"Welcome to Bluffton. You'll find Bluffton offers many features of larger communities, but hasn't lost its small-town charm."

With that statement, Bluffton welcomes visitors to our community through the first-ever Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce visitors' guide.

Major distribution of the guides takes place this week. The guide, which is free, has been a project of the chamber for over one year. The guide is designed to cover the years 2011 and 2012. Twenty-five thousand copies were printed.

The full-color, 38-page guide titled "Explore Bluffton," after the chamber's explorebluffton.com web site will help promote the community in several ways.

The guide carries a cover photo taken of the Blaze of Lights by Dr. Mark Yoder. The photo, taken from a Main Street second floor, shows the Blaze parade and the town hall.

It will be distributed to Bluffton businesses to give away free to out-of-town visitors. Other distribution points include Bluffton University, Bluffton Hospital, Comfort Inn, Knight's Inn, local industries and the Bluffton schools. Guides will also go the Lima-Allen County Chamber of Commerce and Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce for distribution with their visitors' materials.

The guide will be used when the chamber or village receives business inquiries about Bluffton. It will also be given to new residents. The guide will be available to give in qualities to groups holding meetings, seminars or workshops in Bluffton.

The guide is a comprehensive shopping and business directory, lists what do see and do in Bluffton, has a calendar of events, a historical overview of the community, and a map listing 30 locations in the village.

Over 30 businesses, organizations and churches have placed advertising in the guide. Over 50 businesses submitted information about their business to be listed in the guide.

In addition to serving as a much-needed visitors' guide, the project is also a fund-raiser of the chamber.

Several chamber members worked on the project. These included Paula Scott, editorial director; Aphaphanh Nussbaum, project manager; Matt Luke, designer; Justin Crawfis, proofreader; and Fred Steiner, publisher.

Chamber member Post Printing, Minster, printed the booklets, which measure 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches.

Persons wanting larger quantities of the guide may contact the chamber at [email protected].