Hebron Crossroads 6-16
By Jeff Gill

Lakewood's girls softball team made us proud with their 24 and 7 run to the state final game. As impressive as their 2nd place finish out of 192 teams was, even more impressive was what principal Dennis Neff noted at the next day's commencement exercises for the LHS Class of 2002: the four senior girls on the team had a combined GPA of 3.675! One of those young women, Abby Daubenmire, was class salutatorian, and spoke at graduation about "stepping out of your comfort zone," and the blessings and rewards that can come from that step, which she's experienced in her own life these last few years.

Kristi Hoskinson, the class president, dedicated the afternoon to "LS Soop" Lou Staffilino, who retires at the end of 2002. She credited Mr. Staffilino with helping keep the class together and on the right track through the transitions from split sessions to a new building. Kimberly Lynn Kirk was class valedictorian, and Alexis Shelley Vance was recognized as Outstanding JVS student this year.

Breaking News, Traffic and Weather, all here on your Hebron Crossroads page!
OK, so this isn't the best place to get current updates, but as this is National Trails Raceway's Pontiac Excitement weekend, you can fairly well assume that the traffic around US 40 and Rt. 37 is heavy (watch for delays!), and that you need to use sunscreen in the direct sunlight alongside the asphalt unless you're in the middle of a thunderstorm. . .which will pass soon anyway, so reapply that sunscreen.

Truly, you do want to avoid going from Luray to Kirkersville by way of the National Road if you at all can help it until next Tuesday. Jim Layton and the gang do an amazing job of keeping the traffic moving into the parking areas and fields north and south of US 40, and the family-friendly atmosphere last year made for an overall calmer atmosphere around the track, but tens of thousands of cars and trucks and trailers can get backed up a bit. Remember, no coolers allowed this year into the track, as security concerns filter right on over into NHRA events, just like at Ohio Stadium.

Many of our Lakewood music and sports support groups will be working the concessions, the ticket-taking, and the parking out at National Trails, as kids and parents try to raise the money for both their activity and, in many cases, to help cover "pay-to-participate."

Licking Baptist Church, nestled in the hills north of Hebron, starts their Vacation Bible School on June 17 at 6 pm, running evenings through June 23. For more info on their programs for pre-school through adults, call 928-3586. A special feature on June 18 will have to be seen to be believed, so just show up and believe it!

Finally, don't forget to watch the sidewalks and crosswalks as you drive; school is out, and the kids are way, way out, and we all need to drive alertly and walk safely. As the saying goes, Hebron doesn't have any kids to spare.

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church, and always looks both ways when crossing the street; if you have other summer safety tips, call him at 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net.

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Booster cover story -- Grand Homes of Licking County

Just south of Hebron's Main Street, which as the National Road was once known as "America's Main Street," one of the oldest buildings in Licking County graces the corner of 7th and Deacon.

Built around 1826-8, what is still known as "the Madden House" in Hebron once stood downtown, just west of Porter's Barber Shop. After the Ohio and Erie Canal was planned to cross the National Road at the spot we call Hebron, a settlement sprang up. The original purpose of the structure is not known, but by the 1850's it was a dance hall.

From dance hall to preacher's house may be a bit of a leap, but that matches the trip the home made in 1880, when it was about to be torn down to make way for a National Guard armory (later replaced by the interurban power plant). Family and local legend has it that Thomas Madden, with nine children already born to him and his wife Nancy Virginia and four more yet to come, was walking by when he saw a cluster of men from the Lyons family discussing what to do with their property. Hearing that the house had to be moved or torn down right away, he walked up to them and said, "If I can have that house for what I've got in my pockets right now, I'll take it off your hands." The deal was closed with a handshake then and there, but the story closes by pointing out that while he got a house for $25 that way, it cost him $40 to move the house with a team of horses and a rope winch.

The Maddens had three sons and six daughters who survived infancy, and two of those daughters who never married, Letha and May, stayed in the Madden House the rest of their lives, and are buried across from Thomas and Nancy in the village cemetery. Charlie and Marian McDaniels, the owners, bought this beautiful home from other Madden relatives who lived briefly in it after the sisters' passing.

As active members of the Hebron Historical Society, the McDaniels have graciously shared their home with many different visitors, including long-lost Madden relatives passing through, village residents, and the historical society Christmas dinners. Charlie and Marian are still thankful for a decision made by Letha and May long before the McDaniels' moved to Hebron from Whitehall.

"Somebody offered them hundreds of dollars for that curved, cherry stair-railing, but they said 'No,' their father helped make it and it stays with the house," tells Charlie, "and since Marian had always wanted a house with a winding staircase, that just clinched the deal." Along with the warm, rich tones of the cherry bannister is the soft glow that only comes from hundreds of years of children's hands polishing the wood to a luminous smoothness.

Thomas Madden came to Hebron after the Civil War, where he rose almost immediately to the rank of sergeant in the 178th O.V.I.; his leadership skills also showed in how he helped organize a church right after he got to town in 1867. The fellowship he led often called lay preachers without formal education "Deacon," and while he went on to make ministry his full-time profession, and was one of the first "settled" pastors of both Hebron Christian Church and later Central Christian Church in Newark, the title "Deacon" Madden seems to have stuck, staying with us as the name of the street adjoining the Madden House.

Education has long been part of the vocation for both the Madden House and its residents; Letha and May frequently boarded teachers who worked at the Hebron School just west of them, and many of the Madden children and their spouses went into education . . . those that didn't go into the ministry, that is, and even some of those were involved in the early Sunday School movement, and one son-in-law, O.G. White, who married Lena, was an early state offical with the Disciples of Christ out of his work at West Virginia University.

Don't think for a moment that this home hasn't stories to tell beside hymn-singing and teacher's teas! Even beyond the dance hall days of Hebron's wilder past, one of Marian's prize possessions is a picture of Clara Madden, looking very prim and formal in a vast, sweeping bonnet, with an accompanying letter from Florence, the youngest surviving Madden. The letter asserts that, with her brother Arthur, Clara climbed the 150 foot tall smokestack of the old Hebron Power Plant, placing her high above the spot where the Madden House once stood. It was as if Clara and Florence wanted to tell a later generation, such as our own, that they knew how to cut up and have a good time even if their dad was a preacher!

Clara and Arthur, the smokestack and the Maddens are all gone from here, but the home they made and the influence they had in their church and community is still quite visible in Hebron. You can drive by 7th and Deacon and salute a living monument, still serving as a house and a home just as Tom and Nancy and the kids would have liked best.

And of an evening, if you squint just right at the sky behind Hayman's Dairy Bar, you might just see a blossom of crinolines perched near the top of a shadowy cylinder of brick, gazing out proudly across the rooftops of Hebron long ago.

Hebron Crossroads 6-09
by Jeff Gill

Lakewood High School will graduate the class of 2002 this Sunday, and after so many open houses (and so much cake!) it will be good to see the procession across the stage of the seniors, accompanied by the cheers of their families and friends.

Every ending is indeed a beginning, and for these 200-plus graduates a new beginning in a fast changing world . . .but wait, this is starting to sound like a commencement address, and we'll just wait until next week and hear what the student speakers have to share with us.

Buckeye Outdoors is graduating into their new building this week, with some walk-in traffic and sales starting already there behind AmeriHost. While the Grand Opening is August 11, Ohio's "largest hunting, fishing, and camping store on one floor" is already doing business. Stop by and answer "the call of the wild!"

Hebron Village council and administrator Mike McFarland did a great job getting the municipal complex with the Hebron Library connected to Evans Park on Refugee with a sidewalk. Not only does that make for more safe and comfortable walking in the village, but the symbolic connection of library and park reminds everyone to keep mind and body both in good health. Walkers started using the route just as soon as the concrete dried (maybe one or two just before), and the walking track at the park caps off a good morning of exercise from the library to Evans and back again after a lap or two.

Many folks around the village have commented with satisfaction on how quickly the National Road milestone was put back up when the concrete work was finished, and even augmented with some plantings around the base. Sadly, Licking County is one of the few places you can see most of the original markers in place for a considerable distance. Union and Licking Townships have most of their stones right where they belong, including the two within Hebron's municipal boundaries.

While some were made of cast iron that rusted away, and others of rapidly eroding sandstone, the biggest hazards the stones have faced over the last 150 or so years have been indifference and greed; some have gone into private backyards, others into county historical societies miles away from the National Road itself, and others are occasionally sold. Their main value, of course, is in relation to where they belong.

The milestone now re-set near the municipal complex says at the top "Cumberland 231," showing how far from the original starting point of Cumberland, Maryland you are. The next level down, on each "facet" of the stone, are mileages from the nearest cities both east and west, here being Zanesville and Columbus. The bottom level is usually an initial letter, such as "H." for Hebron or "L." for Luray, and the mileage (or half-mileage) to the next village either way.

In this season of important milestones like graduation, it's good to see some of our oldest milestones get some "Pomp and Circumstance" of their own!

Jeff Gill is pastor of Hebron Christian Church and a big milestone fan. If you or someone you know has a big milestone to celebrate, call 928-4066 or e-mail disciple@voyager.net and we'll announce it in the Crossroads.

Notes From My Knapsack
for June 2002 "Church Window"
Hebron Christian Church

They tell me Oprah has ended her Book Club, or at least will less frequently offer book recommendations than she has these last five years. That might just open up a chance to suggest a few "Church Window" book club choices for your summer relaxation.

The last few years I've recommending to anyone who would listen a small, thin book called "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." Translated from the French of Jean-Dominique Bauby, this is the story, told in first-person with some help, of a man who went from being the classic black turtleneck, cigarette smoking, sunglasses in a dark nightclub kind of editor for a French fashion magazine to a victim of "locked-in syndrome." This is a graceful medical term for the horrific state of not being able to move anything but, in Bauby's case, one of his eyelids.

With the help of friends, family, and medical professionals, he not only survives, but learns how to go from simple communication to dictating a book, all through techniques based on his eyelid's movement. This book should, by all rights, be unbearably sad, and yet it is strangely exhilarating to follow the growth of this man through his physical diminishment, which is the story he so wanted to share. His account of visiting the famous healing shrine at Lourdes is itself worth the price of the book.

In most situations, as a pastor I'm highly resistant to suggestions that physical ailments are "given" by God for our own good. While that's still my general assumption, there's no avoiding the fact that while, in this case, Bauby was not healed from his affliction, he was healed by his affliction.

There is a new book out in the "Mitford" series by Jan Karon, which may be a bit self-serving to recommend since a village priest in NC is the hero (one of 'em, anyhow), but I've been reading and enjoying these books since the first one came out from a small Christian publishing house and they were hard to find. Jan's gone mass-market now, but I'm glad more people can read them. She's also published a "facsimile" of Father Tim's sermon notebook, which I'm trying to get the Hebron Library to buy so I can read it more slowly; the problem is that I want to copy all his notes down into *my* sermon notebook!

A slightly grittier perspective on parish life (how come the Episcopalians have all the novels?) is in Gail Godwin's "Evensong," now in paperback and the follow-up to "Father Melancholy's Daughter." Both very fine novels, and both prominently featuring clergy. . .hmmmmmm.

OK, one last summer read I can highly recommend is -- wait, no, there's a couple clergy in it too, but one's nuts and the other is; well, just read the book -- "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo. It just came out in pb as well (I'm thinking cheaply here for you!) and is often found on shelves next to "Straight Man," a comic novel set on a campus much like one Joyce taught at some years ago, and "Nobody's Fool," which was made into a movie with Paul Newman a few years back. Russo won the Pulitzer at long last for "Empire Falls," and probably for his whole body of work including "Mohawk" and "The Risk Pool."

Let me know when you've read all those, and I'll start a new list!

In Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff

Commissioner's Corner
By Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish

You must be kidding me. You want me to think about Fall Program Planning?

Yeah, I can hear some of you say that when I mention the Program Planning Kickoff on August 20th at the Newark Public Library from 5 pm to ??? Note I said "some," because many of you battle-hardened Cubmasters and Scoutmasters have already learned full well the rule of 60.

What's the rule of 60. . . days, that is? Simply put, you can't reasonably expect families with kids (or anyone, but families especially) to put something on their calendar and make a firm commitment to participating with less than two months notice, or 60 days. Actually, on the district and council level (and this applies to church youth groups, 4-H'ers, etc.), the rule is more like 90 days, or three months, because by the time an event or activity announcement gets to a group in the mail, goes through committees or boards or whatever, and finally becomes an announcement or newsletter article, you've usually used up one month, and then you still need the 60 days notice.

Keep that in mind, as well as the Fall Program Planning Kick-off, which is now about . . . 60 days away!

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Commissioner's Corner
By Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish

Debriefing. That's not a word filled with woodsmoke and outdoorsiness, but Scout units that do a camping experience this summer can benefit from using a debriefing.

Soon after your return, sit down with your adult leaders, your youth leaders, and maybe just a few Scouts and parents, and talk through what you all just did and what the unit learned from it. Ideally, you might do a debriefing separately with each group, but depending on unit size and time constraints, any format is preferably to no debriefing at all.

One reason even scouters who are familiar with the concept of "debriefing" tend to shy away from doing it is the fear that the gathering will become a "gripe session" (you may be familiar with other words than "gripe" in this context). The best way to avoid that is to make the "debrief" focus on these three questions, IN THIS ORDER! 1.) What went well? 2.) What didn't go as well as you hoped, and why? 3.) What would you like to do differently, and how? This simple debriefing technique can help ensure that each outing is better than the last.


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Commissioner's Corner
By Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish

Family Night is, to put it bluntly, not the favorite part of the week for most of the summer camp staff. I say most because, having been a camp staffer in Scoutcraft, Nature/Conservation, Field Sports, Trading Post Manager, and as Program Director, I know how much I dreaded Family Night every summer EXCEPT the year I was TP Manager. Did I mention that they paid the manager by commission that summer?

Unit leaders can really help the staff be good hosts by getting some information out to your parents before camp starts. I always noticed that the units from which we had little or no trouble from the parents would have a set time they asked parents to arrive (which also facilitated car pooling), greeted them at the gate with an honor guard of youth in uniform, and escorted the family members through the sign-in for meals if that was part of the plan, and then together as a body to the campsite.

A little pre-talk by the unit leader for the week in the campsite also helps to share information on your terms, not from the youth, and gives you another chance to tell parents what's going well. Some parents will always be horrified that little Johnny is covered with mosquito bites, a few bark scrapes, and a fair-amount of ground-in dirt, but they'll be helped by your putting the week so far into perspective.

Plan for Family Night, and you can use the experience as a great support-building time from your scout families; just let Family Night happen, and you might start to feel the way some of the staffers do about it!

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Commissioner's Corner
By Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish

Poetry has been part of Scouting from the very beginning. As Baden-Powell re-wrote "Aids to Scouting" in 1908 into "Scouting for Boys," the beginning of the Scouting Movement, he had just read Rudyard Kipling's "Kim," and B-P got Kipling's permission to copy liberally from the book, which was still a world-wide best-seller.

Poems as meeting starters, Scoutmaster's Minutes, or campfire tales have continued to be a strong part of Scouting's heritage. From Kipling, there's the well-known "If":

http://www.cordair.com/apotheosis/ecards/poetry/kipling/if.htm

For both history and drama, almost anyone can read this poem well from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere":

http://www.cordair.com/apotheosis/ecards/poetry/longfellow/paul.htm

Edgar Guest was an American poet of the early 1900's who was quoted in many early editions of the BSA Scout Handbook, and Breen Bar Bill himself liked to recite "It Couldn't Be Done":

http://www.cordair.com/apotheosis/ecards/poetry/guest/itcouldnt.htm

And my favorite around a campfire on a muggy summer night is "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert Service (you'll cool off just hearing it read), but all his stuff is great for scouts, found at:

http://www.ude.net/service/index.html

And one more just for scouters. . .the younger scouts won't get this one, but I'm betting you will, titled "The Gods of the Copybook Heading":

http://www.cordair.com/apotheosis/ecards/poetry/kipling/cpybk.htm

Enjoy!

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Commissioner's Corner
By Jeff Gill, Dist. Commish

Where can you find Round-Up packets, popcorn info, atl-atls, camping tips, free field trips, service project ideas, and fresh, hot coffee all in one place? At the Fall Program Planning Kickoff!

Tuesday, August 20th, in the meeting room of the Newark Public Library from 5 pm to 8:30 pm, you'll find all that and more. The Licking District Committee and Commissioner's staff will put on another great evening of resources and information guarateed to be useful or one of Baden-Powell's middle names isn't Smythe!

You don't have to sign up, but every unit does need to show up, so we can get you timely info about fall activities, give you a chance to swap ideas with other unit leaders, and so we can save postage on popcorn and Round-up mailings.

Look for the Unit Program Fishin' Hole, and cast your line out for a sure-fire big one that won't get away! There will be over 20 other booths and stations from Licking Park District, the Coast Guard Reserve, the OA, and many others. Drop by and drop a line with us . . .

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

* * * * * * *

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.

* * * * * * *

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