The Bluffton news. [volume], August 24, 1950, Image 1

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

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A Good Place to Live
VOLUME LXXV
TO DECIDE POLICY
AFTER CONFERRING
WITH ENGINEERS
Fast Work Required to Get
Measure on Ballot Before
Deadline
If Authorized This Would be
Third Special Levy at Fall
Election
Bluffton’s town administration will
confer with their consulting engin
eers within the next week to de
termine the advisability of putting r,
bond issue for a sewage disposal
system on the ballot for the Novem
ber general election. Decision to
this effect was reached at a meeting
of the town council Monday night.
Should the question of issuing
sewage disposal bonds be taken to
the voters this fall, all preliminaries
must be completed and filing effected
60 days prior to the election.
This finds municipal authorities
facing a Sept. 5 deadline in making
a decision on the bond proposal, ana
the next two weeks will be busy
ones for the council should they
decide to go ahead with the issue.
Confer With Engineers
Preliminary study of the situation
will be made in a conference between
councilmen and representatives of
the Toledo engineering firm of Fink
beiner, Pettis and Strout, which has
prepared the plans for the village’s
proposed sewage disposal system.
Should a decision be made to
proceed with a vote on the question
this year, the amount of the bond
issue will be decided, likely on the
basis of the full amount which can
be voted in relation to the town’s
(Continued on page 10)
THIRTY DRAFTEES
OF FIRST PANEL
ARE CLASSED 1-A
Physical Examinations Being
Stepped up Anticipating
September Cail
Additional Groups of Eligibles
to be Called this Month
for Screening
Thirty of the first 48 Allen county
men who have taken preinduction
physical examinations have been
classified I-A, for military duty, ac
cording to word released this week
by the Allen county draft board.
At the same time, the rate of
physical examinations is being step
ped up in preparation for fall draft
calls, scheduled to begin in Septem
ber.
Additional squads of potential
draftees who will be called for
the preinduction screening this
month include the following groups:
August 24, 22 men August 30, 27
men, and August 31, seven men.
Although no draft calls have been
announced as yet for September, the
first month in which induction will
start, it is expected that the total
number of draftees expected from
Allen county will be about seven to
10.
With the preinduction physical
examination pace to be stepped up in
September, the October draft call
may be larger than that expected
next month, altho draft board of
ficials have been non-committal on
what orders to expect.
Crash Demolishes
Light Standard
A boulevard light standard in
front of the Mrs. W. W. Carder
residence in the 300 block on South
Main street was demolished about
daylight Wednesday morning.
The standard, apparently struck
by a passing car or truck was torn
from its base and dragged about
100 feet north to the lawn strip in
front of the Mrs. John Rogers prop
erty.
MR■M■!ng
a-g.
Council May Order Vote on Sewer
Issue at November Election Here
Beaverdam Youth
Reported Missing
On Korean Front
Pvt. Wayne A. Johnson, 18,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Archer L.
Johnson, of Beaverdam, is re
ported missing in the Korean
battle area, according to an an
nouncement last Friday by the
U. S. Department of Defense.
The Beaverdam youth was a
member of Co. L, 21st infantry,
which had been stationed at
Kumamo, Kyusku, Japan, for
more than a year. Young John
son entered the army in Febru
ary, 1949, and was sent overseas
in May.
Relatives said the last letter
received from Pvt. Johnson was
dated June 23.
The family previously lived in
Lima where the war victim at
tended Lima Central High school
COUNCIL MARKS
NINE STREETS TO
BE RESURFACED
Eighteen City Blocks will be
Included in Summer Pro
gram Here
Findlay Contractor will be
Given Contract for Streets
and Alleys
Eighteen city blocks of nine Bluff
ton streets will be resurfaced in a
summer improvement program to be
launched here within the next two
weeks, it was decided at a meeting of
the municipal council, Monday night.
In addition to the street program,
a number of alleys also will be hard
surfaced.
Contract for the street improve
ments will be let to Cossett and Co.,
of Findlay, road contractors who have
handled Bluffton’s resurfacing proj
ects for the last several years.
Preparation of streets for the im
provement program is being done by
city street workmen under the direc
tion of Street Commissioner H. L.
Coon. Preliminary grading on streets
involved also is being done before the
start of resurfacing.
Nine Projects
Included in the street program are
the following projects:
Lawn avenue—Franklin street to
College avenue and Grove street to
High street, two blocks.
Spring street—College avenue to
Elm street, three blocks.
Franklin street—Main to Spring
street, three blocks.
Vine street—Main street to Lawn
avenue, two blocks.
Railroad street—Cherry street to
College avenue, one block.
College avenue—Railroad street to
Geiger street Little Riley bridge to
College road Main to Jackson street,
three blocks.
Lake avenue—Main street to the
County Line road, two blocks.
Geiger street—Cherry street to
College avenue, one block.
Elm street—One-half block adjac
ent to the town hall.
New Residence
Property
Joe Bronson is remodeling for
residential use a barn at the rear
of his lot on South Mound street.
The family now occupy a house
trailer on the site.
Condition Improved
Charles Kinsinger, Bluffton pro
duce dealer who has been ill with
pneumonia for the past two weeks
is improving at his home on oSuth
Spring street.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Shafer, Leip
sic, a girl, Susan Elaine, last Wed
nesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Rogers, Ot
tawa, a boy, Timothy Stephen, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Luginbuhl,
Bluffton, a girl, Martha Allene,
Tuesday.
TWO TEACHING
VACANCIES IN
GRADE BUILDING
No Instructors for Third and
Sixth Grades Former
Teacher Back
Positions are All Filled in High
School Teaching Person
nel Here
Two vacancies remain to be filled
on the Bluffton grade school teach
ing staff, with school officials facing
the task of making arrangements for
instructors inthe third and sixth
grades before the opening of the
fall term on Sept. 6, only 10 days
away.
Vacancies remaining to be filled
are those resulting from the resig
natiqns last spring of Ralph DeVore,
fifth and sixth grade teacher, and
Miss Genevieve Beagle, second grade
instructor.
Arrangements to fill two other
grade staffva cancies have been com
pleted this month. Mrs. Levada
Bixel,wh o resigned last spring as a
second grade teacher, has consented
to return for another school terwm.
A vacancy in the fifth grade re
sulting from a one-year’s leave of
absence granted to Mrs. Adella Oyer
will be filled by Mrs. Paul Cramer,
who has assisted in the schools pre
viously as a substitute teacher. Mrs.
Cramer finished the latter part of
the last schoolte rm in Mrs. Oyer’s
place.
Grade Assignments
Teaching assignments in the grade
school announced this week by Supt.
Aaron B. Murray are as follows:
Meredith Stepleton, principal and
first grade Mrs. Ruby Murray, first
and second grades Mrs. Levada
(Continued on page 10)
Key personnel to head the various
phases of Bluffton’s Civilian Defense
organization will be announced at a
community meeting to be held Tues
day night, Sept. 5, in the American
Legion hall.
Additional registration of volun
teer workers also will be completed
at the meeting.
Another feature will be explana
tion of the local program and its
relationship to county and state
activities by Allen county Civilian
Defense officials who will be here
for the session. All phases of CD
activity will be explained.
127 Register
Bluffton’s registration for civilian
defense sendee is one of the best in
the county, with the local mark of
127 second only to Lima in the
number volunteering. In addition
Bluffton’s turnout is the largest
proportional to population in the
county.
Ted Heiser, Allen county civilian
defense director, who will be here
for the September meeting, has ex
pressed satisfaction with the Bluff-
Bluffton’s Civilian Defense corps,
now in the process of being estab
lished, will be part of an overall
Ohio CD setup made up of more
than 8,000 volunteers to serve in
case of emergencies and disasters.
First information on how the gi
gantic state-wude civilian defense
program will operate was revealed
last week by the state executive di
rector, Dr. William E. Warner, of
Columbus.
The inter-related state corps of
8,000 volunteers will be broken down
into 16 battalions of 500 persons
each. In addition to serving as a
mobile reserve to aid stricken areas,
the group will serve in emergencies
in case the. Ohio National Guard is
called for federal duty.
800 Posts
In establishing the air raid warn
ing network as a part of the Civil
ian Defense program, 800 observa
tion posts will cover the entire state.
y A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
■■■. MM—
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, AUGUST 24,1950
Utility Proposes Supplying Current Here
Building
Brisk bidding for Bluffton’s
rapidly diminishing list «f de
sirable building sites is the latest
development in this sum mer’s
residential building boom, which
has brought the start of 12 new
homes inside corporation limits
since late spring.
Skyrocketing prices for build
ing lots also have marked the
construction boom, with an avid
demand for sites. There appar
ently is no letup in residential
building plans of local residents.
With 12 new homes started
this summer, that number of de
sirable building sites have been
taken off the market, narrowing
the available number and result
ing in an uptrend in prices asked
by owners of the remaining
building locations.
Bluffton merchants will sweep the
street andwa Ik in front of their
business establishments each Friday
morning in the future, under a new
cooperative program to be launched
this week under auspices of the
Junior Chamber of Commerce.
The downtown cleanup each Fri
day is aimed at providing a spotless
settingin the business district for
each weekend.
All businessmen are urged to take
care of their street sweeping assign
ments at the same time, with 11
a. m. set as the starting time for
the project. All sweepings are to
me deposited in new rubbish con
tainers recently placed throughout
the downtown area by the Jaycees.
To remind merchants of the street
sweeping kickoff, the Jaycee jeep
will roar through the business sec
tion at 11 a. m. each Friday, with
its horn blowing loudly.
A similar street sweeping pro
gram was a success during the an
nual municipal cleanup campaign
last spring, leading to the Jaycee
decision to sponsor it as a weekly
event.
Announce Key Personnel of Civilian
Defense at Meeting September 5th
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Shrider, Jr.,
of Harmon road, are in New York
City to meet her parents, Mr. an
Mrs. Frank Cullen, enroute here
from their native England to make
their future home in Bluffton.
They are expected here Thurday.
Parting from relatives and friends
in their home city of Grimsby, 180
miles north of London, Mr. and
Mrs. Cullen saile for the United
ton response in CD activity.
An appeal likely will be sounded
later for additional volunteers here,
18 years of age and older, with
county officials stressing that “any
American worthy of the name will
volunteer for the most important
service any civilian might be called
on to perform—that of saving the
Civilian Defense Here
Ties Into State Setup
Between 15,000 to 18,000 air raid
wardens would be involved in case
of an emergency.
In the warning system there will
be 16 centrally located points where
warnings will be received from the
air force control centers, then trans
mitted to siren control centers, us
ually by way of police chiefs. Ra
dar also will be used in the protec
tive network.
Surveys by local authorities will
be necessary in plants employing 100
or more persons. Results will be
kept secret.
Listed for emergency use will be
the state’s 872 fire departments.
Only two-thirds of those available,
however, have national standard
threads for hose and hydrant con
nections.
The State Higway Patrol auxil
iary system will provide 3,300 train
ed men to further bolster the CD
setup, and heads of business and
Jeep Will Rally Merchants Here
For Street Sweeping Friday Morning
British Parents Of Bluffton Woman
Enroute To Take Up Residence Here
Retums From North
Canada Canoe Trip
Prices Soar as Buyers
larket for Desirable Locations
Double In Price
Lots which last year generally
were selling in a $200 to $800
range roughly have doubled in
price this summer, with a few
now bearing tags over the $2,000
mark as those who plan to build
bid for choice locations.
The owner of one desirable lot
said this week that he is contact
ed almost daily by would-be pur
chasers, but so far has refused
to sell.
At the same time there is little
indication that additional sites
will be on the market soon, thru
opening new residential building
subdivisions, largely because of
the Korean war situation.
No New Additions
Normally the scarcity of build-
Don Badertscher, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ralph Badertscher of South
Jackson street returned Sunday
from a two weeks’ Canadian canoe
trip in the Blind River region in
Ontario.
The Bluffton youth was one of 16
Boy Scouts and four leaders from
Shawnee area, some of whom were
associated in operation of Camp
Shawnee near Defiance this sum
mer.
The group, with a specially built
trailer for their canoes, motored to
Blind River, northeast of Sault Ste.
Marie, their base camp and from
there made a three day canoe trip
from Lake of the Mountains and
various other lakes of the region
and an overnight canoe and fishing
trip to Lake Lauzon and an auto
trip to the northernmost lumber
camp in Canada including visits to
saw mills in the Blind River region.
While there they attended Sunday
services in a small Mennonite church
in that area.
lives of his family and neighbors.
States in mid-August.
Mrs. Shrider is the only child of
the British couple, but they are
leaving Mr. and Mrs. Cullen’s moth
ers behind them in England. Both
mothers, however, are glad to see
their children come to this country
for a new start
A clerical worker and account
ant by profession, Cullen has been
with the London and Northwestern
railroad for 30 years. For the last
five years he has been head pay
master for the road.
When they landed in New York
City, the couple were met by Mr.
and Mrs. Shrider, who will bring
them to Bluffton. On their arrival
the Cullens will make their home
with the Shriders on Harmon road.
professional women’s clubs have of
fered the services of their 8,400
members.
All municipal and county organi
zations also will be lined up for as
sistance in the overall program.
Red Cross training for all CD
workers will be provided to prepare
the volunteers in first aid, care of
sick and injured, and howto pro
vide food, clothing and shelter on a
mass basis during emergencies.
Blood banks also will be established,
and blood typing will be general.
Civil Aviation
Ohio’s civil aviation is fast and
dependable. The state has 300 land
ing fields, 4,500 private-type air
planes and 25,000 trained airmen.
Limited helicopter and water air
craft also are available.
Aircraft facilities will be invalu
able in case of enemy action, it was
pointed out, especially in areas where
transportation is immobilized.
ing lots would have opened the
way for suburban development
outside the corporation, but
action has been curtailed because
of the Korean situation and the
possibility that government con
trols may be invoked to limit the
volume of available building
supplies.
Lumber and other building
materials also have been advanc
ing in price thereby increasing
the cost of residential building
for those now planning to erect
homes.
So far, however, there has been
no indication of a slackening in
construction plans, with the war
scarce shortage stimulating
prospective building rather than
bringing a slump to the present
boom.
ANNOUNCE PLANS
TO HOLD FLOWER
SHOW ON SEPT. 9
Bluffton Garden Gubs Making
Arrangements for Attrac
tive Event
Showing of Flowers Will be
Held in Bluffton High
School Gymnasium
Bluffton’s largest flower show,
withexhib ition classes also included
for vegetables and fruits, will be
held Saturday afternoon and even
ing, Sept. 9, in the Bluffton High
school gymnasium.
A joint venture of the men’s and
women’s garden clubs of the com
munity, the show will have a special
division for amateurs as well as the
familiar open classes.
No entry fees will be charged, and
I entries will be open to any interested
person. First, second and third
prize ribbons will be awarded in
each class. Entries will close at
10:30 a. m. on the day of the show,
at which time exhibits are to be in
place.
Free Admission
Admission to the show will be
free, with exhibits open to the pub
lic from 1:30 p. m. until 10 p. m.
In the amateur division of the
show, there will be 30 flower classes
COUNTY FAIR RIBBONS
The following Bluffton exhibit
ors received awards Tuesday at
the Flower show at the Allen
County Fair:
W. A. Amstutz, 1st, single
dahlia 1st, best display any
flower (gladioli and dahlias).
Karl Gierman, 1st, dozen
asters 1st, dozen mixed gladioli.
Kermit Herr—1st & 2nd, doz
en 1 color gladioli 1st, 6 large
dahlias 2nd, single dahlia.
and four for vegetables. Prizes are
offered for gladiolus, dahlia, mari
gold, zinnia, roses, asters, crysanthe
mums and dephiniums.
Additional amateur awards are
provided for flower arrangements
and a vegetables and fruits class.
In open competition there will be
32 classes for dahlias, including
showings of specimen blooms plus
vase and basket showings. A cham
pion dahlia, with open and amateur
competing, also will be chosen.
Open Classes
In the gladiolus division there will
be showings in 52 classes, including
displays of 10 or more in a vase or
basket. There will be four classes
open for delphiniums.
Forty different vegetable exhibits
are planned, with a complete com
plement of garden produce common
to this area. Among the entries
will be beets, cabbage, carrots, sweet
corn, popcorn, cucumbers, squash,
beans, pumpkins, turnips, musk
melons, etc.
There will be 20 classes offruits,
with apples, peaches, pears, grapes,
quinces and plums included in the
showings.
An unusual sidelight in the
showings will be the most comical
arrangement of any flower or vege
table.
Kermit Herr and Mrs. Cal Steiner
are co-chairmen of the show.
Thistle Salad
An odd dish prepared in south
ern France is a salad made of Al
pine thistles. Served with a pepper
sauce, the hearts of this plans are
considered as tasty as artichokes.
^ftTnr
fl—'■» III'......Uh,I ............Ill' III .......... ..
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 19
PROPOSE MEETING
WITH LIGHT BOARD
AND TOWN COUNCIL
Central Ohio Light & Power
Company Letter Read at
Council Meeting
Meeting Would Also Discuss
Supplying Current to Bluff
ton Farm Area
The Central Ohio Light and Pow
er Co., which has its major generat
ing plant located in Bluffton, has
proposed a meeting with Bluffton
village council and the board of
public affairs, to discuss the possi
bility of supplying the town with
electric current and power. It was
read at council meeting, Monday
night.
A bid to take over electric service
now provided by the municipal light
plant was one of three proposals
made by the utility firm in a letter
directed to the mayor, city council,
and the board of public affairs.
The letter signed by Emory D.
Erwin, president and general mana
ger of the utility requested an early
meetin with the two Bluffton govern
meeting with the two Bluffton gov
ernmental bodies for a discussion of
the situation.
Propose Discussion
In addition to the question of
providing electric service for the
town, the utility also indicated it
wanted to discuss at the session
requests for current from farm resi
dents who now get their electricity
from the municipal plant and also
bring to a head protracted negotia
tions over a site near Buckeye lake
which the village has sought to pur
chase as a site for the town’s pro
posed sewage disposal plant.
The letter pointed out that the
I utility has requests for service from
farmers now getting their current
from the Bluffton plant, “inasmuch
as our rates are approximately 20
ppr cent lower than they now are
paying.”
Erwin’s letter also indicated that
efforts made in. the past to buy the
proposed site at the north edge of
the Buckeye as a location for a
sewage disposal plant might be
resolved at this time, another reason
for the proposed meeting.
Proposal On Service
In disclosing that the utility wish
ed to reopen the question of provid
ing electrical service for the village,
Erwin wrote:
“We have also in the past in
dicated our willingness to discuss
with you the benefits which
might accrue to the village of
Bluffton should we be in a posi
tion to serve your village with
electric light and power.”
In discussing the utility firm’s
request, councilmen Monday night
indicated they would be willing to
participate in a joint meeting, pend
ing a check with the board of public
affairs.
Forrest Steinman, chairman of the
board of public affairs, said the
group has had no meeting since
receipt of the letter and no action
has been taken as yet on the pro
posal. Next regular meeting of the
board will be Tuesday night Septem
ber 5.
Two Mexicans Are
Held For Deportation
Two Mexicans illegally in thia
country were arrested last Sunday
in Beaverdam and turned over to
Toledo immigration authorities for
deportation.
The men, Rudolpho Morales, 28,
and Antonio Benitez, 26, both of
Vera Cruz, Mexico, were apprehend
ed in Beaverdam after they were
reported loitering near a service
station. They told Allen County
Deputy Sheriff Harold Williamson
they crossed the border at Laredo,
Texas, July 6, and remained in this
country illegally.
Two On Honor Roll
At Ohio Northern
Don T. Crites and Janice Hank
ish, both of Bluffton, received honor
grades for the summer quarter at
Ohio Northern university, according
to word from the university this
week. Both were students in the
elementary education department.
Not being able to understand
women wouldn’t be so bad if they
didn’t understand men.