Baby, it's "really" cold outside. Over the seven-day period from Jan. 18 to 24 the only day the thermometer crept above freezing was on the 18th. Otherwise, we've survivied a week of temperatures in the territory where we fear to tread.
Here's the seven-day report from Guy Verhoff, Pandora weather observer.
Here's a photo of Paul Diller, whose photos The Icon has shared with viewers this past month. Diller was a funeral director in Bluffton and as a hobby took photos.
Although not a professional photographer, his photos capture the essence of the Bluffton community in a manner that few other photographers have matched. Most of the Diller's photos reproduced on the Icon are from the 1940s to early 1970s.
A Relay of Life team and committee meeting is planned this week. The meeting is at noon, Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Bluffton town hall.Teams will meet at 12:30 p.m. for 30 minutes.
Please bring your own lunch and if need to anything please reach out to Tracy Steel at 419.889.3448. There will be no at 5:30 p.m. that evening.
Even before arriving on campus Jan. 18 as a minister in residence, the Rev. Janice Yordy Sutter felt at home at Bluffton University.
Having formed friendships over the years with Louise Matthews, director of Bluffton's Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center; Jeff Boehr, assistant campus pastor for church relations; and campus pastor Stephen "Tig" Intagliata, Sutter had already come to see what Bluffton was all about.
"Rooting for Peace: Go Peace, Grow Peace," the 2011 Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship conference, will be held Feb. 18-20 at Bluffton University.
Ethical food production is the focus of the conference, an annual gathering of representatives of Mennonite colleges and universities but open to the public as well.
Imagine yourself at the Bluffton High School commencement for the class of 2028. Chances are good to excellent that there will be several girls named Mya and Grace. There will be several boys with middle names of James (we counted 10) and many first names starting with the letter "J." For example, you'll find Jackson, Jacob, Jonah, Julius, Joshua, Jordan and so on.
The cost dying will increase in Bluffton on Feb. 1. Bluffton council voted to increase the cost of preparing graves at Maple Grove Cemetery.
The current cost of $350 to open and close a grave with a casket will move to $450. The current cost of $200 to open a close a cremation burial will move to $250. According to Bernie Ludwig, Maple Grove sexton, the village currently pays more than it charges to open and close graves.
Income tax forms, bills and other financial documents can build up quickly. How can one know what to keep and what to throw away?
Bluffton Public Library will be hosting a financial paperwork seminar presented by Julie Bankert, of J. Bankert Bookkeeping, on Thursday, Feb. 24, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The seminar will share tips and tricks to help individuals organize their financial paperwork.
This seminar is free of charge so don't get overwhelmed, get organized.
You were born in California and have lived in Arizona and probably some other very warm places. How did you end up in Northwest Ohio?
That's where Bluffton University happens to be. I came here for the opportunity to work on the campus, not for the weather or the scenery. If only I could convince the trustees to relocate it to the Southwest...
Where does the nickname "Tig" come from? Does anyone call you Stephen?
