December 2023

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Leland W. Wilkins, 95, passed away December 22, 2023, at Willow Ridge-Betty House. 

Leland was born September 10, 1928 in Rawson, OH, to Ira and Emma (Tschiegg) Wilkins who preceded him in death. On October 24, 1952 he married Joan (Niswander) Wilkins who preceded him in death on October 1, 2018. 

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At 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 8, the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District will offer a Winter Wellness Club: Jogging 2ith Johnny at  Ottawa Metro Park-Wyandot Shelter Parking Area, 2632 Ada Rd., Lima. 

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Pandora Missionary Church will be hosting a donated food giveaway including microwave soups, juices and meal prep kits from 9:00 a.m.-noon on Saturday, December 30.

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By Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD, MPH
Adolescent Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital*

As adolescents move into young adulthood, they take on increasing responsibility for managing their own health care. By teaching your teen the necessary skills over time, this new responsibility will feel less overwhelming, and your teen will be one step closer to “adulting.” Making a medical appointment is a skill that seems simple but can be intimidating, particularly to teens who are “phone call-phobic.”

Start by having your teen make a list of their healthcare providers, including doctors, mental health providers, therapists, dentists, and any others. Encourage or help your teen to add the names, addresses, phone numbers, and web addresses of all providers to their phone contacts so they can easily find them in the future.  

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By Cort Reynolds

VAN BUREN__The visiting Bluffton High School girls basketball team led Van Buren by a point heading to the final quarter Thursday night.

But Black Knight freshman Brooklyn Wilkin scored 12 of her 22 points in the fourth period to lead VB on a 14-9 run and to a 37-33 win.

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By Paula Pyzik Scott
Bluffton Icon owner-editor

When Christmas decorations start appearing after Halloween, I’m apt to feel a little Scrooge-ish. “Bah humbug!” When Christmas music starts to play downtown, I ping-pong between the two camps that exist in town: sometimes I love it and sometimes I wish I could pull the cord.

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Columnist Bill Herr taught high school mathematics and science for 32 years before serving as a volunteer and then as a staff chaplain at two nursing homes.

By Bill Herr

This article is written especially for preachers. I’m certain that one responsibility of a pastor is to bring spiritual nourishment to every member of the congregation. Providing this means the pastor is responsible not only to those that attend worship services, but also to church members that are not able to leave their homes due to aging or health issues, and also to members residing in elderly care institutions.

My uncle lived in a nursing home in his later years.  He was a veteran of WWII, a father of four fine kids, a good man who was not given to talking much. I used to visit him on Sunday afternoons and we would watch NFL football games together. He had been shot by a sniper in the Philippines during the war and came home to recover in a Veterans’ hospital. He was given drugs and became addicted to them. Being divorced and not having a home, his brother, my father, invited him to live with us. He helped us farm and became clean from the addiction.  

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Selling peanut brittle has been a major fundraiser for the Bluffton Senior Center since the early 1970s and 2023 is no exception. For five Mondays in October and November, over 30 volunteers gathered to make this delicious holiday treat.

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Crossroads Crisis Center plans to open a Safe Exchange Center for the residents of Allen County in 2024.

For domestic violence survivors, leaving the abusive relationship doesn’t always end the abuse. Post-separation abuse continues to impact survivors long after the relationship ends.

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Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists to drive sober this Christmas. In an effort to reduce fatal and injury crashes, troopers will focus on removing impaired drivers from our roadways from Friday, December 22 through Monday, December 25.

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