isn’t the cost (which can be as much as $50 a person) but their relative ineffectiveness. Sadly, even most well-founded accusations never have charges filed, let alone a conviction, as families hesitate to put their child (or themselves) through the legal system. What continues to mystify me, but that I share out of the experience of many of us who have recruited camp counselors, youth advisors, and other such positions, is that the average "problem adult" is so un-self-aware that their references are often the very ones that asked them to leave their last situation working with youth. It seems counterintuitive, but background checks rarely catch even long-term molesters, while references often do . . . if you call them, which of course is the last necessary step.

As a pastor as well as a scouter, I continue to be chagrined at how rarely the church takes such basic steps. These are two techniques that can be done by any organization, and have the potential to do immense good; on the other hand, neglecting these simple measures can result in incalculable harm. The first time you tell a group of parents "this van isn’t leaving until a second adult goes along" you’ll hear grumbling, no doubt; but clarity and consistency on this point has never failed to produce growing understanding among both youth and adults that child safety is our first priority, and that understanding leads to affirmation and support.

There is no magic touchstone, no simple formula, no obvious visible sign for those who would harm our children. All of us who have worked extensively with youth programs have our own stories: both of the ones we caught and acted against, and the ones where we had no idea until it was too late. It is the latter that haunt us, and keep us vigilant. Which brings us back to "two deep", and the one safe certainty we can offer each other. More eyes, more awareness, more willingness to confront inappropriate behavior, and a refusal to live in denial over the problem can get our entire communities to a place where predators can find no space to operate, and where kids can find a truly safe place to play and grow.

Rev. Jeff Gill
Pastor, Hebron Christian Church
Church camp director
Dist. Commissioner, Licking District BSA

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

Easter Egg Hunts and children's parties are regular features of the Saturday before
Easter, and March 30 will be no exception. In fact, a child could make their way around a number of kid's Easter events this Saturday. Hebron Christian Church will have a Children's Easter Party at 9:30 am, with the older youth helping the little ones with the activities in the church basement and back yard.

Licking Baptist Church invites area kids to come for a Community Easter Egg Hunt at 1
pm out on Beaver Run Road, and then up Route 37 at Infirmary Mound Park the Licking Park District will host an Easter Egg Hunt from 1:30 to 3 pm. Other area churches and
groups are holding special children's events through this weekend.

Easter morning, March 31, a Community Sunrise Service is at 6:30 am by the shelter
house at Dawes Arboretum. Wes Baker of Hebron United Methodist Church will share
the morning message, and the Handbell Choir of Hebron Christian will offer the music,
along with the participation of Jacksontown United Methodist with Bob Beyer.
This year, with time change next weekend instead of behind us, 6:30 am will be bright and sunlit, so we look forward to a very large group gathered around to watch the dawn's early light through the trunks of the cypress swamp across Hog Run valley to the northeast. After the service, the Nelson Workheimer Memorial Breakfast will be served up at Hebron UMC.Licking Baptist will offer a Sunrise Service at their worship center a little later, at 7:30 am, if your alarm doesn't get you up in time, or you could do two! Most area churches will have special music, messages, or cantatas along with the Easter lilies and ladies' orchids in their celebration of Christ's resurrection at 10:30 am; contact the church of your choice for details.

Along with time change (remember, Spring forward, Fall back) next weekend the night of
April 6, we know that planting season is beginning for most of our area farmers. Right
before spring planting, or as close as OSU-N's spring break lets them have Hopewell
Hall, the Licking County Salute to Agriculture holds its annual luncheon. At this event, held last Monday, the local Farm Bureau, the Soil & Water Conservation District, and OSU Extension, invited area residents to celebrate farming in Licking County. New members are also named to the Agricultural Hall of Fame.

In years past, local worthies like Melvin Foor, Richard Black, and Clayton Oyler have
been so honored. This year Lawrence Clark of the Hebron Linnville area was one of the two named. He and his wife Gerry are still active in the community, including at Hebron Methodist, continuing a history of service on the Franklin Twp. and later Lakewood School Boards, with the local soil and water conservation district board in almost every office including chairman, and has hosted field days and soil judging contests on his farm. It was a real pleasure to see the Clark family gather 'round to celebrate this honor for Lawrence Clark.

Mitch Lynd was one of the speakers, and he pointed out that 400,000 American farmers raise 90% of the crops that feed our nation and the world. But his closing point was that the most important crop US agriculture raises is leadership. He could look out over the crowd at the Salute to Agriculture luncheon and make his case with all the judges, commissioners, teachers, preachers, and plain old community helpers who trace their roots and the inspiration for their service from a family farm background.

However you choose to celebrate "new life" this next week, remember to be thankful for
farmers, who know a little something about the cycle of birth, death, and renewal, not to mention greeting the sunrise!

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and will be happy to give you a wake-up
call for the Community Easter Sunrise Service. If you need a call or have other news
you'd like to see in this column, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

When the trillium blooms in the woodland undergrowth, Spring has begun. Wednesday was the official, astronomical vernal equinox, and marks the calendar start of the season, but every year I look for the bright, three-petalled splashes on semi-shady north slopes under tree cover to tell me that the time has come around again.

Crocuses can be fooled, and even the forsythia seems a bit off this year, but trillium is for me what dogwood blossoms are for many. The brightness of their white petals and the richness of the offset three green leaves are a subtle but unmistakable sign, and somehow they've just come to be spring-ness for me. If you're driving the auto loop at Dawes Arboretum, one of the most reliable patches is just to your left after you've passed the Beard-Green cemetery. That area also often contains some pink and speckled trillium, which may very well be a rarity, but give me plain old vanilla trillium any day.
Once the trillium has blossomed, then the color bursts of redbud, dogwood, forsythia, and other spring blossoms attract attention upwards. Trillium reminds us that spring begins right at ground level, and is worth a closer look.

Many folks in the Lakewood area are preparing for Spring Break travel with their families, and of course our college students are looking at some exotic climes for their time off. I'm also hearing more frequently about students using spring break for special study opportunities, to check out co-ops and internships, or to go on mission trips with their churches or campus ministries. As for the old "when I was in college. . ."; well, when I was in college, we spent most of the winter trying to figure out how to get to Ft. Lauderdale, so kudos to today's college students.

Before the vacation period, Rick Black of our school board and Jim Dobos are co-chairing the effort to pass a schools levy on the May 7 ballot. They have an interesting idea on signs, which we'll hear more about soon. The basic concept is based on putting down the misapprehension that the school district is spending vast sums of its own money on pushing levies -- not true, and interestingly, the folks putting up the money for levy attempts are ones who will pay the most in property taxes when one passes, which ought to tell us something about the usefulness of those levies for growth and development! Rick and Jim will have small yard signs for sale that they want to see blossom all over the district like trillium and daffodils combined, saying something like "I paid for this sign, and I support the Lakewood levy!" Someone was really thinking there . . . Rick must have asked Beth for advice.

Jim is also putting his time, as well as his money where his mouth is, working to get the intermediate school boys' soccer program running. Right now he has more boys interested than he has coaches. Lots of assistants, but very few coaches, so help Jim out! I worked alongside Jim and his wife at National Trails parking cars; I was "working for" the Jail Ministries program, and they and their kids were working to raise money to get the girls' soccer program going at the high school. They're putting in their best effort, and they only need a little of ours to get these great youth programs going.

Next weekend I plan to have a list of all the Easter activities I can track down information about at area churches. Tops on that list will be the Easter Sunrise Service at Dawes by the Shelter House (just to the left as you enter).
We've outgrown the Japanese Gardens, and with Jacksontown United Methodist joining Hebron Christian and Hebron United Methodist Churches in celebrating the dawn of new life at 6:30 am March 31, we expect to see many friendly faces by the light of a new day. If your church has a piece of info for me, please call 928-4066 and leave a message or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church, and a lover of trillium in blossom in the wild and morels in the skillet at home. If you have signs of spring or Easter information to share with him, use the contact info above.

Commissioner's Corner
Jeff Gill, District Commish

We've been reviewing the methods of Scouting (there's eight of 'em, that support the three primary aims of the Scouting program -- if you want to see 'em again, click http://www.usscouts.org/aboutbsa.asp). The last two weeks we've talked about the role "Uniforms" have as part of our core identity as Scouts.

As leaders of units, we all know that "Outdoor Activities" is the keystone of who we are, how others see us, and what brings many youth and adults into the program. Getting the pack or troop outdoors can feel like a big challenge, though, and like many big challenges may get put off -- and put off, and put off, until some units realize they've hardly had an outing in months.

The district and council provide four good anchors for "Outdoor Activities" through the year -- Fall Camporee, Klondike Derby, Spring Camporee, and Summer Camp -- and if you start there, you're on the right track. Just don't stop on the tracks! How can your unit add four more outdoor adventures in between those four anchor events? The Burr Oak Scouting Event, hikes in state parks, canoeing at Mohican or West Virginia, a swamp crawl at Crane Creek . . . whatever they are, four unit events and four participations in district/council activities in the great outdoors can keep you close to the Scouting vision.

* * *

Commissioner's Corner
Jeff Gill, District Commish

In making sure your unit is following the proven successes of the Scouting program, the "aims & methods" taught to adult Scouters are a great guidebook to unit health. Last week, in speaking of "outdoor activities" as one of the eight methods for applying the Scouting model to your own unit program, we talked about the four key district/council seasonal outings, and the need to have at least four more troop outdoor adventures spaced between them.

When your unit is ready to push beyond even those eight outings, don't forget the method that was one of Baden-Powell's key insights into youth work: "Patrol method." In groups of 6 to 8, young men (this is mainly Boy Scouts I'm talking about now, but it applies broadly) can encourage and motivate each other, and evn more importantly, lead each other!

Consider a patrol campout the next time you're working with the Patrol Leader's Council on an outing plan -- encourage your patrols to find a location and do an overnight on their own as a patrol, without all the other equipment and activities that often go with a full weekend troop campout. With an adult responsible for keeping tabs on them (and in the era of cell phones that's easier than ever), a patrol on their own will learn things that the boys will never get in a larger setting, and bring back to the troop knowledge that will make your next outing even more productive.

Patrol Method -- give it a try!

* * *

Commissioner's Corner
Jeff Gill, District Commish

"Patrol Method" is one of the basic ideas Baden-Powell took to Brownsea Island off England's coast in 1907. Letting the first troop of 22 boys organize themselves into four patrols of Bulls, Bears, Ravens, and Curlews, all of the events were challenges among and between those four boy-led groups.

Scouting "doctrine" has varied over the last near-century, but the idea of "six to eight" Scouts as the ideal size patrol, led by one elected out of their own ranks, has remained constant. Some troops have a frustration with size, saying that they don't have enough Scouts to have multiple patrols. Of course, the first answer is: "Go out and recruit some more!" That's not addressed to the Scouters, but to the Scouts themselves -- remind them how much more fun most activities are when you're racing another team or patrol against the clock, or seeing who's mastered more knots or lashings or first aid skills.

If all else fails, co-ordinate with another unit in your area to schedule activities and challenges between your two groups -- there are over 50 traditional Scouting units in Licking County, so someone is near you. But don't let your unit become one "big mushy" un-patrol, and don't let your competitions and contests become too individualistic. Patrol method is what works, and what the boys enjoy . . . and it naturally leads to . . . well, that's next week's topic!

* * *

Commissioner's Corner
Jeff Gill, District Commish

What does the proper use of "patrol method" lead to? "Leadership development," of course!

Learning and practicing leadership skills as a youth is probably one of the greatest gifts Scouting gives, and one of the most remembered strengths of the program in the minds of those Scouts when they become adults. One of Scouting's greatest "selling points" in the community is our proven track record for helping every last youth in our program find their leadership talents and develop them.

Why do we say "proven track record"? Well, check out how many senators, representatives, cabinet secretaries, and other officials in Washington are Scouts (and Eagles!). Look at the astronaut corps in NASA, and see how thoroughly Scouting runs through their biographies. Consider your community, and find out how many judges, elected officials, and pastors have a fleur-de-lis in their offices.

An Eagle Scout gets a "bump" on the promotion track in all branches of the military, and that line on a resume has gotten who knows how many Scouts into the "to be interviewed" pile at leading corporations all across America. These folks aren't just being sentimental about being "outdoorsy" -- they're acknowledging the well-known fact that "leadership development" is what the Scouting program does best.

Choir Festival on Linnville Road
by Jeff Gill
Contributing Writer

Paul Hansen, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, is known for his willingness to play a guitar at almost any provocation, even in the middle of a sermon. But Paul knows that the whole "Lake country" area has a musical bent, and the new multipurpose building there on Linnville Road has good acoustics for a reason.

So the folks at St. John's are offering to host a Choir Festival on Sunday, April 14, from 3 to 5 pm, for church choirs and praise teams from Jacksontown, Hebron, Buckeye Lake, Thornville, and Millersport. Many churches have musical groups that work long and hard on interesting and technically challenging pieces that are only heard once or twice in the Easter season; the plan for this festival is for everyone to get to sing those pieces again for an appreciative audience of their peers, and for anyone in the community who wishes to attend.

With two or three anthems apiece, and participation from chancel choirs, children's choirs, handbell choirs, or contemporary praise teams, the diversity of music and the common interests of the presenters should make for a great afternoon of music and fellowship.

St. John's can provide in the gathering space a piano and a Korg keyboard, and refreshments afterward. All churches in the communities named received in the mail and through Church Women United a flyer about this event, but if your church is interested, they simply need confirmation by March 31. Call Carol Hill at 323-0735 to express an interest or to get further information.

The last Lake area choir festival was about five years ago, and the time seems ripe for us to join together again.

Please plan to come and listen and perhaps even sing along on April 14 at 3 pm.

Hebron Crossroads
by Jeff Gill

"Have you ever seen copies of the Hebron Tribune?" asked Mary Alice Dernberger. So began a story that went from a hospital bedside to our Hebron Municipal Complex to the old library building and back again, ending with Mary Alice getting a pacemaker and renewed good health, and a new lease on life for some important pieces of Hebron history.

Thanks to Pat Walters of the Hebron Public Library, village manager Mike McFarland, and councilmember Jim Friend, but mainly thanks to Mary Alice's insistence, we've secured the volumes that contain clippings and whole copies of publications that open up a window to part of our community history. The timing couldn't be better, as our history is starting to take some dramatic new turns!

It turns out that the former Municipal and Civic Improvement Association (with some members still active in the community but no meetings to speak of) had been involved in helping get the fledgling Hebron Library a building. What is now the "old" building was being vacated by Park National Bank for their new building across the street, and John Alford (of blessed memory!) helped arrange the gift of that building to the Hebron Community Foundation, represented by current councilmember Bob Gilbert's mother in a photograph found in a scrapbook alongside a volume of Hebron Tribunes. 1959 and 1960 are all that we have, and may be all that were printed of that local paper. David S. Dernberger is a lead columnist in the first issue of the Tribune, with his four-digit phone number listed, and certainly no e-mail address! David, who was likely a very well-spoken five years old then, is now retired from Meritor and back in town from some years overseas in Sweden and England. His wife Vivian is now the voice on the phone for the Kirkersville Chapel of Henderson-VanAtta-Johnson, which would have been the Emerson Funeral Home in those long-ago back issues.

There will be much to share with you from these volumes, now being properly cared for in the new library and village offices, where they can be viewed by the public, but must be carefully handled due to the natural deterioration of newsprint over 40-plus years.

As Mary Alice and I talked about what had been "re"-discovered in these scrapbooks, she also told me about raising her family on the old Heimerl farm. Driving back to Hebron last week, I went to look for some of the traces of the lane and buildings, and saw that Dominion Homes has erected their "Lake Forest" subdivision sign on the eastern border of the old farm along the 79 bypass, and near the old 79 entrance to where the farm buildings used to be, a crew was busily planting stakes and marking the lanes of the forthcoming Lake Forest streets, behind the old Williams Restaurant site.

Then, over the weekend, the property transfers in the Saturday Advocate show that Kroger has purchased the land where they have been announcing their plans to build adjacent to AmeriHost and the location of Buckeye Outdoors' 43,000 square foot new building.

Coming up next weekend, Palm Sunday, Licking Baptist Church will open a new era in their history rich congregation's life with a new, spacious worship center and classrooms just southwest of where Blacks Road meets Beaver Run Road, northwest of the village limits. The congregation will "baptize" their new space on the 24th, and on Good Friday, March 29, at 7:00 pm they will welcome area churches to join together in a Community Good Friday service that Pastor Lonnie Aleshire and I have been talking about for some time! This is an opportunity to mark Good Friday prayerfully and also show your support for another great part of our Hebron community.

And Palm Sunday is a special day for us at Hebron Christian Church, as we mark (actually, mark the day after) our 135th anniversary as a congregation serving the Hebron/Union Township community. New history is made even as we continue to celebrate our past history here by the Hebron Crossroads!

Finally, Kathryn Lockwood will be setting up her Easter Egg Tree for the
Hebron Elementary kindergardeners this weekend. They'll be trooping by the
corner of North and Seventh Streets to see her annual display on Monday and
Tuesday, Mar. 18 and 19. This splash of color and sign of spring is
well-known and greatly anticipated in Hebron, and we're just glad she
didn't set up before the big windstorms last weekend! We'll have more about
area Easter activities in next week's column.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a peruser of old newspapers and scrapbooks, far too many of which are in his own mis-named "files." If you have current stories of historic events or just something happening next week, call him at 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.