April 2023

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Ada resident and former Bluffton High School teacher Gary Brown passed away on April 25; his obituary is HERE.

By Fred Steiner
www.blufftonforever.com

Pardon the following recollections. They may be hit-and-miss, because as M. Twain claimed “The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that didn’t happen.”

Funny how you continue to address your high school teachers as “Mr.”, “Mrs.,” or “Miss,” long after your own graduation in the world of adults.

Mr. Brown–also known as Gary Brown–is a perfect example. This past  winter I saw him in the bank, and said, “Hello, Mr. Brown,” as our conversation began. I’d never considered, “Hello, Gary.” That would have the broken unwritten rule number one between student and teacher. At least in my day.

Despite that, here’s what enters the adolescent caverns of my mind when recalling the “Mr. Brown file.”

First, he was unconventional. Junior high students appreciated that. He could joke with us, with a down-to-earth-like honesty.

He once told us that he’d prefer having a black snake in the house to keep the mice at bay rather than using mouse traps. That captured the class attention. Was he telling the truth? We believed so.

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By Ailing Chen, MD
Pediatrics, Caughman Health Center

Acute strep pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat, is a bacterial infection that affects the throat and tonsils. It is caused by the group A Streptococcus bacterium that can be easily spread through contact with an infected person's saliva or nasal secretions. 

However, viruses are the most common cause of pharyngitis in all age groups. Experts estimate that group A strep, the most common bacterial cause, causes 20 to 30 percent of pharyngitis episodes in children. In comparison, experts estimate it causes approximately five to 15 percent of pharyngitis infections in adults.

What are the symptoms for strep throat?
The most common symptoms of strep throat include sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and white or yellow spots on the back of the throat or tonsils. Other symptoms may include headache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting — especially among children. Rash on face or around the neck may be present with strep infection in some children, which is called scarlet fever. 

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Photographs by Jamie Nygaard

By Paula Scott

The community that has grieved and honored fallen police officer Dominic Francis since his loss in the line of duty on March 31, 2022, is now celebrating him with a first official memorial on Interstate I-75.

On Friday, April 28, ceremonies to commemorate the Officer Dominic Francis Memorial Highway--a portion of I-75 in Allen and Hancock counties--were held at Bluffton Town Hall. Signs will be located at mile marker 139 Northbound and 143 Southbound.

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By Paula Scott

Election Day is Tuesday, May 2, 2023 and Bluffton voters have several local ballot items to consider. In Village of Bluffton voting precincts A, B and C, the following questions and issues will appear on ballots:

  • Two proposed tax levy renewals for Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District
  • A proposed Gas Aggregation resolution

Precinct B ballots will include

  • Local Liquor Option (a D-6 permit for alcohol sales on Sunday for the restaurant at 133 N. Main St., Luke’s Bar and Grill a.k.a. Kira’s Flipside Grill).

No candidates will appear on the May 2 primary ballot. Valid filers for mayor and council will be nominated to the general election in November. 

AT THE POLLS
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.. The postmark deadline for absentee ballots in May 1 and the deadline to return absentee ballots in person to the county board of elections is 7:30 p.m. on May 2. (Note: 601 N. Main St. is still a Bluffton polling place.)

Voters are now required to show an Ohio or federally-issued photo ID when voting in person. If you do not have a state-issued photo ID, you can now get a free state ID from your local BMV.

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By Cort Reynolds

The visiting Wapakoneta boys tennis team defeated Bluffton 4-1 Thursday evening, April 27.

Bluffton fell to 6-10 after the loss. Wapakoneta improved to 7-7 with the non-league win.

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By Cort Reynolds

Playing at home, the Bluffton High School baseball team beat Spencerville convincingly 6-2 in a Northwest Conference baseball game Thursday evening, April 27.

The Pirates improved to 8-7 overall and 4-2 in the NWC, good for third place in the league, with the victory. The struggling Bearcats dropped to 1-15 overall and 1-5 in the NWC after the defeat.

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By Cort Reynolds

Playing at home, the Bluffton High School softball team crushed Spencerville 18-4 in a run-rule shortened Northwest Conference contest Thursday evening, April 27.

The Pirates scored seven runs in the second inning and plated eight more in the third frame to break the game wide open.

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The 61st annual Lima Symphony Orchestra National Young Artists’ Competition will be held on Saturday, April 29 at Yoder Recital Hall on the campus of Bluffton University. The competition this year features piano, winds, and brass. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. 

Including both a Junior and Senior Division, competitors represent the universities and conservatories from across the country. 

This year the Friends of the Symphony welcome judges Da Eun Choi (piano), Michele Gingras (clarinet), Stephen Campbell (trumpet), and Hamilton Tescarollo (piano). 

Winners will receive cash prizes. First-place winners, upon recommendation of the Lima Symphony Orchestra Music Director, may appear as featured soloists with the Lima Symphony Orchestra at a future date. 

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The following construction projects have and will continue to impact Bluffton. ODOT District 1 has announced these details, noting that all outlined work is weather permitting.

State Route 103 (Bentley Road) between Main St. and Harmon Rd. in the village of Bluffton closed on Feb. 24 for approximately 64 days for reconstruction and waterline installation. Reopening is anticipated on or near May 5.

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By Andy Chappell-Dick

Even faithful readers of the Council Summary may not recall that the last meeting ended with an Executive Session. This often means that all Councilors and Administrators troop off to the small adjoining conference room, and those of us not invited to join them head home. Ohio law provides six reasons for legislatures to meet behind closed doors and they are obligated to state which one they're invoking. This time, it was "ongoing litigation."  This reporter learned only this week, upon reading the April 10 official minutes, that Council had some time later returned to regular session and voted to enter mediation in a dispute. It's a legal matter with a property owner along the S.R. 103 Pathway project and, when asked, Administrator Jesse Blackburn assured me that it would not delay the project.

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