Hebron Crossroads 2-16-03
by Jeff Gill

Next Saturday, "Books and Coffee" continues here in Hebron at 10 am with "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." This is a book that really makes you take a second look at what makes life worth living.
It is a true story, and if it were fiction it probably never could have been published. A black turtleneck wearing, cigarette smoking, wine sipping French fashion magazine editor living in Paris has a massive stroke, paralyzing his entire body except for one eyelid. He is moved to a convalescent hospital far out in the countryside, where he finds out who is friends are because they still visit, but can't communicate.
Did i mention he wrote the book himself? That's right, by blinking his one good eyelid he begins to communicate out of the diving bell of his body what is going on with the butterfly of his spirit, which is still flying. There's no miracle cure, but how Jean-Dominique Bauby responds to his situation is truly a miracle. Come talk about this amazing book at 612 W. Main on Feb. 22 at 10 am.
As many of you know, i think history is a big part of what makes life worth living; not just the reading and the research, but the living connections and sense of belonging beyond the here and now that history really communicates when you become part of it.
The Ohio bicentennial celebrations are really some history you can become part of, and i hope you all are planning to come by OSU-N on Sat., March 1 for some pancakes between 8 and noon and the Ohio outline picture at 10:30 am. We'll have more details in the paper next week, but make sure to mark that day now!

The levy defeat was frustrating for all the 300 plus volunteers who worked on it, but I am proud to note that both Hebron precincts and most of our immediate vicinity voted “yes” for our community responsibilities. With twenty to twentyfive percent of our registered voters casting a “no” on a tax increase, just let your correspondent note that I’ve worked on school levies in three states, and let me tell you that you’ll never see anything less than that, even when the economy is great, the baseball team wins a state championship, and every house has the bluebird of happiness sitting on the chimney. Our 1700 to 2200 “no” vote total is exactly what you’ll always see, no matter what: the mystery is the “not voter.” And you know who you are. . .all 5000 of you.
For parents who deal with the occasional frustrations of little things like pay-to-participate ($250 per activity per child, in case any of you had forgotten), no busing for the high school, and no all-day kindergarten, there’s also the complication of snow days.
We are now over our limit of five, so Monday, Presidents’ Day, will be “taken back” so we don’t have to keep doing school into June. More to come? I’m thinkin’ “yep.”
Anyhow, I asked Phil Herman, our hard working and always available superintendent about when snow days are called on account of snow, as most folks understand that the snow and ice decision is one between him, the transportation crew, and the county road reports. Phil says the guideline they follow is zero degrees air temperature, or twenty below wind chill when kids would be out waiting on busses. If those conditions are met or exceeded, we go to delay or cancellation. Thanks for clearing that up, Phil! He also wants to thank all the people who came out in good weather and bad to work on the levy effort.
Thanks to Janet Robberts, one of the volunteers who make all kinds of things work well around the Hebron Crossorads, some other local information of note:
Lakewood Youth Baseball signups are Saturdays, February 22, March 1 & 8. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Lakewood Intermediate School cafeteria. There will also be a Coach's Clinic February 22, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and a Umpire's Clinic February 22, 12:00 p.m.. - 2:00 p.m..
Also, the Hebron Elementary PTO is sponsoring a Spring Craft Fair, March 15 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For craft spaces please contact Lyn Lockwood at 928-7540.
The Hebron Elementary is also collecting Meijer receipts, Campbell Soup labels & Box Tops for Education. Anyone interested in donating these items may drop these off at the school office.
The elementary school will have their Statehood Day celebration a day early, on Feb. 28, and word is a person may step out of the past to tell a story or two about 200 years ago in the Ohio territory. . .
And if you get this by Sat. Feb. 15, Hebron Christian is having a Valentine’s Spaghetti Dinner from 6 to 8 pm with contributions for our regional capital campaign for church camp. Bring your sweetie and have some spaghetti, and choose your own level of generosity.
So here we are at the end of my allotted space, and I still haven’t got to the Ohio Canal and Rt. 79 like I promised last week! Someday I’ll learn to quit doing that, since when I say I will write on something, 42 other things suddenly show up for the column. On the other hand, I should keep writing previews if that gets more info for you to read and benefit from; anyhow, we’ll always get to it someday. So, canal tales next week at the Hebron Crossorads!

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and enjoys wind chill tables and good homemade spaghetti sauce (but his last batch turned into salsa: don’t ask). If you have Hebron news to use, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.