45817 has a new postmaster. He's Darrell Von Sossan of Ottoville, who started here on June 30. The new postmaster is a career employee with the United States Postal Service, where he first started as a clerk-carrier in Van Wert in 1988.
Von Sossan accepted the Bluffton position after serving as postmaster of Leipsic, 45856, since 2000. He replaces Danielle Laing who served the Bluffton post office as officer in charge since August 2011 when Everett Collier retired as postmaster.
Laing is now the officer in charge at the Leipsic post office.
By Jake Dowling, Icon intern
Ready, get set, swim! That command starts Friday at the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool.
This year, Bluffton hosts the Western Ohio Aquatic League meet championships. The event, will bring hundreds of fans and swimmers to Bluffton for the next two days.
"Warms-up is at 7 a.m. followed by festivities at 9 a.m. and swimming beginning around 10 a.m." said Liz Diller, one of the two Bluffton swim team coaches. "Normally we have a couple thousand fans here, so it adds up pretty quickly."
Dreams do come true. Just ask Michelle Cardone, a resident of Richland Manor. Michelle recently took a swim and spent an afternoon on the beach.
You see, a day on the beach was something that she had dreamed about doing. And while basking in the sun and swimming in the clear water was a distant memory, she actually did visit a beach. Her visit was through the Live a Dream program offered by Trilogy Health Systems, the parent company of Richland Manor.
It's only July, but the Bluffton Blaze of Lights committee is already hard at work. Here's some advance news about this year's Blaze.
o This year's Blaze theme is "A Victorian Christmas."
o Event is Saturday, Nov. 24. That's the date of the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game, played in Columbus. This year's game was moved to noon to accommodate the Blaze. (just kidding)
o The parade will form on Snider Road beginning at 4 p.m.
o The parade will start at 5 p.m.
A piece of Beaverdam is missing tonight. The village two-story brick town hall constructed in 1890 was razed. The building has been empty for several years. Click for a video.
Bluffton University will offer two mathematics workshops Aug. 7-9 for middle and high school math teachers and intervention specialists.
July 30 is the registration deadline for both "Become a Master Teacher in Middle School Ratio and Proportional Thinking," taught by Marilyn Link, a retired teacher from Coldwater, Ohio, and "205 Things That Every High School Mathematics Teacher Should Know." That course will be taught by Duane Bollenbacher, a 30-year high school teacher and now an adjunct faculty member at Bluffton.
