Former Bluffton resident and BHS grad, Michael Blake, was inducted into the Apollo Career Center Alumni Hall of Fame this month. The induction was during the all-area Apollo board meeting.

Blake, a 1981 Bluffton and Apollo welding graduate, is owner of Top WeldMan, located in Celina. He has owned the business for the past 13 years.

Through various employment opportunities and professional development he has obtained many different types of welding certifications.

By Mitchell Gatzke, Icon sports anaylist

As a true football fan I was extremely entertained while watching the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the New York football Giants. However, other than the game itself, the event was quite a let down.

Several Bluffton and Pandora area men are members of the Lima Beane Chorus, which presents its 64th annual barbershop harmony show in March.

The event is at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 10, at the Lima Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center.

This year's show's theme is "Piracy on a high C."The show features Vocal Spectrum and Bustin Loose, in addition to the Lima Beanes.

Bluffton Housing Corp. will hold its annual stockholders' meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14, at Vance Street Apartments.

The agenda includes reports of the operations of Riley View Apartments and Vance Street Apartments and the election of officers.

Three board members' terms will expire. They are Matthew Jordan, Lois Goodman and Kathy Rode.

Continuing board members are Ed Yeager, Fred Rodabaugh, Bob Fett, Deb Beer, Mary Fett and Wally Buroker. Buroker was recently appointed to fill the unexpired term of Sue Shields.

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In 1969 the United States celebrated the centennial of the Golden Spike ceremony - which linked the Pacific and Atlantic coast with railroad service.

Nickel Plate Road 759, a Berkshire steam locomotive, built in Lima, attended the Gold Spike ceremony in Utah. Here is that locomotive, newly painted as the Golden Spike Limited, as it passed through Bluffton with rail fans aboard.

It was the first steam locomotive to pass through Bluffton since steam on the NKP ended in 1958.

BFR will host a Longest Loser Competition this winter, according to Carole Enneking of BFR.

"The object of the competition is to lose weight slowly for the longest amount of time. Each person will weigh in weekly on the same day and you must lose 0.2 of a pound to stay in the competition," she said.

The competition winner will get a three-month membership to BFR. The fee to enter is $10 for non-member and $5 for members. If you have any questions call 419-358-4150 or email [email protected].

Here's a bright yellow license plate from the state known as "Sunshine." The Icon spotted it in downtown Bluffton recently.

Were you born in Bluffton? Graduated from BHS in what years?

My family moved to Bluffton in the summer of 1975. I started Bluffton Elementary School that fall. I rode the bus over to Beaverdam Middle School for 6th through 8th grade. I was at Bluffton High School from 1984-88.

Share some memories about growing up here. School, friends, teachers, etc.

In an effort to help relieve some of the hardship and financial difficulty of the depressed economy in the Pandora and Gilboa area, the churches of Pandora and the Gilboa United Methodist are offering food boxes on the last Saturday of every month for households in the Pandora-Gilboa school district that find themselves in need.

The boxes are designed to provide nine meals (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners) for a family of four.

In order to pick-up a box for a household, you must register by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, by calling 419-384-3905.