Beacon Life Ministries, 125 N. Main St. is getting a new head pastor. The church will be installing Steven Heinze at the 11:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, August 21. The church also has a 9:30 a.m. Sunday school class.
Heinze is currently pursuing a Masters in Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (online).
Larry Joe VanAtta, 67, passed away August 17, 2022 at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay. Larry was born October 18, 1954 in Mt. Gilead, Ohio to the late Leon and Joyce (Wolfley) VanAtta.
Larry graduated from Bluffton High School in 1974 where he held records in wrestling and pole vaulting. He was a mechanic and auto body worker.
A visit to the Allen County Museum using public bus
By Paula Scott
On August 17, the Icon tagged along for a ride on the Route 9 bus provided by the Allen County Regional Transit Authority. I joined a small but sociable group from the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center for a visit to the Allen County Historical Society and Museum, 620 W. Market Street.
My purpose was to investigate the bus-riding opportunity, which has been available since June 2021, but the group's destination was an added temptation. Senior center director Tonya Meyer was our leader, providing information about fares and recommending a brown bag lunch. I hurried over to the Dough Hook for a quick sandwich and drink, asking Marlena Ballinger what was her fastest sandwich--smoked turkey was on the slicer.
By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
The Temptations released the song, “A Ball of Confusion” on the Motown label in 1970. The song was featured on their Puzzle People album and was written by the team of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. The song was a political statement on the chaos and disorder with the pervading times. The lyrics are still relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lyrics, “ball of confusion, oh yeah, that’s what the world is today” can certainly be applied to the SARS-CoV-2 mutations, the spread of monkeypox, and the new cases of polio.
Otis Williams continues to perform Temptations’ material as the sole surviving original member. In 1989, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the group in 2013. Two of my favorite Temptations’ songs are “My Girl” and “Just My Imagination,” but the lyrics to “A Ball of Confusion” are making me ponder! Near the end of the song, one of the lines is “and the band played on.” This lyric was meant to portray all the problems in the world, but it didn’t stop the band from playing. Ultimately, a statement on ignoring the issues.
Some Augusts are dry and brown, this August is lush and green. A Bluffton yard yielded this botanical odd couple of hydrangea and dill (or possibly fennel).
Greenhorn owner Jonah Agner remembers dancing in the streets in downtown Bluffton, decades ago. With the short one-way stretch of Vine Street immediately next to his restaurant's patio service at 112 Vine, he decided to throw a block party for local families and university students on Saturday, August 20.
