By Casey Heilman
AllenSWCD District Administrator  

Taking care of storm drains is not only important to reducing flooding but is also  important to the health of the Ottawa River [and in Bluffton to the Maumee River]. The Allen Soil and Water Conservation  District is urging you to “adopt” the storm drain in front of your home. Make it part  of your weekly lawn maintenance to check your storm drain. By taking care of this  drain, you can help reduce the amount of debris entering [these watersheds].

A letter from Icon founder Fred Steiner.

On June 6 a most memorable village personality left us. Bill Garrett, 1968 Bluffton High School graduate and long-time resident of the Riley Street neighborhood, died at Mennonite Memorial Home where he had lived for several years. A memorial service will be set at a later date, and I only learned of his death yesterday.

Bill was a part of the rich fabric of characters who stand out when the roll call of our most interesting residents are celebrated. Although not a village mover or shaker, he was a surprising person of letters, and his interest in world history was outstanding.

For those of us who knew him, much of this is common knowledge. For those who didn’t know him, here’s a glimpse of what you missed.

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By Wendy Chappell-Dick
Manager of Ten Thousand Villages Bluffton

In the last weeks before school let out, Ten Thousand Villages hosted four classes of 2nd graders who were able to “travel around the world” using sight, smell, sound, taste and touch.

“We may seem like a store, but we are so much more,” I told the children. Ten Thousand Villages is actually a non-profit, with a mission to help some of the poorest people in the world earn a living. By providing a market for international handmade crafts and gifts, Ten Thousand Villages empowers people to help themselves. 

Volunteers who work at Ten Thousand Villages set up the store in order of continents. The children could see colorful crafts from Asia, India, Central and South America, Africa and the Middle East. 

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Dear Business and Community Partners, 

The Bluffton and Pandora Police Departments are in the planning stages for holding our annual National Night Out celebration. This year marks a milestone as this will be our 10th annual event! We are so thankful for the assistance from the communities of Bluffton and Pandora over the years, and we hope that you will continue to assist with this event. If you haven't helped in the past, we will welcome your assistance this year!

From the committee to commemorate Elbert Dubenion.

An informal group of Bluffton University alumni is working on a project to recognize Elbert Dubenion, 1959 Bluffton College graduate, who played for nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills professional football team. He is the only Bluffton athlete to play professional football.

To the Bluffton community, I would like to present the following Bluffton High School students who have decided to continue their education by attending the Ohio American and Auxiliary Legion Buckeye Boys State and Buckeye Girls State. (Pictured above L-R)

Adie Hanefeld
Avery Smith
Emma Mackay Tuttle

These three young ladies will be attending Bowling Green University on June 9-June 15, 2024. (Pictured above L-R)

Asa Clingerman
Luke Jebsen

These two young men will be attending Miami University in Oxford Ohio on June 9-16.

The Bluffton American Legion and the Bluffton Lions Club would like to congratulate these five students on taking the step of learning how government is run. They will be joining hundreds of other students from all over Ohio.

Dennis Morrison
Bluffton, Ohio

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