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Man with many hats wore his civic pride
(by Christine Thome - November 29, 2010)
BEYOND MY CONTROL, BY CHRISTINE THOME
Man with many hats wore his civic pride
Most small towns can claim several residents who, through their personalities, actions and lifestyles, make living in a small town very interesting.
Last week, Chagrin Falls said goodbye to one of its iconic characters, Ray Bell.
Almost right up to his 83rd birthday, Ray could be seen riding his bike through town. Catching a glimpse of Ray zooming through the village and pedaling up and down steep hills, we'd pass him (or he would often pass us) in our comfortable cars, and we would chuckle, "There goes Ray!" In incredible physical shape, Ray participated in triathlons and sports of endurance.
And endure, he did.
But to the people of Chagrin Falls, Ray was probably best known for his civic mindedness. If there was a tax to be considered, a levy to be passed or a restoration to be completed, Ray made sure he understood every aspect of the subject and made it his job to inform the rest of us.
Much to Ray's chagrin (pun intended!), not enough of us participate in our local governments. When an important issue arises that will directly affect the integrity of the town and our cost of living, most of us don't educate ourselves much beyond what the local newspaper states, what our neighbors think or what is printed on fliers that end up in our mailboxes. In Ray's mind, if you want to know what's going on, you must participate physically and mentally.
I have sat on several community-wide committees that earnestly try to make our village, our schools and our environment a better place to live. Sometimes this required levies or increased taxes, but, before we brought our proposal to the public, we made sure it passed the "Ray Bell test."
Is this good for the majority? Are all the facts being presented truthfully? Is our information transparent, allowing everyone the opportunity to see all sides of the issue? If not, you'd better get back to the drawing board or you would hear from Ray.
Our national government would benefit greatly if they simply instituted the Ray Bell test. Heck, most family squabbles could be prevented if we applied the Ray Bell test before acting or speaking out loud.
But the first time I met Ray was not at a school board or Village Council meeting; it was at my front door, on Halloween night, 15 years ago.
For all his seriousness in government affairs, Ray was, at heart, a big 'ole kid. Some neighbors put us at arm's length because of our youth and rambunctious children. But Ray and his wife, Mack, embraced us.
I'm sure Ray introduced himself when we first moved in, but I only remember seeing him standing at my door wearing a witch's hat that had scraggly, long, gray hair hanging down from it. And in his hand was an identical hat for my husband, John.
"Do I have to wear the hat?" John whispered to me.
"Yes, you have to wear the hat," I insisted.
As I watched John and Ray walk down our driveway in their identical witch's hats, each of them holding the small hand of a child, I remember smiling and thinking how blessed we were to have such a fun, vibrant, larger-than-life person take such an interest in our growing family.
That first Halloween turned into 14 more. And while the location of our house changed, the kids grew up and we grew older, Ray would always show up with a hat on his head and another one in his hand for John to wear.
"Yes, you have to wear the hat," I would tell John every year before he had a chance to ask and before Ray even arrived.
Ray literally had a closet full of hats in every size, style and color and many that blinked on and off.
One December afternoon, I arrived home after a very long day to find a Santa hat with bright lights on it attached to my back door, blinking away. There was no need for a note. Ray was thinking about us.
I have no doubt that you can find Ray right now, actively participating in an angel council meeting.
If you're not sure who he is, just look for the blinking halo.
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