THURSDAY, OCT. 15,
Harold Bogart.
t0 Live
84 YEAR NO. 27
Support for 10 community or
ganizations will be sought in the
three day Bluffton-Richland
Township United Fund campaign
opening next Tuesday.
More than 100 volunteer work
ers will meet Monday evening
with campaign chairman Dick
Cookson for the drive “kick-off.”
Solicitation in local homes, in
dustries and businesses will be
held from Tuesday, October 30 to
Thursday, October 22.
This year’s goal is 7,392, al
though fund requests from the
10 member agencies exceeds this
by 727. They have indicated a
need for 8,119.22 in 1960. United
Fund leaders plan to pay the
difference from nearly 2,000 sur
plus built up in the first two local
United Fund drives.
Only new member of the United
Fund this year is the Bluffton
Community Hospital Auxiliary.
The United Fund will serve as a
collection agency for member
ship dues and no house-to-house
canvass for Auxiliary member
ship will be made this year.
United Fund contributors auto
matically become Hospital Auxil
iary members.
Most agencies made only
slight increases, although the
1,000 allocated to the Hospital
Auxiliary doubles the amount re
ceived by the Community Hos
pital itself during the 1958 cam
paign. The Girl Scout fund re
quest is 142.81 less than last
year's.
Mr. Cookson said that solicitors
for the campaign would be noti
fied by their majors. One major
will be in charge of the cam
paign in each precinct. The
majors and the precincts they
will have charge of are: Gerald
Huber, A Gene Benroth,
Paul King, John Gilbert,
Wade Huber, Richland Area 1
Mrs. Nelson Diller, Richland
Area 2.
Arden Baker will be in charge
of employe solicitation at the
Triplett Electrical Instrument
Co., and Don Lytle will conduct
the campaign at the Ex-Cell-O
Corp. In the business section
William Edwards and Harold
Balmer, who have conducted the
solicitation the past two years,
will again be in charge.
FUND REQUESTS
Red Cross $1,450.00
Heart Fund 600.00
Girl Scouts, Brownies 1,245.22
Boy Scouts, Explorers,
Cubs 1,825.00
Salvation Army 825.00
CROP 325.00
Bluffton Hospital Aux. 1,000.00
YMCA (Hi-Y and Tri-Hi-Y) 165.00
USO 84.00
Administration 400.00
Medical Research 200.00
Total 8,119.22
1
Harvey Bauman
Republicans and Democrats
each offer a full slate of candi
dates for the three-man board
of public affairs to be elected
November 3. The board is re
sponsible for the operation of the
village water system and the
sewage disposal plant.
All three Republican candi
dates are presently members of
the board. They are:
Harvey Bauman
Mr. Bauman resides at his
home at 417 South Main street
with his wife and three children.
He is employed as assistant
property supervisor for the City
Loan Co.
He is completing his second
UF Campaign Opens Tuesday
Combines 10 Gifts Into One
Oilers Plot Overthrow of
BC Grid Dynasty Saturday
The Findlay Oilers will attempt
to strip their second Mid Ohio
league crown of the year from
Bluffton college Saturday night
at Harmon field.
Last spring the Oilers defeat
ed BC in the conference track
meet, upsetting the Beaver string
of eight consecutive MOL cham
pionships.
Findlay is a slight favorite to
reach their second goal of the
year and blast the Beavers out
of the league lead where they
have been entrenched the past
three and a half seasons.
None of the Findlay players
have played in a winning foot
ball game against Bluffton, which
probably gives them an even
greater goal, BC coach Ken Mast
points outs.
Four deep at many positions,
the Oilers were odds-on summer
favorites to push Bluffton off the
throne. After a disappointing
opener against Otterbein they
have come along to win their
next three games.
Halfbacks Ed Jordan and Ron
nie Rahe are probably the best
duet in the MOL since Bluffton
was springing the Dubenion-Tay
lor combination all over the land
scape from 1955 to 1957.
Transfers have boosted the Oil
ers considerably since last year,
when they lost only to Bluffton
in the league. Robbie Hayden, a
transfer from Duke, is one of
three good quarterbacks. Jim
Lavrich, who tossed for a touch
down in last year’s Bluffton game
and John Smilo also work cap
ably at the head of the T.
Passing and swift running of
Jordan and Rahe are bolstered
further by power running full
back Bill Good, who transferred
from Heidelberg.
Protection for their flashy
Go-Kart Racers
Meeting Tonight
The Bluffton Go-Kart Racing
association will elect officers at
a meeting tonight, Thursday, at
7:30 in the home of Roger Ed
wards at the corner of Spring
and Franklin streets.
Membership cards will also be
distributed in the group recently'
incorporated by Attorney John
Hamishfeger.
It is expected that the O’Neal
Machine and Tool Co., Lima,
will have one of its new racing
karts on exhibition at the meet
ing.
The association is presently
making arrangements to find a
location and build a track. All
persons interested are invited to
attend the meeting.
Three of These Candidates To Be
Clayton Harkness
term of office as a member of
the board of public affairs and
has been an advocate of improv^-,
ing the system with the installa
tion of new pumps in a modem
pump house and service building.
In church work, he serves as
head usher at the First Menpo
nite church.
«,
Clayton Harkness
Mr. Harkness, president of the
BPA, is also serving his second
term. He lives with his wife and
two children at 321 South Main
street and operates the Farmers
Produce company, buyers of
cream, eggs and poultry.
He has served as master and
secretary of Bluffton’s Masonic
backfield comes from a strong
line headed by Stan Lounder,
Rich Progar, Frank DeFrench
and Herb Alexander, all success
ful veterans of MOL battles.
Bluffton as usual, will have a
(See “Oilers” p. 8
BC and Findlay
Share League Lead
Bluffton college and Find
lay college, who meet in the
Mid-Ohio league game of the
year Saturday at 8 p. m. at
Harmon field, share first
place in the league with 2-0
records.
BC has defeated Ohio
Northern and Ashland, the
Oilers have marked up wins
over Defiance and ONU.
Village
To Invest
Idle Funds
Investment of up to 32,000 in
idle village funds was approved
at Tuesday evening’s council
meeting.
Six thousand dollars from the
water fund and the same amount
from the sanitary sewer fund
will be invested in five per cent
Treasury notes which were re
cently authorized by the federal
government.
Council also authorized invest
ment of as much as 20,000 from
the permanent improvement
fund, if suitable investments can
be found. State law limits village
investments to purchases of
federal, state or municipal gov
ernment issues.
The permanent improvement
fund still contains a $55,000
balance from the sale of
the old municipal light and
power plant. $50,000 of this was
invested in the village’s own
swimming pool bonds, but $15,000
has already been retired, leaving
a total of $20,000 for re-invest
ment. The money cannot be used
for operating expenses.
The money has been lying idle,
but council voted to invest it and
receive the interest until a use
develops locally.
Mayor Risser, clerk A. J. B.
Longsdorf and solicitor Malcolm
Basinger, according to state law,
form a committee to control the
investment of the money. They
will check the bond markets to i
select issues available for local)
government.
9
W
Donald Ream
lodge and is a member of the
official board of the Methodist
church.
“The size of the corporation
makes it necessary for public of
ficials to serve as best they can.
for the benefit of die community
and not for any financial re
turns,” he says.
Donald Ream
Mr. Ream, also completing his
second term as a member of the
board, lives at 123 S. Mound
street with his wife and son. He
is parts manager at Brooke Mo
tor Sales.
In ptfblic office, he has also
served two terms on city coun
cil, and served for two years as
Sunday School superintendent of
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, OCT. 15, 1959
ROBERT SIMCOX
Mr. Simcox, who is presently
a member of the board filling the
unexpired term of the late Har
vey Burkholder, resides on old
Route 25 just south of Bluffton
with his wife and seven children.
He is employed as branch
manager of the Diamond Ferti
lizer Co. in Ottawa. He has held
no other public office but has
served as president of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce, president
of the Bluffton College Alumni
association, and as a Sunday
School teacher in the First Men
nonite church.
“I consider the number one
problem facing Bluffton schools
to be the necessity for reviewing
and expanding the school cur
riculum to keep our schools and
its students competitive,” he
said.
WOODROW LITTLE
Mr. Little, his wife and tow
sons, live at 183 West Kibler
street. He is employed at the
Bluffton Post Office as one of
two rural mail carriers.
He is presently superintendent
of the Presbyterian Church
School and executive secretary
of the Bluffton-Richland Town-
(See “B. of E.” p. 8
Jaycees Announce
Visitors’ Night
A special “Visitors’ Meeting”
will be conducted by the Bluffton
Junior Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, October 20, at 8 o’clock
at the Brooke Motors showroom
on Cherry street.
All young men of the Bluffton
area between the ages of 21 and
35 are invited to attend the meet
ing. A special program is plan
ned by the executive committee.
Communion Service
Bishop Henry Fisher of Lan
caster, Pa., will officiate at the
semi-annual communion service
of the Reformed Mennonite
church Sunday morning at 10
a. m.
'X.."
Il
Charles P. Main
the Lutheran church and as a
member of the church’s official
board. „a
“The replacement of our worn
out pumps is the most urgent
problem before the board,” he
observes. ».
The three Democratic candi
dates are:
Charles P. Main
Mr. Main, stationary engineer
at the Ford Motor Co., Lima,
lives at 118 E. Jefferson street
with his wife and two children.
This would be'his first public
office, if elected. In civic af
fairs he has served both as
commander and as vice com
mander of Bluffton American Le-
Three On Mark in School Board Race
Robert Simcox Woodrow Little Dr. Howard M. Shelly
This is one of a series of articles to acquaint Bluffton voters more completely with the candi
dates for public office in the November election The series will include photographs of the can
didates, identification, experience in public office, church, lodge and professional offices, and a
statement from the candidate, if he chooses to make it, regarding what he deems to be the princi
pal problem before the community as it would affect his office.
Two members to the Bluffton board of education are to be elected from the three candidates
pictured above.
Peter Diller New President of
Swiss Community Historical Soc.
Peter Diller, Route 2, Bluff
ton, well known local collector
of Indian lore, was elected pres
ident of the Swiss Community
Historical society at a meeting
Monday evening in the Bluffton
college chapel. He succeeds Ez
ra Moser.
Other new officers of the so
ciety are Gene Benroth, vice
president H. W. Raid, secre
tary D. W. Bixler, treasurer
and Harry Bogart, curator. Sev
en directors elected were Leland
Gerber, Wilhelm Amstutz, Del
bert Gratz, Hiram Kohli, Philip
Hilty, Ezra Moser and Archie
Diller.
The group heard an informa
tive talk by the new president
on Indian artifacts collected in
and around the Bluffton com-
Several Spots
Open in Adult
Homemaker Class
Bluffton area homemakers will
have another chance to join the
adult evening course conducted
by the Bluffton high school home
economics department, but if suf
ficient interest is not shown the
course will be dropped.
The organizational meeting will
be held Tuesday night, October
20, at the high school. Classes
will be held every Monday night
for the next 12 weeks.
An enrollment of at least 15 is
necessary for the class to be giv
en. It is open to anyone over 16
who is not attending public
school.
Instructions on how to make
drapes, slip covers, refinish fur
niture and select accessories will
be included in the program, to
be taught by Mrs. Allan Pitcock,
local home economics teacher.
The program is sponsored un
der the supervision of the State
department for adult education.
Elected to Board of Public Affairs
r?
K,
Edwln Badertscher
gion Post 382.
Keeping up with the expansion
of the village is the most im
portant task before the board, he
believes.
Edwin Badertscher
Mr. Badertscher, who has been
in the milk hauling business as
a hauling contractor for the last
30 years, lives at 315 West Elm
street. He and Mrs. Badertscher
are parents of three children.
He has served two terms on
village council, and was a mem
ber of the building committee for
the new addition to St. John’s
United Church of Christ.
“Lack of funds for village
maintenance and building sites
munity. He also exhibited part of
his collection.
A. J. B. Longsdorf also spoke
on the early history of the com
munity and on courthouse re
search on the early platting of
the town to determine historic
landmarks.
He said that his work deter
mined the location of the first
business [dace, mill of Joseph
DeFord erected in 1834, and the
first church, which still stands
on Thurman street as the resi
dence of Grover Boutwell. The
first parsonage is also located
nearby and is occupied by Rob
ert Murray.
The possibility of marking
these historic buildings will be
considered by the society.
John Keller of the Allen County
Historical society also attended
the meeting and made comments
on the Bluffton effort to preserve
historical items.
Grover Soldner reported there
are now 26 members of the local
society and five student mem
bers.
The new addition should be
completed in 30 days. Contractor
is Harry Mericle.
Lumber storage and supply
storage buildings have already
been built by Skylark since they
moved to their rural location last
April.
Completion of the new facili
ties, to be used primarily for as
sembly of trailers, boosts the
plant capacity to seven trailers
at a time. Present capacity is
four trailers. Only three trailers
could be under construction at
one time when the company oc
cupied its old facilities in Beaver
dam.
Increased employment will fol
low the completion of the new
addition, Mr. Jackson said. Busi
ness conditions will regulate the
changes in employment, he said.
The company has begun con
struction of 10 foot wide trailers,
completely replacing the line of
small travel trailenr which they
concentrated on after organizing
in 1957.
The 10 foot trailers, the newest
width for trailers which are in
tended mainly as permanent
homes, are 37 feet long. Skylark
will continue manufacturing the
standard eight foot wide trailers.
PLAT FILED
Plat of a seven lot subdivision
in Richland township to be known
as the Amstutz subdivision has
been filed with Allen county re
corder Morgan Davis. Emma
Amstutz is owner of the subdivi
sion.
Open House Set Oct. 17-18
GENE MERICLE, Bluffton builder, will hold “Open
House Saturday and Sunday at the new home recently com
pleted by him at 132 East Jefferson street. The bouse has
been awarded the Gold Medallion by the Ohio Power com
pany for being equipped electrically for heating as well as
with full housepower for today’s modern living.
The three-bedroom home of
contemporary design has an
Homer Gratz
are major problems before the
community,” he says.
'Homer Gratz
Mr. Gratz operates a farm
south of the village and is now
making his home at 291 South
Lawn avenue. He and Mrs. Gratz
have four living children.
He has not served before in
public office, but has been pres
ident of the Lions club, served
two terms as president of the
Allen County Farm Bureau fed
eration, a term on the Farm
Bureau Co-Op board, president of
Lima Chapter National Food as
sociates, and vice president of
the Men’s Brotherhood, First
(See “Three” p. 8)
exterior of brick veneer with
white wood trim. The interior
is in mahogany trim with
mahogany cupboards in the
kitchen. Alunininum windows
are featured and copper
plumbing is used throughout.
The new home is com-
pletely decorated and furnish
ed for the showing. Bluffton
area residents are urged to
attend the open house to be-
come acquainted with the
latest in modern home con-
struction in the moderate
price range.
Births
The following births were re
corded at Bluffton Community
hospital during the past week:
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Rayle,
McComb, a girl, Jill Ann, bom
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Wagner,
Mt. Cory, a girl, Cynthia Kay,
bom Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Merwyn Rock
hold, Alger, a boy, Dennis Dean,
bom Saturday. T'
Mr. and Mrs. Max McCaffer
ty, Bluffton, a girt, Nancy Marie,
bom Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Kolsky,
Lafayette, a boy, bom Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Falk,
Bluffton, a boy, bom Wednes
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Kuhn, a
boy, James Richard, bom last
Thursday in Arvada, Colorado.
The paternal grandparents are
Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Kuhn and the
maternal grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Nonnamaker, of
Bluffton.
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
SINGLE COPY 8c
Skylark Constructing 3,500
Square Foot Plant Addition
Doubling its facilities in less
than six months after moving to
a new location, the Skylark
Trailer company has begun con
struction of a 3,500 square foot
addition, owner Kenneth Jackson
announced this week.
The cement block addition is
being added on the northeast side
of the property which Skylark
acquired from the Allen county
Farm Bureau late last March
south of Bluffton on the Old Dixie
highway.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
BY MAIL SS.M
Youth Minister
Named by Church
James Smith
The Rev. Robert Dye Sr., pas
tor of the First Missionary
church, has announced the re
cent appointment of James
Smith, a Bluffton college stu
dent, as youth minister by the
local church board.
Mr. Smith, a pre-medics stu
dent at the college, has been li
censed by the Missionary Church
association, and has been placed
on the missionary candidate list.
After completing his training as
a missionary doctor, he will be
considered for one of the fields
of the association.
Mr. Smith’s home is in Mur
ray, Iowa. He was graduated
from the Prairie Bible Institute
after four years’ attendance, and
attended Biola college for one
year before coming to Bluffton
to complete his science courses.
After two more years of study
here, he plans to enter medical
college.
While attending school here, he
has secured employment with one
of the Lima hospitals.
Window Photos
To Replace
Treasure Hunt
A photo identification program
will replace the old Treasure
Hunt as one phase of the Christ
mas promotion program of th^
Bluffton Business Men’s associa^
tion.
Pictures will be taken the day
after Thanksgiving xrith the
photographer snapping crowds of
shoppers at random. At least 100
pictures will be taken according
to tentative pbAs.
One individFv in each group
photo will be picked and his pic
ture encircled and these photos
will appear in merchants’ win
dows on Window Shopping Night.
Gifts will be given to the per
sons whose pictures are encir
cled.
Window Shopping Night will
probably be held on Friday, De
cember 4, the merchants decid
ed.
The merchants also agreed to
sponsor the downtown Christmas
lighting and hold a Christmas
party for area youngsters, as
they have done in recent years.
Store hours for the Christmas
stopping season were also set.
They will be open every Thurs
day in December prior to Christ
mas Window Shopping Night
when the date is finally set Mon
day, Tuesday and Wednesday of
Christmas week and two earlier
Wednesdays in the month, De
cember 9 and 16. Regular Satur
day evening store hours will al
so be observed.
Shoe Repair Shop
Changes Owners
Roily Koontz, who for several
years has operated Koontz’s
Fixit Shop on South Mound
street, this week purchased Rayl’s
Shoe Repair shop on North Main
street.
Mr. Koontz said that he plan
ned to operate the shoe shop
during the day and will continue
work at his Fixit shop in the
evenings. If a suitable room
should become available in the
business section, he may com
bine both businesses, he said.