Veldhaus appointed to Milan School Board
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Milan Community School Corporation Board of Trustees appointed Anthony (Tony) Veldhaus to fill the vacancy left on the board by the death of Charles Rohlfing on October 21.

The action took place on Monday, November 21, at the school board's meeting, which opened with President David Voss' request for a moment of silence in remembrance of Charles Rohlfing.

Later in the meeting under personnel items, a motion by Edward Amberger to approve the appointment of Veldhaus received a second by Stephanie Baker and a unanimous vote. Veldhaus is a former member of the Milan School Board and will serve until the May 2006 election.

In other personnel items, board members Amberger, Baker, Anita Pitts, and President Voss approved administrative assignments until the end of the 2005-2006 school year.

These include:

* Marty Layden as a corporation athletic director while maintaining his position as assistant to the principal at Milan Middle School;

* Andrew Jackson as assistant principal at Milan High School while maintaining the duties of safety and transportation director; he will reain the duties of technology director until another qualified person can be hired;

* Permission to advertise for a new director of technology in Ripley County papers, Dearborn County papers, and at the university placement offices.

Other employment recommendations approved unanimously by the board included:

* Janet Browning as a six-hour special education aide;

* Brandy Lacey as 8th grade girls' basketball coach;

* Angela Volz as 7th grade girls' basketball coach;

* John Jackson as 8th grade boys' basketball coach;

* Brian Voss as 6th grade boys' basketball coach;

* John Prifogle as 5th grade boys' basketball coach;

* Alecia Fryman as high school student council sponsor;

* Tara Ward as girls' reserve basketball coach;

* Tim Atwell as varsity girls' assistant basketball coach;

* Rob Burdette and Yatzie Roysden as non-paid wrestling assistants;

* Ryan Hixson as a non-paid basketball assistant;

* Nathan Uribe as a four-hour custodian at the middle school to replace Tressa Day, whose resignation was accepted The board also agreed to roll over the administrative contracts of Jane Rogers, Connie Nobbe, Marty Layden, and Andrew Jackson through June 30, 2007, with an average of 2% salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2005.

Retroactive 2% salary increases were also approved for regularly employed non-certified employees and for corporation bus drivers.

Also rolled over through the 2006-2007 season was the contract for Randy Combs, varsity basketball head coach.

In other business, the board heard a request from Daniel Fleming and Josh Holland, representing the Class of 2006, to take a senior trip to New York City from March 20-24, 2006. Senior sponsors Richard Dobson and Todd Yates were also present.

Board members approved the trip with a comment from President Voss that it would be a very exciting trip, a chance of a lifetime, but also seniors and their sponsors should remember "that it is a dangerous world out there; use caution and remember 9/11."

They also approved a field trip request from Choral Director Dara Stutler to take 35 members of the choral and theater classes to the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati on December 13 to attend the production of The Phantom of the Opera.

Two fundraising requests received approval: Swim USA and the swim team to sell raffle tickets for a donated mountain bike through November and December; Milan varsity and reserve cheerleaders and sponsor Anne Marie Layden to hold a cheer leading clinic on December 3 to use money collected for uniforms.

Lease agreements approved were for the Milan Elementary PTO to use the elementary gymnasium and cafeteria on Saturday, December 10, for a Santa's Workshop; the high school SADD chapter to have a Kids Night Out at the elementary school on Thursday, December 8 and during Parent Teacher Conferences on November 22-23 for babysitting services.

Also, the Good News Club with sponsors Sherri Schmidt and Robin Laws to use various parts of the elementary building for after-school activities; and the cheerleaders to use the elementary gym for a cheerleading clinic on Saturday, December 3.

A motion by Amberger approved the acceptance of a donation of two sets of bungee cords, eight sets of training fins, and six sets of paddles donated by USA Swim for use by the school's swim team, MIST swim team, and the elementary swim program.

Band Director Stefani Bedel received permission to attend the Midwest Clinic in Chicago from December 15-17 with the stipulation that Principal Michael Parks has the appropriate funds in the high school accounts to finance the trip.

With the approval of the Charles Rohlfing family, the board agreed to donate Mr. Rohlfing's $1,000 stipend to the Charles Rohlfing Scholarship Fund.

At the beginning of the meeting Todd Yates, varsity cross country coach, thanked the board for allowing him to attend the NCAA Division I Cross Country Meet at Indiana State University in Terre Haute that day.

He reported that Chris Swisher was the first Milan graduate to be named a Division I All American athlete. Superintendent Don Swisher was not present at the board meeting because he was with his son in Terre Haute for the national cross country meet.

Also honored were members of the high school spell bowl team, who won the sectional in their division with a score of 46 points, the highest ever scored by a Milan team.

Sponsors Ken Hornback and Brenda Walter introduced the team: Christine Lawburgh, Jessica Smith, Kendra Walker, Amanda Walter, Alyse Robinson, Amanda Franklin, Courtney Swigart, Emily Perkins, Courtney Crabtree, Carissa Mulroy, and Courtney Myers.

Principal Parks introduced senior student Adam Baylor, who was a finalist for the Wendy's Heismann Trophy Award. He also presented the J. Martin Layden Award to the girls' cross country team, whose combined GPA was 3.78, the highest ever recorded since the inception of the award.

High School Guidance Director David Steckel presented the board with the Gold Star Counseling Award that Milan High School had recently received as one of only 19 schools in Indiana to qualify.

Steckel also told the board that Milan was second in the state for having the most students enrolled in Vincennes University high school/college credit classes through Project XL.

MARY MARGARET MOORHEAD PHOTO

The J. Martin Layden Award for outstanding GPA is presented by Principal Michael Parks, back row right, to two of the team members Sarah Mills and Megan Lade. Coach Todd Yates, back left, attended the Milan School Board meeting with the girls. Their GPA was 3.78, the highest achieved since the inception of the award.