By Paula Scott

Guests at the October 13 breakfast meeting of the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce found their parking spaces off Main Street (paving in progress) and then found breakfast made for them, courtesy of Greenhorn and event sponsor GROB Systems.

BACC Director Jim Enneking introduced three new chamber members:

• Nature’s Finest wedding and event decorator; owner Lisa Raines is also preparing to open a drive-through coffee service at 851 St Rt 103. Bluffton.
• Schroeder, Blankemeyer and Clinton, LLC, attorneys, who are opening a Bluffton office.
• Kibbee’s Carryout, craft beer, wine and deli at 140 Co Rd 313.

Enneking also reminded guests that this is the last month for the Bluffton Farmers’ Market, which has been voted among the top three markets in the region by Lima News readers. Market manager Greg Probst will soon learn where the market ranks among those three at an upcoming event.

Upcoming chamber events:

November 4 - Downtwon Holiday Open House

November 16 - Jingle Bell Stroll

November 25 - Blaze of Lights and Small Business Saturday

Enneking urged all groups to share any Blaze of Lights day events with the chamber, so that they can be promoted. He noted that entertainment and refreshments on Vine St. are in the works, as well as rides on an Allen County RTA trolley and Romick Railway. Blaze sponsor signup deadline is the end of October.

Jenny Pilarowski, of the Bluffton Ride to Remember steering committee, asked members to budget  for cinch sack donations for the 2024 event, which will be the 10th anniversary of the Ride.

Sam Sprunger of Lounge Media Group, which has webcast live coverage of the remarkable Bluffton High School football season, invited sponsors to sign up for the Pirates’ basketball season.

Susie Stratton of Stratton Greenhouses announced that her son Daniel is joining the family business. She also urged members to drive by the Bluffton welcome monument at I-75 and Bentley Rd. at night; it is now illuminated.

The Bluffton Area Ministerial Association invited all to serve as volunteers at the two community meals scheduled for each month.

The main program was a presentation by Lori Nester and Wendy Chappell-Dick about Fair Trade and Bluffton’s own Fair Trade shop, Ten Thousand Villages. Nestor reviewed the history and purpose of the Fair Trade movement, which seeks to “eradicate poverty through market-based solutions.” Ten Thousand Villages provides a retail outlet for some 20,000 makers in 30 developing countries, giving them access to fair wages and safe working conditions.

Chappell-Dick noted that while most Ten Thousand Villages shops are in big cities, there are three in towns smaller than Bluffton. Chappell-Dick is the new manager of the Bluffton shop. She announced a holiday marketing campaign to be “Bluffton’s Stocking Stuffer.” She noted that the store emphasizes variety rather than having a large supply of any one item.

The meeting wrapped up with a comment on paving State Route 103 by Village Administrator Jesse Blackburn: he noted that weather conditions had delayed the ODOT paving project, but reminded all that “it’s gonna be great” to have new roads and crosswalks.

The next BACC meeting will be Friday, November 10.