January 2023

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By Paula Scott

Monday night at the library in Bluffton is quite different from other nights. There certainly is no shushing going on. When the Icon stopped by on January 30, the event now billed as “Hummin’ and Strummin’” drew in a group of regulars with guitars, a ukelele and a banjo, as well as a broad repertoire of songs. An equal number came to hum, sing and listen.

Hummin’ and Strummin’ is now a weekly activity from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Mondays at the Bluffton Public Library, 145 S. Main St. Formerly known as the library jam sessions, the activity has been renamed to reflect that you don’t have to be a performer to join in. The schedule has been expanded to every Monday night the library is open.

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J. Denny and Jenny Beaver renamed: Boeke, Irwin, Eachus, Miller, Staton

Perhaps one of the most tightly guarded secrets at Bluffton University is the identities of J. Denny and Jenny Beaver. Even the closest of friends, roommates and family members of the students who portray Bluffton’s mascots may have no idea who is actually in the suit. However, another generation of Beavers concluded their mascot mission. The identities of the Beavers were revealed between the Jan. 28, 2023, men’s and women’s home basketball games against Transylvania in Sommer Center.

Laura Irwin ’23

Wanting to try something new and adventurous, Laura Irwin ’23, a music education major from Glenmont, Ohio, found herself suiting up as the Jenny Beaver mascot for more than the typical one year! She has kept her identity a secret for the past three years.

“It was an experience that spurred personal growth,” said Irwin. “This experience took me out of my comfort zone by interacting with people I normally would not interact with, but I loved every minute of it.”

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Swimming and diving, indoor track and field, men's and women's basketball

By Ethan Stearns, sports information assistant

Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving

HANOVER, Ind. - The Bluffton University swimming and diving team made the long trip to Hanover on Saturday, Jan. 28. A battle with the Panthers served as a final tuneup for the Heartland Conference championships which are slated for February 8-11.

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Bluffton Elementary School has released the following Honor Roll for students in the fourth and fifth grades for the second quarter of the 2022-2023 academic year. By our count, 124 students received this distinction.

All A’s Honor Roll

4th Grade:
Wesley Combs, Elijah Fry, Lydia Gratz, Gabriella Holmes, Milena King, Zachary Lehmkuhle, Averie Marquart, Mikah Miller, Sage Music, Simon Phillips, Samuel Rinaldi, McKenna Stoner, 

5th Grade:
Wyatt Amstutz, Cora Beck, Barrett Benroth, Clara Brauen, Thayne Bricker, Landon Byers, Juliana Carnauba, Wyatt Conley, Cameron Cox, Easton Dunifon, Caleb Fifer, Warren Gaertner, Breydan Glick,

Alenah Gordon-Hancock, Colton Kelly, Kyson Kleman, Amara Kohli, Kinzi Koogler, Jeht Kruse, Peyton Lieurance, Hope Luginbill, Ryker Matson, Levi Mummert, Eva Nygaard, Dominic Recker, Addison Rieman, Ethan Roby, Kadreye Scoles, Addilyn Shoemaker, Bowen Shutler, Claire Snyder, Emery Thiel, Addyson White, 

A/B Honor Roll

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UPDATE This January 31 event has been cancelled.

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Bowlus and Verb set league records 

The Bluffton High School boys and girls swim team competed on Saturday, January 28  in the North Central Ohio Swim conference championships hosted by Colonel Crawford high school in North Robinson, Ohio. Bluffton joined eight other teams from Colonel Crawford, Upper Sandusky, Ada, Bucyrus, Fostoria, Elgin, McComb and Mt. Gilead high schools. 

The girls team finished in second with 253 points behind Colonel Crawford with 302.5 points. The Upper Sandusky team finished in third place with 241.5 points. 

The boys team finished third with 220 points. Colonel Crawford boys won with 315 points, with Upper Sandusky in second with 224.5 points.

Three conference records were broken by the Pirates. Jackson Bowlus now holds the conference record in the boys 50 freestyle with a time of :22.99. Riley Verb holds two conference records, one in the boys 200 IM with a time of 2:13.97 and the boys 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:02.62.

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Here comes February and plenty of new events and programs at the Bluffton Public Library, 145 S. Main St. 419-358-5016.

READING CHALLENGES
From Feb. 1 to Feb. 28, Bluffton Public Library is participating in “For the Love of Reading,” and “Black History Month” Reading Challenges sponsored by Beanstack.  Earn badges while you fall in love with reading this month or as you learn more about Black history, celebrate authors and illustrators and explore events in our community honoring Black experiences.  Keep Reading Bluffton!

STORYTIME
Family, Pre-K, & Baby Storytime (R): Begins on February 6 to April 26. Register on our webpage, phone call, by QR code https://tinyurl.com/Storytime2023, or stop by the library front desk to register. Storytime is a reading and song-filled half hour to encourage a relationship with reading. Register for Monday evenings @ 6:00 p.m. OR Wednesday mornings at 10:00 & 10:30 a.m.  

BOOK GROUPS
Noon Book Group (R) meets in person Wed. Feb 1 to discuss The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. On Wed., March 1 the group will discuss Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery.  Stop by the library's front desk to pick up the book for the next discussion and to sign up for email updates and reminders. 

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This past weekend PPK USA hosted their national punt, pass and kick contest in Tampa, Florida, including competitors advancing from the Made in Ada Wilson Football festival regional event. 

Jamarcus St Laurent is now the National Champion 1st place overall ages 8-9 and Kamden Sampson placed 2nd overall ages 6-7. See additional phots on the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

Also advancing from the local competition were

Brody Donley, Bluffton

Aubree Fischer, Delphos

Tanner Hirsch, Bluffton

Trace Hirsch, Bluffton

Dash Torres, Lima

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By Robert McCool

After a spell of ill health, I find myself back at the books and the keyboard during a winter storm, ready to talk about a book I wanted to hate, but couldn't.

Barbara Kingsolver is a great writer who presents her stories as plain-faced as a tale can be. This leads to some unpleasant topics sometimes when a story absolutely must be told. Such is “Demon Copperhead” ($34.50 ISBN:987-0-06-326746-6), an Oprah's Book Club 2022 selection.

The book is all about a boy (Daemon) with red hair (Copperhead) growing up up in the Apalachicola South, with all its poverty–which means plenty of teen mothers and drugs, among other things like high school football, drinking excessively and having not much future to look forward to. On the other hand, family is tight and most important in life.

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By Cort Reynolds

The visiting Bluffton High School boys basketball team lost a double-overtime thriller to Pandora-Gilboa 58-56 Saturday night.

The Pirates knocked down 11 three-pointers, but came up just short in the annual non-conference rivalry battle.

Bluffton fell behind 17-6 after the first quarter, but rallied in the second stanza to be down only 21-18 at halftime. 

The Pirates inched within 34-32 heading to the fourth period.

Bluffton drained four triples in the final stanza to tie it up 44-44 at the end of regulation.

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