I can’t believe we are already at the first weekend of December. Our office has been working in high gear, preparing for this holiday season. Santa letters have been pouring in, and he wanted us to remind all the children to clearly write their name and address on the outside of the envelope if they would like a return letter. The last day to drop a letter in Santa’s mailbox in front of City Hall is Friday, Dec. 8, at 8 a.m. This is a free service for Bluffton residents only; no postage is needed.
Today are tryouts for the Wells County Boys fifth-eighth grade Basketball League from 1-3 p.m. in the Bluffton City Gym. Anyone wanting more information about the league can contact Barry Crosby at 260-824-4399. It is also the day of the annual Elks Hoop Shoot, which is a free throw program for youth ages 8-13. Boys and girls are invited to the Bluffton City Gym on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 3:30-6 p.m. during our regularly scheduled Open Gym to give it their best shot.
The free Indoor Snowball Fight for children ages 6-16 is on Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Bluffton City Gym. This awesome indoor snowball fight game lets you challenge your friends without getting chilly in the cold. Please pre-register your child by emailing events@blufftonindiana.gov or call 824-6069.
Don’t forget that the Gingerbread Contest entries are due by the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 8. The contest is divided into age groups: 9 and under (adults may help), 10-15, and 16 years–adults. Gingerbread Contest Voting will occur on the Bluffton Parks Department Facebook page from Dec. 11-18. Photos of each entry will be posted, and every “like” will be counted as a vote; vote for as many as you like, and the person with the most votes per age group wins.
A Free Storytime with Mrs. Claus is scheduled this Thursday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. to noon. Tots will enjoy meeting Mrs. Claus, hearing a story, doing a small craft, and jumping in the bouncy house. Winter Wonderland will be that evening, and all the good boys and girls of the community should stop by the city gym from 5:30-7 p.m. Each child will get to play Christmas games, visit with Santa, and burn off some energy in the jump house. Enter the glass door on the west side of City Hall.
Peppermint the Elf will be in Bluffton from Dec. 4-20, having fun at the city parks. Follow the Bluffton Parks Department on Facebook to find clues to her location as you Search for Santa’s Helper. Children ages 12 and under who find her paper photo hidden in the park can take a selfie with it and post it to the Bluffton Parks Facebook page for a chance to be randomly drawn for a prize.
The Wells County Trails group is working on a boat launch project to increase access to the Wabash River for kayakers. Adding features like this can increase the tourism options for visitors and residents to enjoy nature. Please help make the Vera Cruz Paddle Sports Launch a reality. Today, through Jan. 12, 2024, there is a $1 for $1 matching opportunity up to $55,000.00 from the CreatINg Places Campaign, thanks to Indiana Housing and Community Development and AARP. This campaign is brought to you through Patronicity. A donation of any amount helps. Please help us improve access to the Wabash River in Wells County! Mail or Drop off a donation to the Wells County Community Foundation at 222 W Washington St., Bluffton, Indiana 46714 (Make Checks Payable to Wells County Trails) or Make an online contribution at https://tinyurl.com/26rvz6aw.
We want to thank the Wells County Foundation for recently awarding our department a grant to do repairs on the Wabash River banks along the Rivergreenway Trail. This trail gets a lot of use all year, so we are excited to get some much-needed repairs done to protect the riverbanks from erosion.
Have a great week!
