The November 13 meeting of the Bluffton Board of Education included both business and the pleasure of hearing reports directly from middle school students. (Agenda attached below.)
INCOME TAX RENEWAL
A Resolution of Necessity was approved for a tax levy renewal on the upcoming May 2025 ballot. The first levy was passed in 2007. It is a ½ % income tax that raises $1,158,543 annually. Funds generated from the levy help maintain facilities and continue to enhance the school district.
VISITORS
Keith Horner, Superintendent of the Apollo Career Center, updated the board on programs and future initiatives. Currently 39 students from Bluffton attend Apollo. The school now has Fire, Police and Truck Driving programs in a new building and can do testing for CDLs on site. The school plans to introduce a High School Criminal Justice program next year. ▶︎
The 38th annual Blaze of Lights holiday celebration, including the lighting of the Ream collection of vintage Christmas folk art, is scheduled for Saturday, November 30 in downtown Bluffton, Ohio.
The Ream display and thousands of lights in the surrounding trees are available for nightly viewing on the lawn of Bluffton Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main Street, Bluffton from November 30 through January 1. The community joins in the Blaze spirit with numerous residential holiday light displays and folk-art decorations throughout the Village located off I-75. SCHEDULE ▶︎
The Ada Icon and other regional news outlets have recently had a flurry of reports on fatal and injury traffic crashes. Ran red light/stop sign has been cited as a variable in several crashes. These incidents make me sad, scared and angry–feelings that are shared by many who are commenting on social media about the crashes and seeking ways to prevent injuries and fatalities.
The Village of Bluffton will hold an Emergency Council Meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 18 on the third floor of the Bluffton Town Hall, 154 N. Main St., to consider awarding a contract to repair critical infrastructure to the public water distribution system.
The previously scheduled Ordinance Committee meeting for Monday, Nov. 18 will begin immediately following the Emergency Council Meeting.
The public is invited to hear Eric Kurtz, Executive Director of Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes share stories about the work being done through MCC projects around the world. Kurtz will speak at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 17 at First Mennonite fellowship hall, 101 S. Jackson St.
Et Cetera, Inc. of Bluffton includes Ten Thousand Villages, Book Reviews and the Et Cetera Shop, which raise money for MCC. Et Cetera Inc. is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year.
The Bluffton/Pandora Swiss Community Historical Society will host Christmas at the Homestead on December 7 and 8 at the Schumacher Homestead.
The public is invited to tour the decorated 1843 farmhouse while snacking on homemade treats and listening to songs of the season. Guests can watch food being prepared in the fireplace, hand dip a candle, play a game of checkers, shop in the gift shop and chat with staff about the history of the house and typical life in the 1840s. ▶︎
