Bluffton’s next American Red Cross blood drive is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursday, March 20, in the new gym at Bluffton High. All donors receive a t-shirt.
A Bluffton resident who “has worked tirelessly and mostly behind the scenes to make Bluffton a better place to live,” is the 2013 Bluffton Lions Club citizen of the year.
Richard Ramseyer, long-time community promoter, received the honor by the club this week. He will be recognized at a dinner on April 15 at First Mennonite Church.
Ramseyer’s involvement in Bluffton touches countless aspect of the community. The Illinois native came to Bluffton when he attended and graduated from Bluffton College in the mid-1950s.
The community garden at Grace Mennonite Church in Pandora is now taking reservations for the 2014 gardening season. Plots are 30 x 35 feet in size and are located on the grounds of the church building at 502 East Main Street, Pandora.
Water is available periodically during the summer. A donation of $30 is suggested for use of the plot. To reserve a garden plot, phone Carolyn at 419-384-3829.
These plots have been prepared as a community service to Pandora, Bluffton, and other area communities. Anyone who is interested in gardening is welcome.
Bluffton High School's 15th annual academic letter banquet is at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 18, in the Bluffton middle school cafetorium.
Students must have cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher to receive an academic letter.
Ten BHS seniors will make presentations. They are: Jonah Bourassa, Landon Cluts, Luke Headings, Andrew Hoff, Jonatan Moser, Trent Phillips, Ryan Sprague, Billy Theisen, Stephen Tatarkov and Aaron Wannemacher.
The entire list of students receiving academic letters is in an attachment at the bottom of this story.
Jeff Gundy, a professor of English at Bluffton University, will present a program on Thursday, March 27, on his newly published book, “Somewhere Near Defiance.”
Beginning with refreshments at 3:45 p.m., the event—also featuring student participants—is free and open to the public in Bluffton’s Musselman Library Reading Room. Afterward, Gundy will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase.
Dr. Brian Bantum, an assistant professor of theology at Seattle Pacific University and Seminary, will address the question “Discipleship: What’s Race Got to Do with It?” in a Bluffton University forum on Tuesday, March 25. Free and open to the public, the event will begin at 11 a.m. in Bluffton’s Founders Hall.
Bluffton University art majors Lydia Speicher of Marysville, Ohio, and Erika Lauf of Lima, Ohio, will display art they have created at Bluffton during their senior exhibition, from March 25-April 6 in the Grace Albrecht Gallery in Sauder Visual Arts Center.
The exhibit, titled “Figurative Psychology,” is free and open to the public, as is a reception for the artists from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 30. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
John R. Kleinhen, 68, of Ada died at 10 a.m. on March 16, 2014 at Lima Manor. He was born May 29, 1945 in Fostoria to the late Robert and Mary Crawford Kleinhen.
John was a self-employed painter who enjoyed working on classic cars and reading. He was a graduate of Fostoria High School.
Survivors include a son, Robert (Mallory) Kleinhen of Kansas City, Mo., three grandsons, Kaden, Collin and Jace Kleinhen, and two brothers, Steven (Julie) Kleinhen of Eaton, Ohio and Dennis Kleinhen of Naples, Fla.
Drawing on his recent sabbatical trip to New Zealand, Dr. Trevor Bechtel shared stories of peace in the animal kingdom and challenged traditional views on domestication and slaughter March 12 in Bluffton University’s C. Henry Smith Peace Lecture.
The Bluffton professor of religion suggested that peace is found wherever right relationships are discovered, which can easily be viewed within the animal kingdom.
