Updated 27 February 1998 URL is http://our.tentativetimes.net/city/goods1.html
Neat News In Bluffton, Indiana
Otto advises, if you are stuck in a frame at another site, click on this line to break free
Welcome to the page about the encouraging things that happen in Bluffton, Indiana. This is not at all inclusive. It covers what catches my eye or what people tell me. I can't begin to keep up with all the inspiring and joyful news.
Employment Distress Updates
New news about the three sets of out-of-work Bluffton people is gathered together on my Pretzels Inc. page
New Warmth For Wells Goal
Because there can't be a pancake breakfast fund-raiser at the Dutch Mill for this fund any more, this appeal must reach you directly.
Jeanne McCord reports that February 9 - 15 was the Warmth For Wells focus drive. The goal is to raise $5,000 to assist Wells County folks with their heating bills. This is a local council project of the Wells County office of Community and Family Services.
This is the fourth year for this effort to raise funds for utility emergencies. The needs are escalating because of the recent fires at two businesses. Churches are doing all they can. It will really help Jeanne's good cause if we all pitch in on this small, reasonable goal of $5,000. Let's all be able to say we had a part in keeping our community cozy.
Send a check made payable to Warmth For Wells - CFS and mail it to
CFS
117 South Main Street
Bluffton IN 46714
phone there is 219-824-4836
Sterling Casting
NICE NEWS: The Union at Sterling Casting sponsored a food bank on Saturday, January 24, at the Camelot reception hall in Vera Cruz. It was for the affected employees of Pretzels Inc. and the Dutch Mill. This is the Sterling workers way to try to pay back all the community did for them when Sterling had its financial woes. It is wonderful that the company is back in business!
One of my friends with five little daughters took her youngest with her to this food bank. The daughter told her mom "this is the most fun I ever had. Will you take me again?" Think about that. These moms aren't working to "get out of the house."
Food Bank's 13th Annual Matching Gift --
This goal has been met!!!
Although this goal has been met, with the two fires and O'Boise, there is an ongoing need.
Once again, an anonymous donor offered up to $10,000 to the food bank, contingent upon our donating an equal amount before December 25th, 1997. This is the 13th year for this mystery man to make this offer.
The food bank has especially urgent needs this season. Mick and Connie Cupp explained that although employment is high, wages are insufficient for many families to pay heating bill and also buy food. (This was written before the fires.)
Jim Barbieri writes in the Bluffton News-Banner that "amounts of any size, like Christmas joy, are welcome."
Send donations to Wells County Food Bank, PO BOX 186, Bluffton IN 46714
Outdoor Decorating Awards
The Bluffton News Banner announced that Dr. and Mrs. John (Sandy) Burry won the $300.00 first prize in the outdoor decorating contest, and then generously donated that money to the Lydia Murray liver-transplant fund!
View the winner at 309 Willowbrook Trail. You will have no trouble spotting it from afar. Words fail me.
Second prize went to Kermit and Lillian George at 852 Parkway Drive. Traditional and effective shapes with lights: a huge wreath and on each shutter, an outline of a lighted Christmas tree.
Third prize was claimed by Joel and Patty Makowski at 1100 River Road. Tiny white lights on all the trees and greenery, in abundance!
The Clark Griswold Award (for the most lighting in combination with Christmas decorations) went to the Allen Penn home at 311 East Cherry Street. I can see it from my window, and it is stunning. Large colored bulbs on the incredible evergreen in the front yard, with many more lights on everything that didn't move. They make good use of a single color per decoration, and their neighbors, instead of being intimidated, joined right in, making a lane of beauty.
Thanks to the city of Bluffton and the Bluffton Utilities for sponsoring this cheerful contest.
Lt. Laurel Kelly, WW II
In case you aren't reading this in Bluffton, something interesting has been happening here about the Kelly family. (Local residents are up to speed on this one.)
Our newspaper published this address for the website of an Italian man who rescued Lt. Kelly when his plane crashed in Italy in World War II. The researchers making the site are Italiams Unia Gerardo and Sergio Costagli.
The email address for this site is unia.costagli@cuneo.alpcom.it although I did not hear back when I wrote in English.
Even his sons Dave and Steve were unaware of the details of his rescue by Italian Partisans who saved his life. His widow Doris resides here too, and is equally glad to learn these details. Dave Kelly dkel@fortwayne.infi.net has email. I need someone to translate it from the Italian **if** we get permission to mirror it. Volunteers?? Email Sandra at editor@tentativetimes.net
The whole story is heartwarming. I just don't want to short you on it. I want you to learn all about it, not just the little bit I would fit in here.
Norwell Middle School
Norwell Middle School has won state-wide honors! In the Hoosier Academic Super Bowl Competition, their academic team is placed third in the state in social studies, but their points score shows them even higher. Congratulations to Janelle Streeter, Jeslynn Ruble, Erin Bargerhuff, Michelle Fiechter and Ben Reinhard, as well as their coaches Stacey Lingelbaugh and Brooke Friesner. Y'all worked hard!
Food Bank
The postal service's food drive netted a record amount this year, over eight tons of food! This was a really big effort, with volunteers walking the routes with each letter carrier, picking up the food. Congratulations are due everyone involved, including the food donors.
Tom Ayers Benefit
An all-out effort of the area raised $18,000.00 for the Tom Ayers family, at the benefit on May 17th. Tom has a rare form of leukemia (mantle cell lymphoma) which is now treatable with a bone marrow transplant. The trouble is that the insurance company says the treatment is experimental and won't pay for it. The good news is that Tom has already had the operation, on his own, donating his own marrow.
The Bluffton News-Banner further explained that the bone marrow treatment appears to work, and has been in use for a year now. The insurance company says it has to wait three years before they are convinced it is worth paying for. It won't pay for any before that time.
The Ayers children, by the way, are 2, 4, 8 and 12 years old. Wife Sandy works for attorney Ned Carnall.
Update: Tom's brother Joe told me that the operation was completely successful and Tom is a new man now. 8^}
Southern Wells Middle School Honor Band members received a Division One rating in a contest on April 29.
Claude Decker Day Proclaimed
Purdue and Bluffton High School Alum Is Feted
May 16, 1997, was declared Claude Decker Day at City Hall. There was a nice reception during the daytime when everyone who knew about it could come thank Mr. Decker for all he has done for our city. The event also celebrated Mr. Decker's 80th birthday (on May 18). Fellow philanthropist Amos Gerber was among the celebrants.
Among the Deckers' contributions are the entire 15 acres of the jail property, the land for the south arm of the West Side Corridor (with Hugh Baker) for our new bridge across the Wabash River, (they are about ready to pour the horizontal concrete!) and the Bluffton-Decker Industrial Park land and infrastructure.
Claude Decker Day would also have been the Decker's anniversary. The Deckers pioneered the Wells County Foundation program.
65 Scholarships
65 scholarships totalling $35,000 were awarded at the Bluffton-Southern Wells Dollars for Scholars program on Sunday, May 19. Again, this is a tremendous accomplishment for our great community.
Johna DeNap is valedictorian and Josh Hartman is salutatorian of the Bluffton High School Class of 1997.
Ben Aeschliman and Cory Shank scored exceptionally high on the Ball State Problem Solving Exam. This exam is a qualifier for the Big M Program, a week-long residential experience for fifth and sixth graders, at the Ball State Institute for the Gifted in Mathematics. Ball State University is in Muncie, Indiana. Cory will attend the Institute this summer and Ben is an alternate.
Josh Hartman of Bluffton High School attended the Business Professionals of America 1997 National Leadership Conference in Orlando on April 25-29.
Dick Sark was surprised by a retirement party at the jail. He had been in law enforcement for over 30 years. When he joined the sheriff's department in 1972, there were three employees: one sheriff and two deputies. He became the third deputy. Now the staff is the sheriff, nine deputies and two detectives. Either we are getting more lawless around here, or someone is not putting up with what they used to tolerate! Dick is going to concentrate on his concession business, fly model airplanes and enjoy his computer skills. Visit Dick Sark's homepage!
Dick's replacement is Doug Masterson.
The Academic Super Bowl regional, on April 14 in Fort Wayne, brought honors to Bluffton. The Interdisciplinary Team of Travis Couch, Julie Reinhard, Stefanie Dailey, Chandra DeNap and Brandon Jones placed first and will go on to state.
The Social Studies Team of Brandon Jones, Chet Baumgartner, Justin Peeper and Sean Smith placed first and will go to state.
The Science Team of Dusty Miller, Johna DeNap, Hillary Scott, Brandon Jones and Sean Smith place third.
Coaches are Judy Emshwiller, Deb Johnson and Michelle Wallace.
The Bluffton Bands won First Division Ratings at Fort Wayne. Both the Middle School Beginning Band and Concert Band won honors.
Violet and Mildred Steffen collected so many canned goods for the needy, from Decatur and Bluffton, that they were named the top local project for USA Weekend magazine's 1996 Make A Difference Day.
Kitco sponsored the March of Dimes Walkathon on Saturday, 19 April 1997.
Marcia Thornton Jones was the guest author at the county elementary schools in April. Ms. Jones has co-authored 46 best-selling books with Debbie Dadey. One of the books is titled *Triplet Trouble.* Another is *Adventures of the Balley School Kids.*
This site is 100% speech friendly, for anyone vision-impaired.
Parlor City Internet is our sponsor, for which we are very grateful.
Otto is published by Terry L. Miller, email publisher@tentativetimes.net
Page by Sandra Weinhardt, email editor@tentativetimes.net