Julie Hostetler Graber is going to Kenya in July to share her teaching experience with the staff of the Mathare Menno Kids Academy. The Academy is a nursery to eighth grade school located in Mathare, a poverty-stricken area of Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. Because Julie was born while her parents, Don and Joyce Hostetler of Bluffton, were serving as volunteers in East Africa, she has developed a lasting interest in the children there. This will be her third visit to Africa as an adult.
School's out and Vacation Bible School season is in. Five Vacation Bible Schools are planned in the Icon viewing area this summer. VBS information follows:
Richland Manor's 4th annual Friday night cruise-in starts at 4 p.m., Friday, June 17. This year's event includes trophies for the top five cars and a trophy for the best motorcycle.
The event includes games and had several door prizes plus a 50-50 raffle benefiting local food banks.
Owners of antique vehicles (car, trucks, motorcycles) are invited to enter the show and enjoy a cookout at Richland Manor, 7400 Swaney Road, Bluffton.
This year's entry fee are canned good donations, which will be given to area food pantries.
A drivers' appreciation carry-in meal is planned at 1 p.m., Sunday, June 12, at the Beaverdam Church of Christ. The event is hosted by the Beaverdam Church of Christ and Second Chance Chapel.
Persons are invited to bring one hot and one cold dish. Table service and drinks will be provided.
The singing group New Dawning from Ft. Wayne, Ind., will perform. The event is open to the public.
The final honor roll of the 2010-11 season was released on June 3 for Bluffton elementary fourth and fifth graders. The students are listed in an attachment at the bottom of this story.
Craig Stone new Bluffton barber is expanding his shop's hours. He is now open Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
He told The Icon that the expansion is because business in Bluffton is picking up. His shop is at 125 N. Main St. (lower), and the cell phone is 419-302-0552. Click here for more details.
BFR will offer Adventure Camp and Gym & Swim for Pre-schoolers in June, according to Carole Enneking, BFR director.
Children ages 2-6 are welcome to register for the first session of Gym and Swim. Tentative plans are for the program to start June 6, meeting on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30-5:50 p.m. for five sessions.
Gym and Swim begins with activities at BFR followed by a swim lesson at the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool.
The session will be delayed if the Bluffton pool is not open at that time.Cost is $40 ($25 BFR member).
The public is invited to take part in a very special day on Sunday, June 19, to celebrate Rev. Charles Warren's upcoming 90th birthday.
His actual birth date is Sept. 4, 1921, but his children are planning to be in the Bluffton area for several days in June.
The husband of Pastor Warren's youngest daughter, Paul Windsor, will be bring a special message on June 19 at Ebenezer Mennonite Church during the Worship Gathering beginning at 10:15 a.m.
On May 21 and 22, the Bluffton Soccer Club hosted the Kohl's American Cup soccer tournament on the Bluffton University campus.
In the 10-team U12 coed group, Bluffton's teams-the United, Crew, and Fire+Revolution-swept the top three spots, finishing (respectively) first, second, and third.
The Riverdale Force won the U12 girls' division, while the Arlington Arsenal won the U15 division. Sportsmanship awards went to the Riverdale Storm (U12C), Riverdale Galaxy (U12G), and Bluffton Fusion (U15).
This is the first in a series of five stories from the sesquicentennial committee that will highlight different aspects of the Bluffton Sesquicentennial.
Community Events During Bluffton Sesquicentennial Celebration: "150 Years of Progress" June 24-July 2, 2011 in Bluffton, Ohio.
Bluffton's sesquicentennial will consist of an entire week of displays, lectures, celebratory events and performances, an Indian Village and even some civil war era re-inactments.
Some of the highlight events of the Bluffton Sesquicentennial are:
