June 2023

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By Lydia Gratz, 4-H news reporter

The Bluffton Cattle 4-H Club will be hosting their annual chicken BBQ fundraiser at the Bluffton Sportsmen’s Club (405 N. Spring St., Bluffton) on Sunday, July 16 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

The money raised benefits the Bluffton-Pandora-Beaverdam buyers group, who support the Bluffton area livestock exhibitors at the Allen County Fair. 

Tickets are $10.00 each which includes a 1/2 chicken, mac & cheese, green beans, and a roll, catered by Bubba C’s.

There will also be a bake sale by donation. Pre-sale tickets are available from any Bluffton Cattle Club member.

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By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1974, The Longest Yard was released starring Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, and Mike Conrad. The plot involves a former NFL football player who is arrested and sent to prison. Ultimately, a game is played with the prisoners against the prison guards. The prisoners win the game. While celebrating, Reynolds’s character appears to be walking off the field as though he might escape. The warden (Albert) is shouting for the guards to shoot him. Reynolds was retrieving the game ball and not escaping. 

The picture was filmed at the Georgia State Prison in cooperation with the Office of the Governor. The Georgia governor was Jimmy Carter. The film won a Golden Globe for the Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy). 

Burt Reynolds had some serious injuries from Florida State University football and a car accident. He took time off from football and took junior college courses where he was discovered and started acting. He attempted to go back to football at Florida State, but his injuries deterred him from continuing. 

Overcoming adversity can be a struggle whether that be prison, injuries or long COVID. Over the last few months more information has been published on long COVID. 

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Russ Gregory, 81, died unexpectedly on May 9, 2023 in Denver, Colorado due to complications following successful open-heart surgery.

Russ was born on January 8, 1942 in Wooster, Ohio.  After graduating from Dalton High School in 1960 he attended Bluffton College (now University), majoring in Music Education and Piano, later earning a Master’s Degree in Music History from Ohio State University in 1972.

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The Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the following winning numbers for the June 2023 Discovery Days prize drawing:

First Place - $100 Bluffton Bucks - 830946

Second Place - $50 Bluffton Bucks - 831000

Third Place - $25 Bluffton Bucks - 831242 

Prizes can be picked up at the Bluffton Public Library, 145 S. Main, after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.  Prizes must be picked up before July 21, 2023.

For your reference, these numbers are also listed on our Classifieds page.

 

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On July 5, the Noon Book Group will talk about the book 'Ordinary Grace' by William Kent Krueger. The novel is set in a small town and is about a murder in 1961.

As the name suggests, the Noon Book Group meets every noon on the first Wednesday of each month at the Bluffton Public Library, 145 S. Main.

The full list of 2023 Noon Book Group titles can be found at the library and at www.blufftonpubliclibrary.org/

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More than 500 swimmers and their families will descend on Kenton on July 7-8, for the 41st annual Elks Invitational Swim Meet and Western Ohio Aquatics League (WOAL) Championship. The WOAL meet is for swimmers aged 5-18 who are members of a league team.

The Kenton Municipal Swimming pool is the host site for the even, which will host teams from Ada, Bluffton, Findlay, Kenton, Shawnee Country Club, Wapakoneta, Westside and Van Wert. These eight teams will compete for the 2023 league title.  

Events start at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 7 and will conclude around 2:00 p.m. Day two will start at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 8 and conclude around 3:00 p.m. The league champs will be crowned at the end of day two.  

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By Paula Scott

Want to know when you or your neighbors can discharge fireworks? Ohio law regarding fireworks changed on July 1, 2022. It is now legal to discharge 1.4G consumer fireworks on specified dates. A white paper from the state fire marshal is summarized below. The full document is HERE.

Discharge is permitted on specific days and at specific times if not banned or further restricted by a local political subdivision. Ohioans may discharge 1.4G consumer fireworks only from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. (with specified variations) on the following dates: 

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On Sunday, June 25, beloved husband, father, brother, pastor, and friend, Ronald John Williams, age 66, entered Glory after a period of declining health.

Ron was born on January 29, 1957, in Reno, Nevada, to the late Richard and Dorothy (Locher) Williams. He graduated from Bluffton High School in 1975, and Bluffton College in 1980.

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The following article provides highlights from the July 2023 Golden Age News from the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center, 132 N. Main. The Senior Center will be closed on Tuesday, July 4.

July 2023: A great month to enjoy the little things like freedom, friends and popsicles. Some of us will be heading west this month. Don’t have too much fun without us! There will still be lots of things to do at the Senior Center while we are gone. Come and check them out.

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The Swiss Community Historical Society of Bluffton and Pandora will host its second Summer Saturday event at the Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Rd., on Saturday, July 1, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The special activity will feature Van Risser demonstrating and sharing some examples of hearth cooking.

During the early years Swiss Settlement cooks used a back fire and pulled hot coals forward under a cast iron pot. They learned to control their fire and plan what kind of heat was needed for different tasks—roasting, boiling, frying, stewing, heating water for washing, etc. A steady supply of firewood was essential and was probably logged, cut up, and carried into the house by the men and boys.

The public is invited to attend this event. Docents in period costumes will be on hand for guided tours of the air-conditioned house, as well as the summer kitchen, garden, workshop and barn. 

Private tours may be arranged for Mondays-Saturdays by contacting Susie Gratz at [email protected] or calling 419-358-4822 and leaving a message.

July 1, 2023
Schumacher House 8350 Bixel Road, Bluffton
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Admission is $5, free for those under age 17 and members.

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