Hebron Crossroads 5-23-04
By Jeff Gill

Got cicadas?

That won’t be an ad campaign anytime soon, but it is an interesting question around the Hebron Crossroads, especially given that the dividing line between “broods” seems to run right up the old Ohio & Erie Canal, or Rt. 79.
The 17 year cicada is just what it sounds like: a bug that comes out every 17 years and screams, in a buglike way, until dark (the reverse of a horror movie, I guess); after mating, they plant eggs in slits through the bark of tree limbs, and over the next 17 years they develop living off of tree sap, grow and drop to the ground, burrow in deep and change and grow some more, until 17 years have passed when they burst forth in all their red-eyed, Edsel-faced glory, bug-screaming their way through another summer day.
But not all 17 year cicadas all across the US bust loose on the same timetable. One brood, the infamous “Brood X” (actually, that’s just the Roman numeral ten, but it looks cool, doesn’t it? Like a movie title, “Brood X Screams By Day!”) is over much of Ohio including the Columbus area. Licking County is half Brood X and half another brood that doesn’t hatch ‘n holler until 2008, from here over to Zanesville.
That’s what the maps say, but I was recently up at Flint Ridge and saw a new cicada looking very much at home, though still finding his singing voice. Do you have ‘em yet where you live?

Much more beautiful music last weekend at the Lakewood District Band Festival on Sunday afternoon. It is a very good plan to have one long concert instead of three or four on different nights. . .at least for those of us who have in the family or want to hear and support a bunch of kids from fifth grade right through the graduating seniors. The Band Boosters made this work even better with their cafeteria operation that ran through the afternoon, and the Little Guy loved the shredded chicken. To play with. Oh well.
“Hang On Sloopy” was nicely done by the fifth graders with some help from the high schoolers, like Sonya Ford and Josh Halter, which I thought was a very nice touch for their last number.
And Scott Coffey had a great speech at the start of the high school Symphonic Band portion about a local resident, Frank Robison, who had shared with him about the Hebron and Buckeye Lake tradition of circus bands in our area. They then opened with a march, not a military march but a circus march, and the difference was clearly discernable. “Broadway One Step” was a great piece and also a piece of our local history.
Thanks to all, and also Lauren Houck and Rob Caldwell, who did such a great job with the kids in teaching and directing all year.

Over at Hebron Elementary on Monday, the Spring Arts Program by the third graders (first grades traditionally do Christmas, and so on each year) was a musical presentation called “Child Of The World.” Mrs. Clark has had some health adventures this year, but really wanted the third graders to get their chance. With other teachers and family members helping (including a grandson, who helped, sort of!) the stage looked international and the kids were world class.
Under flags of the US, Israel, Austria, Great Britain, Mexico, Japan, and France all handmade, and over themes of Respect, Honesty, Courage, Compassion, and Responsibility, ditto handmade banners, they shared what it meant to be a “Child of the World.”
Solo pairs in the show were performed by Brianna Ames and Yves Amornyard, and by Mary Gilbert and Courtney Baker. Many other kids delivered lines and bits of song with great aplomb (they were calm and cool, too).

Village of Hebron Crossroads Festival info, including pre-sale tickets at the elementary school, can be found on the front page; suffice it to say that the excitement grows with each passing day! We do still need some parking helpers. Lakewood women’s softball and men’s baseball were continuing their winning ways as these paragraphs were typed; for breaking news, watch our sister publication The Advocate, or go to newarkadvocate.com.

That’s the interesting stuff for now; if you still want to read (or if Editor Amy has room), some of you have shared other observations about the “DaVinci Code” craze and my comments about the book. For what it’s worth, thanks to a “blogging” friend online, Amy Welborn, who has written a book on this phenomenon, here’s a look at how even Dan Brown, the author, has had to back off of some of his more outlandish claims. . .and you can check it out yourself at http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/faqs.html:

Early version:
HOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS BASED ON FACT?
All of it. The paintings, locations, historical documents, and organizations described in the novel all exist. Photos of the paintings and locations can be viewed in art books or on my website.
A somewhat later version:
HOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS BASED ON FACT?
The paintings, locations, historical documents, and organizations described in the novel all exist. Photos of the paintings and locations can be viewed in art books or on my website.
Most recent version:
HOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS TRUE?
The Da Vinci Code is a novel and therefore a work of fiction. While the book's characters and their actions are obviously not real, the artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals depicted in this novel all exist (for example, Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings, the Louvre pyramid, the Gnostic Gospels, Hieros Gamos, etc.). These real elements are interpreted and debated by fictional characters. While it is my belief that the theories discussed by these characters have merit, each individual reader must explore these characters' viewpoints and come to his or her own interpretations. My hope in writing this novel was that the story would serve as a catalyst and a springboard for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion, and history.

Jeff in closing: Interesting evolution, no?

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and he hopes he looks good in an orange vest Memorial Day weekend; if you’d like to help or have news of local interest, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.