Climbing the stairs to the second-floor reading room of Bluffton University’s Musselman Library brought back strong memories for an African-American graduate who returned to campus in 2011 for the first time in 45 years.
And as Bluffton embarks on yearlong study of race and ethnicity in America as part of its civic engagement program, the insights triggered by Dr. Elaine (Ragsdale) Schott’s memories remain relevant, university President Dr. James Harder said Sept. 10 in his annual President’s Forum address.
Dale Seefeldt, who lived in India most of his life, was installed as pastor of Christian Education and Family Ministries on Sept. 8 at Ebenezer Mennonite church.
Despite his years in India, he holds a strong connection to Bluffton. His wife, Ruth, is the daughter of former Ebenezer pastor, Charles Warren. In addition Ebenezer Mennonite had earlier commissioned and sent he and his wife as missionaries.
“I moved to India in 1951 at the age of four,” Seefeldt said. “My parents were missionaries.”
Bluffton’s Main Street meat market, bakery and deli, The Dough Hook, has new owners, but, as they say, “It’s all in the family.”
Sharon and John Calvelage retired at the end of August and the new owners are their daughter and son-in-law, Marlena and Shawn Ballinger. The Calvelages took over the shop in October 2008.
BFR Sports & Fitness will host a day-long exhibition of craft vendors and home business consultants on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. An admission fee of $1 will be charged at the door as a donation toward operations of the Bluffton-based recreation center. The Expo is one of many events scheduled on Bluffton’s Fall Festival Day.
The Bluffton University men's soccer team headed south for its first road match of the season at Muskingum University on a balmy Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Playing under the lights, Bluffton was unable to find its rhythm offensively as the home team netted a 2-0 victory over the Beavers.
With less than three minutes to play in the opening period, Muskingum made it 1-0 when a Bluffton header went awry. Cody Sprague took advantage as the home team finished the period with a 10-4 advantage in shots.
