Xoekatn, Vernon
at,
n
Bluffton, Ohio
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
84 YEAR NO. 38
,V
Thirty-eight Bluffton merchants
will join (jpgcther to salute the
first baby of the new decade with
a shower of gifts, ranging from
talcum powder to car polish to
an engraved silver spoon.
The royal welcome for the first
baby of 1960 to be born in Bluff
ton Community hospital has been
planned by the Bluffton Business
Men’s association. In charge of
the contest are Dr. B. W. Travis,
Dr. F. D. Rodabaugh and Dr.
Howard Shelly.
Rules adopted for this year’s
Derby provide that the winning
baby’s parents must live within
12 miles of Bluffton unless the
mother is a regular patient of a
local physician and has been pre
viously scheduled to come to the
local hospital for delivery.
Time noted on the baby’s birth
certificate will be used to deter
mine the winner. Parents of the
Andre Trocme
New Clerk, Two
Councilmen Take
Beaverdam Office
Two councilmen and a new
village clerk will move into of
fice when the Beaverdam village
government reorganizes next
week.
Patricia Bushong will be the
clerk-treasurer, replacing Mau
rice Burkholder, the incumbent
who was defeated in a race for
re-election.
New councilmen taking their
seats will be Allen Hancock and
Robert Wheeler. Sitting with
them will be incumbents William
Parkins, Robert Welch, Harold
Crawfis and Bruno Maroscher
who were all re-elected in Novem
ber.
Robert Snodgrass, the choice
in November, will be starting his
first full term after succeeding
the late Donald Barber.
Biggest problem facing the
council is their proposed munic
ipal water system. They must
find a means of financing the
system which will be acceptable
to the village, yet attractive
enough to please prospective bid
ders.
FIVE BLUFFTON BOY SCOUTS, all members of the United Presbyterian church, were pre
sented with their “God and Country Awards” last Sunday morning during the church’s regular
worship service. One of the most coveted awards in Scouting and relatively new, it is rare when
five awards are presented in one group.
The boys were supervised in their work and study for an entire year by the Rev. W. J. Hannum
and by a special committee of lay people representing the Christian Education department of the
church. They recently appeared for final examinations before the district supervisor of the God
and Country program in Ottawa.
The boys, left to right, receiving final instruction from Rev. Mr. Hannum before the service,
are Jan Benroth, John Travis, Tom Benroth, Greg Emans and Tom Edwards.
38 Bluffton Merchants Join To Offer
Prizes to First-Born of the New Decade
winning child will be required to
contact Maurice Fett, president
of the Business Men, before pick
ing up the gifts coming to them.
This year’s winner will suc
ceed little Alan Titus, the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Titus, La
fayette, who was born on Janu
ary 2, 1959.
Prizes donated by Bluffton
merchants include: Basinger
Furniture Store, $5 gift certifi
cate Plain View Dairy, gallon
of ice cream Bucher Sohio, $3
of Boron gasoline Waitermire’s,
baby blanket Leiber Jewelry
Store, solid gold baby ring: Erns
bcrger Jeweler, silver baby feed
ing spoon Crow’s 5-cent to $1,
gift package.
Treva’s Beauty Shop, free
shampoo and set to mother Ger
ber’s Studio, mounted nutone por
trait Luginbuhl Plumbing and
French Pacifist To Discuss Tasks
Of Christianity, Democracy Today
Current problems of churches,
countries and continents will be
the theme of two open lectures to
be delivered next week at Bluff
ton college by the Rev. Andre
Trocme.
“Colonialism, Com unism,
Christianity and the Future of
Democracy” will be the title of
his lecture to be given Tuesday,
January 5, at 8 p. m. in Ram
seyer chapel.
Wednesday morning he will
discuss “Nonviolent Action for
Young Nations of Africa” dur
ing the college chapel hour.
Rev. Trocme is the traveling
secretary of the International
Fellowship of Reconciliation and
is director of its Maison de la
Reconciliation.
His travels have taken him to
all the main countries of Europe,
to North Africa, the Near East,
Orient and inside the Iron Cur
tain. Among his most recent
visits have been trips to Japan
and Russia.
A leading pacifist, he has
tested non-violence in the Ger
man occupation of France, the
French occupation of Algeria, in
contacts with Moslems and in
the cold war between East and
West.
He earned his B.D. and S.TH.D.
degrees at the University of
Paris and Union Theological
Seminary in New York.
Pupils To Share
In PTA Program
Bluffton high school students
will join in the program to be
presented at the PTA meeting
next Tuesday evening in the high
school auditorium. The program
begins at 8 p. m.
A student panel will discuss
manners and conduct, with prin
cipal Roy Schmunk serving as
moderator for the discussion.
Music will be provided by the
junior high school band, under
the direction of Miss Jo Souder.
Co-chairmen are Mr. and Mrs.
Arden Baker.
BPA Purchases
Used Pickup Truck
Purchase of a used truck for
the village water department was
approved by the Board of Pub
lic Affairs last week.
They have acquired a 1954 Chev
rolet six cylinder truck, replacing
a 1946 model which was nearly
on its last legs,
Heating, $2 cash Fett Hardware,
electric alarm clock A. Hauen
stein and Son, Johnson baby gift
box Rice Dry Goods, $5 in wear
ing apparel.
Hauenstein Bakery, decorated
cake Niswander Newsstand, tal
cum powder, two plastic nursing
bottles and baby soap Hilty
Flowers, bouquet for mother and
baby Stauffer Pure Oil, five gal
lons of gas Blanche Roberts
Shop, hand woven throw rug
Brooke Motor Sales, lube job and
oil change for family car.
Bluffton Farm Equipment com
pany, hydraulic pump oiler for
the father Hauenstein Plumbing
and Heating^ nursery birds set
Charles Company, baby hottie
sterilizer W. H. Gratz, gift cer
tificate for mother Bluffton
Stone Company, $5 for mother
Farmers Grain Company, $5 to
parents Geiger and Diller, in
fant Weather Bird shoes.
Bob Williams Chevrolet, Inc.,
$5 savings deposit for baby Dix
ie Marathon Station, rainbow pol
ishing cloth and can of car polish
for family car Lugibihl’s News
stand, box of candy Herr Gar
dens and Greenhouse, floral ar
rangement Clark Buick, $5 mer
chandise certificate.
Western Auto Associate store,
baby seat for car Basinger Fu
neral Home, free ambulance
service for mother and baby C.
F. Niswander and Son, toy Farm
all tractor Loofbourrow Drugs,
engraved silver baby spoon
and Plumbing and Heating, set
of Walt Disney pin-ups Badert
scher Grocery, box of groceries
Vida-Vidella Shop, box of hosiery
Community Market, box of baby
food.
Men were busy in Bluftton dur
ing 1959 but they were forced
to share the news headlines with
several acts of God.
Probably the biggest supply of
important news for the town
came from the Ex-Cell-0 corpor
ation. Closed at the start of the
year while union and manage
ment were deadlocked in a strike,
the company dropped a bomb
shell late in January when they
announced plans to close the lo
cal plant.
A sudden break in the strike,
with each union bargaining at
its local plant instead of on a
national level with the company,
led to a new contract for the
Bluffton plant. With this in hand,
the management re-opened the
plant and employment began to
climb rapidly.
Bolstering their employment
picture was a new contract to
manufacture nuclear equipment.
Next came an announcement that
Ex-Cell-O had acquired a Minne
sota factory specializing in box
ing and packaging equipment,
with plans to tranfer the entire
operation of that company to its
Bluffton plant.
Water Everywhere
Water in such unlikely places
as the highest point in town on
South Main street created sur
prising problems in the village.
Flash floods in the unseason
able months of January and Feb
ruary pushed Riley creek waters
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
____________________________A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO THURSDAY, DEC. 31, 1959
Employment Reaches
Top Point in Years
Employment in Bluffton’s two
major manufacturing industries
is at one of the highest points in
recent years, representatives of
the Triplett Electrical Instru
ment company and the Ex-Cell-O
corporation said this week.
Jaycees Open
Nominations
For Awards
Plans for the fourth annual
awards honoring two outstanding
young men from the Bluffton
community are being made by
the Bluffton Junior Chamber of
Commerce, it was announced this
week.
Deadline for entries for the
Distinguished Service Award and
the Outstanding Young Farmer
award will be announced next
week, according to the Rev.
James Heininger, president of
the Jaycees.
Nominations for both awards
may be made by anyone. An
anonymous judging committee
will make their selections from
entries submitted by the public.
Distinguished Service Award
candidates are judged on leader
ship ability, personal and busi
ness progress, and contributions
to community welfare through
church, civic and fraternal or
ganizations.
The young farmer award is
made on the basis of outstanding
accomplishments in agriculture
and community service during
the past year.
Donivan Augsburger, former
Bluffton scoutmaster who has
gone on to make Scouting a
career, received the DSA last
year. Earlier winners were Joe
Harris and Paul Basinger.
Last year’s outstanding young
farmer was Robert J. Stratton.
Winning the award in the first
two years of the contest were
John Warren and Walter Badert
,sehyr
County Museum
To Host Bluffton
Bluffton will be honored
next Monday evening at the
Allen County Historical Mus
eum in Lima with a special
tour arranged by the Swiss
Community Historical so
ciety.
The tour is open to the pub
lic. Transportation will be
arranged if necessary. Per
sons needing transportation
to Lima are asked to con
tact Silas Diller.
The program will start at
7:30 p. m. with a presenta
tion of slides showing the
early days of Allen county.
Tours will start at 8 p. m.
and be completed by 9 p. m.
No admission will be charged
for the evening’s activity.
Weather Tricks, Industrial Fluctuation,
Nw Celebrations Mark ?59
to their highest level since 1913.
Not once but twice the officials
of the Bluffton Stone Company
held their heads in horror as the
creek burst far beyond its banks
and flooded the 40 foot deep quar
ry from bottom to brim.
Holding their heads in Octob
er were village oficials when a
long and cold rain worked under
a newly laid surface on South
Main street, causing it to stick
to the tires of passing traffic.
With a village tax levy for street
improvements less than a week
away, the officials feared disas
ter, but they were rewarded
when the tax levy passed by a
thin margin.
Visitors
Activities of the churches cre
ated news in 1959, with the tri
ennial conference of the Gener
al Conference Mennonite church
bringing 1,500 visitors from all
points in North America.
Conducting the business of the
church in a changing world, they
met many problems during their
nine day session.
Council’s Worries
Those harassed people, the vil
lage councilmen, had their share
of problems in addition to the
de-surfaced re-surfaced street.
Faced with a problem of
whether to sell the old light plant
building or lease it to local in
dustry, they voted by a split 4-2
margin to reject sale of the plant
Triplett employment has mush
roomed in 1959. The December,
1959 working force is fully 20
percent larger than the level of
December, 1958.
”We are now employing more
people in Bluffton than at any
time since the height of our war
boom in 1943,” Arden Baker,
Triplett personnel manager, said.
While Triplett’s growth has
gone relatively unnoticed, the Ex
Cell-O picture presents a big con
trast to the 1958 picture when the
plant was closed by a strike.
Re-opened in February, after
threats of a permanent closing,
Ex-Cell-O began their work with
a slender working force of 38.
"We are now approaching the
highest employment we ever had
at the Bluffton plant, which came
several months before the strike
which began in 1958,” personnel
manager Don Lytle said. He
went on to say that local em
ployment at the company could
set a new record in 1960.
Landing a nuclear equipment
contract, transfer of a new oper
ation from Minnesota to Bluffton
and the opening of a second op
eration in the old municipal light
plant building have been com
bined to shove Ex-Cell-O back to
its top level.
First Missionary
Repeats Win in
Church Lighting
The First Missionary church
won first place in the annual
church lighting contest of the
Bluffton Business Men’s associa
tion for the second straight year,
the judges decreed Tuesday eve
ning. Second place went to St.
John’s United Church of Christ.
The Missionary display was
built around the new arrowhead
front added to the building in the
past year. A giant Christmas
wreath was centered in the large
window at the front of the addi
tion, with gentle blue lights flood
he front of the church, point
simplicity!of tit wreath.
use oi lighting also
cifcarlfcterized thd second place
winner. The waliLpf the church
whs bathed in blue light, with
spotlights picking out the simple
front of the church with the
words "Peace On Earth” over
the main entrance.
First prize in the contest was
$10, second prize $5. Four Bluff
ton churches were entered.
Births
The following births were re
corded at Bluffton Community
hospital during the past week:
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Kempf,
Bluffton, a boy, born Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Miller,
Pandora, a boy, Dean Alan, bom
Tuesday
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Ernsberg
er, Bluffton, a girl, Kathy Eliza
beth, born in Blanchard Valley
hospital, Findlay, Saturday, De
cember 26.
for Bluffton
for $22,500. High cost of a new
building fo*p water department
headquarters swayed the men
who voted against the sale, but
the pros and cons of both sides
were thoroughly discussed for
several w'eeks.
Keeping Busy
New promotions came on the
scene as the Bluffton Business
Men’s association introduced one
innovation after another follow
ing the cancellation of their ro
deo.
An Industrial Exhibit, and Air
Fair and a Historic Car Festi
val appeared for the first time
and brought thousands of visi
tors to the community.
A continued attraction was the
Miss Buckeye bathing beauty
contest held at the annual busi
nessmen’s picnic with attractive
blonde Pam Miller winning this
year’s title as the fairest of the
local belles.
Christmas decorating contests,
a community Hallowe’en party,
the Baby Derby, a clean up
campaign and the annual Trout
Derby all were sponsored by the
busy merchants.
1959 saw the completion of a
two year community campaign
to pay for the bathhouse slab at
the municipal swimming pool.
Heading the effort wpre die Jay
cees. Payment of this bill open
ed the way for a new campaign
to build a bathhouse at the pool.
SINGLE COPY 8c
Strengthened by a tax increase granted in No
vember, Bluffton’s newly elected council faces the
problems typical of a growing community.
One of the problems, ironically, is the result of
the fatter pocketbook promised by the tax boost.
The campaign for this two mill increase was
based on a promise of organized street repairs,
leaving the new council to face the ticklish prob
lem of selecting the streets to be fixed.
An expected $65,000 will be available during
the five year life of the levy. One of council’s
first problems will be that of priority, selecting
the streets which must be rebuilt and resurfaced
during the first summer’s work.
They must also decide what type of surface
to apply to the streets and the amount of re
building which should be done. By summer they
must be sifting through bids from highway con
tractors in the area.
Steady village has pfised the
problem of bulking a* zoning regulatioi First
steps towards a'zoning ordinance were taten by
the village’s first Planning Commission, set up
under the retiring administration of mayor David
Risser.
Cooperation of the areas on the fringe of Bluff
ton will be necessary before planning and zoning
can work. Officials of Orange and Richland town
ships must work hand in hand with the Planning
Commission or all the benefits of local zoning
can be strangled.
Before fading the problem of rural cooperation,
the new council must find someone willing to lead
the program and face the intense questioning
which will follow the first zoning and building
proposals.
Payment of the old debt for the bathhouse slab
at the municipal swimming pool has opened the
way for construction of a permanent bathhouse.
One of retiring mayor Risser’s pet proposals is
financing the building with interest payments
from bonds held by the village permanent im
provement fund, with much of the construction
&
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I
A
it —1
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A. O. BADERTSCHER is
shown above with two pine
cones which are among the
decorations on his Christmas
tree. He and Mrs. Badert
scher brought, them home
from their West Coast trip
this summer.
The smaller cone is from
the famous General Grant
Sequoia, one of the oldest
living things in the world
which reaches 250 feet high
in Sequoia National Park and
is estimated to be 4,000 years
old. Oddly enough the larger
pine cone comes from a
smaller tree in the west.
WITH A REFLECTIVE LOOK, Bluffton’* new mayor Wilbur B. Amstutz take* the oath of of
fice from village solicitor Malcolm Basinger at the December 22 council meeting
Mr. Amstutz will swear in the new members of the village’s official force at the first meeting
of the year on January 12. Incumbent councilmen Charles Aukerman and Charles Haakish Jr., will
be joined by newcomers Maynard Badertscher, Clayton Bixel, Wayne Matter and James Hein
inger. A new clerk, Norman Edinger, and a new treasurer, Lois Basinger, wiU also take office. Re
turning to office will be the present Board of Public Affairs, Don Ream, Harvey Bauman and
Clayton Harkness.
The trouble Mr. .Amstutz was probably considering as he took the oath of office wiU begin offi
cially tomorrow when he replaces David L. Risser, who retires after two terms In Bluffton’s highest
Street Repairs, Building Zoning Code
Chief Trouble Spots Facing New Council
Bluffton college, by far, has re
ceived the greatest number of
students seeking to further their
formal schooling. Thirteen mem
bers of the class are reported en
rolled at B. C. with five in other
colleges, one in nursing and one
in busipss training school.
Seven members have thus far
taken positions in industry, four
are in the armed forces, two are
in retail establishments, two are
at home an dthere is but one lone
farmer.
Those reported to be enrolled
at Bluffton college include Pa
mela Berry, Darrell Hul?er, Lau
ra Diller, Ruth Frankhauser, Ed
ward Niswander, Susan Hauen
stein, Donita Luginbill, Joenita
Shetler, Carole Herr, Ronald Ha
begger, Judy Frankhauser, Hel
en Geiger and Mary Steiner.
Those attending other colleges
included David Little, College of
Wooster Larry Smucker, Grin
nell college Sallie Jordan, San
Diego State college, San Diego,
Calif. Norman Hochstettler,
Ohio Northern university and
Ramon Lewis, Miami university.
Attending other shools are
Vicki Davidson, St. Rita’s school
of nursing Sharon Johnson,
Northwestern School of Com
merce and Mary Lou Kaufman
is employed at the same school.
The seven members of the class
now busy in industry are: Sue
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
BY MAIL »3.»«
being donated by local residents. The new coun
cil must put this into effect or find another way
of financing a bathhouse before many more years
pass.
The village trunk sewer system is in good
shape but the feeder system, planned and built
for tum-of-the-century sewage, causes new prob
lems each year. Facing towards the future, the
council may be forced to meet immediate repair
needs while still building for the future.
Viewed as a serious problem when the retiring
council took office in 1958 was the acquisition of
more land for Maple Grove cemetery. The ceme
tery is not filling as fast as had been expected
and the problem is not as acute now as it seemed
two years ago. Expansion of the present ceme
tery or creation of a new one must come, with
accompanying money problems, but this problem
may stay out of reach in the next two years.
Tiie always unpopular job of asking for more
money may come up, perhaps within the first
year of the new council. When sewer rates were
raised last summer the BPA also dropped
several hints that water rates might be climbing
soon.
When the new route 25 is expanded to a four
lane highway Bluffton will be cut off with only
two access points, one a mile east of town, the
other three miles southwest. Bentley road access
has been a key desire of the Business Men’s as
sociation. When this fight is carried to the state
highway department, the council will certainly
be asked to carry their share of the burden.
Other problems to be faced by council some
of them brought out in the election campaign this
fall are organized recreation for local youth,
a police radio system, improved public rest
rooms and better traffic control.
Not all of these problems can be solved in two
years, and some of them may not even develop,
but the councilmen will face enough of them to
justify their $5 a meeting.
Half of BBS Spring Graduates
Continue Formal Schooling
More than half of the members
of the Bluffton high school spring
graduating class are continuing
their education in colleges or
other schools, a survey of the
37-member Class of ’59 has re
vealed.
CrawTis, Ohio Oil Donna Basing
er, Triplett Co. Ann Zimmerly,
Ohio Oil Marcene Zimmerman,
Peerless Glove factory Conner
Stewart, Page Dairy Co. David
Hauenstein, Ford Co. Ronald
Badertscher, Cooper Tire Co.
The four reported to be serv
ing in the armed forces or re
cently completing their service
are: Dennis Smith, Marines
from Army Edwin Kohli, Army.
Larry Mumma, Army Gordon
Mathewson, recently released
In the retail trade are Jane Al
spach, who assists her parents in
the Alspach Dry Cleaning busi
ness and Owen Ziessler, Urich's
IGA market.
Assisting at their homes are
Sherlyn Moser and Eugenia Kib
ele, and the Class of ’59’s one and
only farmer is Rodney Stratton,
who is operating his father’s
farm.
Christmas Prizes
Won by Adults
Christmas prizes donated
by Loofbourrow’s Rexall
were won by two adults, but
the grand prize winner quick
ly solved things by passing
his prize on ta some children.
Howard Stager won an
electric train set, then pre
sented It to the three boys
of Lysle Niswander, an em
ployee of Mr. Stager.
Winner of the large doll
given by the druggist was
Mrs. Marden Basinger.