October 2023

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By Cort Reynolds

For the second straight season, Riverdale and Bluffton met in the Div. III girls soccer district finals at Steinmetz Field on a sunny Saturday afternoon. 

And once again the underdog Falcons frustrated the Pirates on their home pitch, edging the hosts 1-0 to again claim the district crown by a single goal.

A year ago, the Falcon girls rallied late to stun the top-seeded Pirates 2-1 in a dramatic overtime battle, ending their 10-match win streak and dashing their tournament dreams.

This time, Riverdale scored just over seven minutes into the game and made it hold up to post a physical, conservative win.

Second-seeded Bluffton finished with a record of 11-7-2 after the defeat.

Riverdale improved to 10-5-5 with the hard-fought victory. Usually playing close and low-scoring games, the Falcons have allowed just 11 goals all season while scoring 29.

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By Cort Reynolds

Bluffton junior Levi Fenzl competed well in the Div. III Region 10 cross country meet Saturday morning, October 28, at Tiffin’s Hedges-Boyer Park.

Fenzl crossed the finish line 30th in a regional field of 178 runners with a time of 17:04.0. His time was 17.52 seconds better than his district time the previous week.

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By Julie Russell, RDN, LD, CDCES
Outpatient Dietitian/Diabetes Educator, Endocrinology & Diabetes Specialists of Northwest Ohio

It’s that time of year again and the holidays are quickly approaching. The holidays are a busy time, and it can be easy to get off track with your eating habits. Even though you get busy, don’t forget to take time to eat throughout the day. When you skip a meal, it can lead to overeating at the next meal. Try to plan out your meals for the day or, even better, the week. When you plan a meal, think of the food groups to ensure you get a balanced meal.

When attending holiday parties, be selective of your food choices. Take smaller portions by using a smaller plate. Remember, you can have leftovers at another meal, so don’t feel the need to overfill your plate. Pick your most favorite carbohydrate foods, try to keep portions to a quarter part of your plate, and fill in with non-starchy vegetables. If you are concerned that there are not going to be any healthy dishes, then bring one to share.

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By Matt M. Stutz

In the opening round of OHSAA Division VII Region 26 football playoffs, the #8 Pandora-Gilboa Rockets hosted #9 Leipsic. P-G got a little revenge as they used a strong second half to pull away from the Vikings 33-24 on Friday, October 27.  

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By Cort Reynolds

It was a pleasant night weather-wise but not otherwise for Paulding football as they came to Bluffton’s Harmon Field Friday night for a first round Div. VI, Region 22 playoff bout against their former Northwest Conference foe and got defeated soundly.

Host Bluffton scored on all seven of its first-half possessions and went on to crush the Panthers 63-6 on an unseasonably warm 70-degree evening.

Bluffton improved to 10-1 with the lopsided victory.  

The #2 seed Pirates will next host 10th-seeded Bucyrus Wynford in the regional quarterfinals next Friday. Wynford rallied to upset Defiance Tinora 31-28 on the road in overtime Friday.

Fifteen seed Paulding finishes its season 6-5 after the convincing defeat.

“Our offense did a great job of extending drives and executing at a high level,” said Pirate head coach Jeff Richards. “Defensively, we did a good job of communicating and swarming to the football.”

SCOREBOARD
    1   2   3   4   F
  PAU     0     0     0     6   6
  BLU   21   28   14     0   63

 

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By Andy Chappell-Dick

With the approval of Bluffton Village Council, a local group will continue planning and fundraising for a new dog park, with construction set for spring.

At the October 21 Council meeting, Councilor Ben Stahl reported on a series of meetings held by the Parks and Recreation Committee with Matthew Ellerbrock, a local resident who has been exploring the idea.  Stahl stated that the park is proposed for Village-owned land on Lake Street, but would be built entirely with donations.

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Joan L. Diller, 91, passed away October 26, 2023 at her residence. Joan was born July 23, 1932 in Allen County, Ohio to the late Lewis and Elizabeth (Beery) VanMeter. On February 19, 1954 she married Theodore Diller who preceded her in death on May 8, 2018. 

Joan was a graduate of Beaverdam High School and attended Bowling Green State University. 

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On October 26, 2023, the Ohio Lottery announced that Praveen Vohra of Bluffton won $24,043 playing the $5 EZPLAY® Progressive Jackpot Game, Quick Spot. 

After mandatory state and federal tax totaling 28 percent, Vohra will receive $17,310.96.

The Pony Keg, located at 1201 Shawnee Road in Lima, sold the winning ticket. 

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EllenMae Miller, 91, of Pandora, Ohio passed away on October 21, 2023. She was born on December 18, 1931 to Oscar and Amalie Werling in Decatur, Indiana. On August 5, 1950 she married Paul Miller, who preceded her in death.

EllenMae formerly worked at Bluffton University for 30 years in the music department. She is survived by her children, Deborah (Neil) Pauff of Lima; Cheryl (Rick) Bayless of Delaware, Ohio; Jay (Nina) Miller of Sevierville, Tennessee.

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Photos by Jamie Nygaard

FLIP BOOK https://bit.ly/3sibR3z

Bluffton photographer Jamie Nygaard captured the fun and fantastic costumes on display during the 2023 Trick or Treat night, October 26.

The night's unofficial theme? Dinosaurs vs. Mario Bros.

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