Ready or not, the count-down toward the last day of school is underway. As the year wraps up, lots of events are on the elementary calendar. A summary of those activities from the April elementary newsletter follow:
CALAMITY DAYS: Bluffton schools have scheduled Thursday, April 18, and Thursday, May 30, as make-up days because the school used more than five calamity days this year. Additional days missed will be added on to the end of the school year.
Prepare to dance along in your seat during Bluffton University’s Jazz Ensemble and Gospel Choir concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 6, in Yoder Recital Hall.
The performance is free and open to the public; however, a free-will offering will be taken during intermission for music scholarships.
The Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Andrew Liebermann, will perform a diverse program of music ranging from the jazz ballad “Angel Eyes” to the music of Oliver Nelson and 1960s groove tunes by Duke Pearson.
GROB Systems apprentices are cleaning up Bluffton. On Friday, eight apprentices put in a total of 32-man hours clearing brush at the Marsh Run area at Main Street and the swimming pool. Mike Hawk, training supervisor of the program, said he expects up to 30 apprentices will be involved in some type of volunteer work this month. Bryan Lloyd, assistant village administrator, said that next Friday the group will place mulch and work toward a clean-up at the Buckeye park.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Host Bluffton blanked Celina 5-0 in boys tennis action Thursday evening.
Drew Wilson won 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 at first singles to get the Pirates off to a good start.
Mack Burner rallied to win a tight three-setter at second singles by a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) count via a decisive tiebreaker.
Jordan Siefer rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win at third singles.
Grant Klinger and Eden Nygaard teamed up to win 6-2, 6-0 at first doubles. Tre Bender and Bryan Zimmerman made it a clean sweep at second doubles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The visiting Ada softball team lost an 11-3 decision at Bluffton in the Northwest Conference opener on a chilly Thursday evening.
The purple and gold dropped to 2-3 and 0-1 in the NWC with the defeat. Bluffton improved to 4-1 and 1-0 in league play with the victory.
The Pirates scored in all six frames they batted. They tallied two times in the first and three more in the second to take a 5-2 lead. Two runs in each of the third and fourth frames extended the margin to 9-2.
By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada baseball team ran out to a big early lead and held off rival Bluffton 13-10 in the Northwest Conference opener on a cool, windy Thursday evening.
The Bulldogs improved to 4-3 and 1-0 in the NWC with the league victory, while the Pirates fell to 1-5 and 0-1 with the loss.
Bluffton was the home team even though the game was switched to the Ada park diamond.
The purple and gold scored three first inning runs, then added six more scores in the second frame to build a big 9-0 early lead.
