Retail and experience-based businesses added to downtown Bluffton
By Marlena Ballinger
Becky Avila is the owner of a newly renovated building located at 105 E. Elm Street which houses three new businesses: Aliva’s boutique Fusion Designs on Elm and Rage in the Alley and tenant Bluffton Art Company.
Avila, along with her partner Lee Bowman, has fulfilled her lifelong dream of opening and operating a boutique. What started as playing “store” as a kid and led to pop-up shops held in the club house of Bluffton Golf Club, has now turned into a thriving downtown business.
Avila’s business has more ties to local entrepreneurs than one may imagine. When you meet her, you’ll recognize her as the receptionist at Spectrum Salon, owned by Mandy Kinn of Bluffton.
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The trails of Motter Park on Columbus Grove Rd. are firmly established but the views offered to hikers depend on the ever changing landscape and time of day. Here, Bluffton High School sophomore Roselove Jebsen experienced seasonal blooms and a dramatic evening sky.
FROM FACEBOOK__The Bluffton Community Pool will officially open for the season this Saturday, June 21, with updated hours, swim lessons and pool rentals for residents and visitors.
Over my 32 years behind the camera, one truth has become clear: it’s not just about the action. It’s about the relationships—the quiet moments behind the scenes, the camaraderie between competitors, the traditions and quirks that make each athlete unique. The way an athlete bites their necklace for comfort. The lucky socks. The verse on their spikes. The pre-race prayer.
These are the moments you don’t see from the stands—but they are the soul of the sport.
