I know, there's nothing quite comparable to Bluffton's "Blaze of Lights," but I have to share what I experienced this year on the same weekend of our "Blaze."
It was Carlsbad, New Mexico's "Christmas on the Pecos." For starters, let's set the scene. Carlsbad is way down in the southeast corner of New Mexico, in the high desert.
The Bluffton Icon, Bluffton Post Office and Bluffton Senior Citizens invite youth in the community to write letters to Santa Claus. A special delivery box is located in the lobby of the post office. All letters delivered there will be printed in The Icon. Letters with complete mailing addresses will be answered by members of the Senior Citizens Center.
Robert E. Klingler, 82 died at 9:06 a.m., Dec. 6, 2010, at Largo Medical Center - Indian Rocks Campus in Largo, Florida. He was born Aug. 30, 1928, in Ada, Ohio to Amos and Bernice (Ewing) Klingler. On Nov. 3, 1950, he married Dorothy Welty and she died March 19, 2006. He then married Marilyn Rettig-Reamsnyder on Jan. 19, 2007 and she survives.
Mr. Klingler retired from the Village of Pandora in 1993. He had also worked at Clark Buick, Findlay and McDowell-Marshall Buick in Pandora.
Here are five Bluffton residents from the 1890s. The two identified are Bertha Althaus (front left) and her brother, Werner Althaus. The other three girls are friends of Bertha.
The photo is actually a publicity shot for Bertha's milliner business. She created fancy women's hats popular during the time this photo was taken. The women's hats in the photo were created by Bertha.
Werner was a professional musician who toured with Al G. Fields Minstrels, a forerunner of Vaudeville.
Trace of snow. That must mean it's December. Here's the high, low and precipitation recorded by Guy Verhoff, Pandora weather observer, for the first six days of the month
Seventh grade Elizabeth Nisly correctly spelled "incendiary" and "malleable" after sixth grade Jason Bracy incorrectly switched the "e" and "I" on "variegated." Elizabeth's correct spellings earned her the Bluffton Middle School spelling bee crown of 2010.
She will represent Bluffton in the county spelling bee in February. Jason will be her alternate. Katie Scott, seventh grader, was third.
The bee, held Dec. 8, went 10 rounds before the final two competitors each spelled seven words correctly; then came "variegated."
