First grade teacher Sarah Royer (left) wipes tears from her eyes after finding, to her surprise, that son, Colten, was the student who chose her as his favorite teacher. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

There are lots of programs each year that honor area students for their hard work and dedication. Not many programs, though, honor teachers who go above and beyond for their students. One such program, sponsored by the Van Wert City Endowment Fund for Educators, held its 18th annual banquet Thursday evening at Willow Bend Country Club.

Retired school psychologist Randy Gardner, who was, himself, inspired by three teachers — his grandfather, Ralph Gallapoo, Glen Livingston and Gil Smith — created a format in which students to honor their favorite teachers with an essay telling them how they have made a difference in their lives.

Thursday’s edition of the banquet featured tears and laughter as the six VWHS students with the top grade point average (this year, all 4.0s) and another five students selected at random by a committee read their essays to their favorite teacher.

The six top students and their favorite teachers included Caleb Markward/Deb Chiles, Joey Hurless/Bob Spath, Melissa Bono/Kathy Fleming, Sarah Aurand/Bob Sloan, Alex Bair/Mary Kramer and Nik Wolford/Bob Priest.

There was one precedent set on Thursday, as senior Colten Royer, one of the five chosen at random, selected his mother, first grade teacher Sarah Royer, as his favorite teacher.

Two other rare occurrences included Kylie Allenbaugh reading her essay to teacher Tiffany Werts over the phone, since Werts was out of town chaperoning the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. (done once before) and senior Scott Turner chose a non-teacher, guidance office secretary Lynette Westgerdes, for his essay subject. That also happened in 2004 when now-retired custodian Dave Horine was honored.

“Education is not an easy road, but can be a very rewarding one,” Gardner said, who introduced the five seniors chosen at random, which included Royer, Allenbaugh, Turner, Maggie Allmandinger, who honored teacher Roland Alvarez, and Jessica Klausing, who chose Pam Morris as her favorite teacher.

Top GPA VWHS seniors and their favorite teachers (from the left) Bob Priest and Nik Wolford, Mary Kramer and Alex Bair, Bob Sloan and Sarah Aurand, Kathy Fleming and Melissa Bono, Bob Spath and Joey Hurless and Deb Chiles and Caleb Markward. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

While most of the teachers had their students in class, that wasn’t the case for Allenbaugh, who was inspired by Alvarez, a special education teacher, during conversations she had with him during study hall.

Some of the students credited their teachers with helping them find a career path, such as Klausing, who said Morris helped her decide on a career in medicine, while Wolford, who will be attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this fall, credited high school social studies teacher Priest with helping him choose a military career.

The five selected students and their favorite school staffers include (from the left) Sarah and Colten Royer, Kylie Allenbaugh (her favorite teacher, Tiffany Werts, was out of town), Pam Morris and Jessica Klausing, Scott Turner and Lynette Westgerdes, and Maggie Allmandinger and Roland Alvarez. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

In Turner’s case, he was amazed by the amount of help and caring he received from Westgerdes during his college search process — even though he was just one of many students she assists during a typical school year.

The qualities of a teacher that students find outstanding vary, from humor to kindness, from providing guidance in life skills to a loving attitude, but all of the students’ essays have one thing in common: their favorite teacher (or person, in Westgerdes’ case), all gave students one-on-one attention. They took a personal interest in the students’ lives and inspired them in some way.

The banquet, VWHS Principal Bill Clifton said, is one of his favorite events of the year. “This is an awesome evening every spring,” Clifton noted. “I know the teachers that were honored, as well as the teachers in the audience, appreciate knowing that other people appreciate what they do each year for their students.”

In addition to the student essays, VWCS Superintendent Ken Amstutz also honored a number of this year’s 16 retiring teachers able to attend the banquet with a replica of a school bell. Those included Jeannie Ditmeyer, Christine Heizman, Nancy Wolverton, Ed Clark, Dave Cramer, and Cindy and Steve Thomas. Arlene Hurless, who retired a few years ago, but was not recognized then, was also presented with a bell this year.

In addition to Gardner, sponsors for this year included Edd and Tavie Buhl, Tim Stoller of Stoller Wealth Management, The Van Wert County Foundation, Van Wert Federal Savings Bank and the Van Wert Service Club.

Lincolnview High School held its senior awards day Thursday in the high school gymnasium. Recognition included departmental honors, as well as scholarship awards. Here, American Legion Post 178 Commander Kenneth Schutz is shown presenting an Americanism Contest award to Hayley McAbee. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

Young children need to be ready for kindergarten and the Head Start part-day preschool program in Van Wert County is taking applications now for its kindergarten readiness classrooms!

Head Start is a federally funded preschool program at Kids Learning Place in Van Wert. To be eligible for this no-cost preschool program a child must be between 3 to 5 years old and the family must meet federal income guidelines. The program also provides services to children of families that are homeless and children with disabilities are also considered.

There are two options; either part day classrooms or our home visiting program for more rural areas of the county.  Our centers provide children with safe and nurturing classrooms and the home base offers weekly visits and periodic group days. The Kids Learning Place program provides every child with a positive education experience that includes:

• Teachers with degrees in every classroom
• Developmental testing throughout the year
• Individualized services for children and families
• Bus transportation in most areas
• Only highest three star rated “Step Up to Quality” centers in the county

For more information about this program and to enroll call the local toll free number at 866.627.4557.  Also check the website at www.kidslearningplace.org and “like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kidslearningplace.

Council on Rural Services provides education, support, and volunteer services through Kids Learning Place™, Head Start and Early Head Start in its nine county service area.

Starting this week, seniors all over the Buckeye State will be graduating from high school. Agents with the Ohio Investigative Unit are taking an active role in enforcing Ohio’s alcohol laws, to ensure that these young adults are celebrating responsibly and within Ohio’s laws.

“As graduates, your high school accomplishments as well as your decisions made over the next several weeks will follow you throughout your lifetime,” said Agent-in-Charge Eric Wolf. “Make sure those decisions are the right ones. Remember, if you’re not yet 21, you booze, you lose.”

As with prom season, agents are reminding liquor permit premises to watch for underage individuals attempting to purchase beer – often with a false identification. Clerks should also lookout for individuals 21 and over purchasing alcohol for a person who is not yet 21. In Ohio it is illegal to share in the cost of purchasing alcoholic beverages, or attempts to do so – even if the sale is refused.

Parents who are hosting a party for their child’s friends should also be aware of Ohio’s laws and how they could impact them. In the state of Ohio, parents cannot give alcohol to children who are under 21, even with the other parents’ permission. Parents also cannot allow minors to consume alcohol in their home.

Anyone convicted of attempting to purchase alcohol as a minor, sharing in the cost, using false identification or furnishing alcohol to a minor may face a maximum sentence of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Agents are also asking for local hotels and limousine companies to be vigilant and report underage drinking and parties to local authorities.

Those who have information about a bar, store or carryout selling beer or liquor to persons under the age of 21, can notify the Ohio Investigative Unit by calling #677 on their cell phone.

The YMCA of Van Wert County’s Camp Clay Nature Committee will be hosting the presentation “Everything Bees” on Sunday, June 9, from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Camp Clay Nature Center.

Beekeeper Tim Arhiet will be explaining the intricacies of bee life during the program, which was originally set to be held June 2 at 2 p.m., but was moved to June 9, due to scheduling conflicts. The program is free and open to the public.

Information about this and other programs available at the Van Wert YMCA can be found by calling 419.238.0443 or visiting the YMCA’s website at www.vwymca.org. The YMCA of Van Wert County is partially funded by the Van Wert County Foundation and United Way.

LeRoy R. Germann

He was born October 24, 1925, in Van Wert, the son of the late Russell and Lucille (Bush) Germann. He married Esther (Case) Germann, who survives in Van Wert.

Mr. Germann was a Van Wert County deputy sheriff under Sheriff Wilmer Clay and was a lifetime farmer.

He was a member of St. Thomas Lutheran Church in rural Van Wert County and was a Pleasant Township trustee for 15 years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in World War II and was a member of American Legion Post 178 in Van Wert. He also raced standard-bred racehorses for more than 30 years.

In addition to his wife, survivors include three children, Delorse (Ronald) Hartman, Patty (Paul) Williams and Danny (Alycia) Germann, all of Van Wert; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

A brother, Alfred Germann; and two grandchildren, David M. Crisenberry and Rodney E. Stegaman, also preceded him in death.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory in Van Wert, with the Rev. Timothy Sims officiating. Burial will be in Evangelical Protestant Cemetery in rural Van Wert County.

Calling hours are from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at the funeral home.

Preferred memorial: A charity of donor’s choice.

Condolences may be sent to www.alspachgearhart.com.

She was born March 13, 1932, in Paulding, the daughter of the late Jack and Minnie E. (Hart) Stair. On July 24, 1954, she married Bernard William “Bill” Lamb, who preceded her in death on May 9, 2003.

Survivors include a daughter, Jodi (Bob) Price of Paulding; one son, Michael (Becky) Lamb of Defiance; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.

A great-grandson, Jack Clemens, also preceded her in death.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at Den Herder Funeral Home in Paulding, with the Rev. Dave Meriwether officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul Cemetery in Paulding.

Calling hours are from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, and an hour prior to services Wednesday at the funeral home.

Preferred memorials: Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center, c/o Community Health Professionals, 1159 Westwood Drive, Van Wert, OH 45891, or Relay for Life.

Online condolences may be sent to www.denherderfh.com.

Longtime VWHS boys' basketball coach Dave Froelich with the trophy he received in honor of his 400th coaching victory. (VW independent file photos by Jan Dunlap)

There’s one question that remains in Dave Froelich’s mind. “I really don’t know where I’m going to sit next year,” he said with a laugh.

The longtime Van Wert boys’ basketball head coach’s regular courtside seat will be filled by replacement Mark Bagley after Froelich announced his resignation earlier this year.

Capping a 34-year coaching career that began at Colonel Crawford in North Robinson and ended at Van Wert, the man known for his signature vest and passion for the game of basketball has passed the torch.

“I just knew it was time,” Froelich said. “It was tough, but I just felt that it was the right time for everybody. I have no second thoughts whatsoever at this point.”

Even still, Froelich finds himself in unfamiliar territory as the summer creeps up and, for the first time in more than 20 years, he’s not coordinating schedules and scrimmages. “All of those ‘firsts’ are going to be different for me,” he said, adding, “it’s the first time I’m not planning our summer calendar or planning the next shoot-out, so it’s absolutely going to be different for me.”

As it will for players and fans alike, who have come to respect the man who mentors his players not only on the court, but off as well.

“It’s easy to get consumed with the basketball part of it, but in reality it’s just one small part of life,” Froelich said. “I’ve had a lot of quality people to work with, not only the kids but their families as well.

“That makes it a whole lot easier to work with kids when they have the right values and right intentions of what they want to do with life,” he added. “If any of these kids can use what they’ve learned here as they move forward and move on, then that’s great.”

Hundreds of players have come and gone through the program, but Froelich’s coaching style and his passion for the game have remained a constant. Calling himself “old school,” Froelich admits he’s tough, but also says he’s never asked for anything other than 100 percent from his teams.

“We’re demanding, but I don’t think we asked kids to do anything outrageous; I’d say I’m old school in terms of our attention to detail and some of the fundamentals we stress time after time,” Froelich said, adding that each year the team operated on a basic outline that was tweaked to match each individual player’s strengths.

It’s an outline that has worked well. Under Froelich’s leadership, the Cougar basketball program has consistently churned out athletic, as well as academic, standouts, evidenced by the 2012-13 squad earning the No. 1 ranking in the state for its team grade point average.

It’s that type of accomplishment that matters long after diplomas are in hand, Froelich said. “You always want to get to the ultimate goal (a state championship); some get to it and some don’t,” Froelich said. “I was never really consumed by whether a state championship defined success.

“As important as we think winning is, it’s just one small niche in the development of a kid,” he added. “If I truly had to define success, I would say go back and look at the kind of players we had and what they’re doing now, not what they were doing when they played high school basketball.”

In what would be his last season of coaching, Froelich was honored for acquiring his 400th career coaching win, and added 20 more “Ws” before the end of the season.

Early on in his career, though, those wins were a little harder to come by. Froelich was quickly initiated into the world of high school basketball during his first career game, which pitted rural Colonel Crawford against a Dayton-Chaminade team that boasted two excellent guards — one who eventually played for Wisconsin and the other who went on to play at Marquette.

“They beat us by thirty-some points at the Nutter Center at Wright State,” Froelich said, adding, “after that, I thought ‘well, this was not a good decision.’”

Fortunately, things began to come together at the small school, and under the new coach, the Eagles won their first-ever league championship, in addition to their first sectional championship.

After a brief three-year stint at Perrysburg, Froelich took over where former Van Wert coach Keith Noftz left off and continued to build on a strong foundation. “Things had obviously gone very well and we wanted to continue that,” Froelich said. “The program was already in good shape, but we did struggle a bit for a year or so, just due to some different circumstances.”

In three short years, though, Froelich gained the respect of his players, and he looks back on that time with fondness — and a mutual respect for the young men who played under him.

“We ended up winning the league in our third year and making a nice post-season run. We had our ups and downs, but if the kids see you’re passionate about what you do, they’ll buy into it and work hard for you,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate here to always have good kids who are able to step up and perform for us.”

Dave Froelich instructs his Cougar players during a timeout.

As did Ben Ayers in 1999, a sectional championship game Froelich counts as one of his most memorable. “We won that one on Benny’s last-second shot in the sectional finals,” he said, “It was kind of a ‘Hail Mary’ type play and it worked.”

Froelich also recalled a game in the old gym that pitted former VWHS standout Cory Sinning against Shawnee’s Jamar Butler. “That was one of the best games to just kind of sit there and watch,” he said. “But there were many, many more games that were exciting to watch, and there were some that we obviously lost.”

He specifically recalled Van Wert’s recent tournament games, in which the Cougars dropped out of the race after tough double overtime losses.

Reflecting back on a successful career, Froelich said the key to being a good coach is not only having committed players, but a strong assistant coaching staff, as well as a supportive family. “It has to start at home, and I’m very fortunate I had that. My wife has done this for thirty-four years without question, and I never once felt like I was a burden to her,” Froelich said. “She was behind me one-hundred percent, as were my kids, who were born into this and grew up in it.

“Without question, my family has sacrificed many things quietly, adjusting schedules so I could do what I love to do,” he added. “It was just what we did as a family and we always did it together.”

Froelich will have considerably more time now to devote to his family, something he said he is looking forward to. And he’s happy to be Van Wert basketball’s No. 1 fan, no matter where he’s sitting. “Oh, it’s going to be strange. I really don’t know where to sit, or where I’m going to go in the gym,” he noted. “But I’ll be their biggest fan, and I’ll be supportive, but I won’t be in the way. It’s time to move on for the next group.”

It’s a bittersweet realization for not only local administrators and fans, but the Western Buckeye League as well.

“When Dave announced that he was resigning from basketball, I had a fellow athletic director who has also been a coach say to me that the WBL has lost its best basketball coach,” Van Wert High School Athletic Director Kent Smelser said. “I think that truly shows how people within our league and our area feel about him. Dave truly cares about each one of the athletes who have played for him and he’s going to be very hard to replace.”

Van Wert City Board of Education honored longtime boys’ basketball coach Dave Froelich for his contributions to the district and later chose his successor during its May meeting held Wednesday in the Van Wert Elementary School commons.

Van Wert City Board of Education President Ken Markward (left) presents a plaque to retiring head boys' basketball coach Dave Froelich to honor his more than three decades of coaching, most of which were spent at Van Wert. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

Board of Education President Ken Markward presented a plaque to Froelich honoring him for his more than three decades of coaching experience (see story above). The board also hired Van Wert Middle School Principal Mark Bagley, Froelich’s longtime varsity assistant, as the programs new mentor.

The vote wasn’t unanimous, though, with Markward casting a “no” vote on the motion, although he stressed that his vote wasn’t personal, but merely reflected his belief that district principals should not be head athletic coaches.

In other personnel items, the board accepted the resignation of Shawn Deitemeyer as director of the LifeLinks Community School and later approved a new contract for him as a high school special education teacher. The resignation of middle school science teacher Travis Guggenbiller was also accepted, while the board approved a one-year leave of absence for high school language arts teacher Michelle Stoller.

In addition to Deitemeyer, the following teachers were hired for the 2013-2014 school year: Ryan Parrish, high school special education teacher; Natoshia Wilhelm, high school language arts teacher; Mitchell Neal, high school social studies teacher; Ben Laudick, middle school math teacher; Drew Golden, middle school science teacher; Erin Lee, middle school language arts teacher; Thomas Sanford, fifth grade teacher; Jared Army, elementary school special education teacher; and Regina Brenneman, Early Childhood Center education of the handicapped preschool teacher.

The board also approved the following summer school staff: Wendy Howell, Ohio Graduation Test science; Krista Baer, OGT language arts; Cindy Thomas and Charlie Witten, OGT mathematics; Jennifer Trittschuh and Jeff Kallas, OGT social studies; and Ed Clark and Jay Royer, Van Wert Middle School summer school staff.

Also on Wednesday, the board approved the list of graduating seniors for the Class of 2013, providing all requirements are met. Graduation will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9, in the VWHS gymnasium.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted, with thanks, the following donations: $1,020.12 from The Van Wert County Foundation for the VWMS/VWHS robotics program; $394.23 from Lee Kinstle GM Sales & Service for the Van Wert OJT Fund; $130 from Flagship Tax Center for the VWECC, VWES and LifeLinks principal funds; and $2,000 from Chuck Thompson for an athletic scholarship award.
• Approved Fiscal Year 2013 permanent appropriations. Appropriations include $20,745,500 in General Fund appropriations and $36,431,265.36 in total appropriations.
• Approved the following as summer substitute custodial/maintenance workers: AJ Foster, Corey Clifton, Kyle Scheidt and Nathan Sperry.
• Accepted, as is usual, the following supplemental contract resignations: Larry Lamb, high school girls’ assistant soccer coach; and Keith Utendorf, high school assistant football coach.
• Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2013-2014 school year: Lamb, girls’ head soccer coach; Tammy Miller, girls’ assistant soccer coach; Ryan Parrish, assistant varsity football coach.
• Approved the following volunteer coach: Utendorf, varsity football assistant.
• Authorized the 2013 WBL vs. MAC/NWC Football All-Star Football Game on Friday, June 14. Rain date is Saturday, June 15.
• Authorized continued membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).
• Approved a policy allowing students who successfully complete Algebra I in the eighth grade with a minimum of a “B” average to earn one unit of high school math credit. The policy will be retroactive to the Class of 2014, when the state graduation requirements include four math units. Credit for the algebra class will be recorded as a “pass”, rather than be given a grade.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action to be taken.

The next scheduled meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education honored two retiring teachers, discussed district security measures and also applauded excellent Ohio Graduate Test results turned in by the district’s sophomores.

Lincolnview Superintendent Jeff Snyder (right) presents a plaque to retiring teacher June Young while Lincolnview Board President Eric Germann and retiring teacher Kay Wilusz look on. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

Lincolnview Superintendent Jeff Snyder provided plaques to Kay Wilusz and June Young. Wilusz is retiring after 33 years in education, while Young is completing her 34th year of teaching.

An item on Snyder’s building and grounds report noting that Secure Com has completed installation of 9 of 11 security cameras intended to eliminate “blind spots” in the district’s building security also prompted a brief discussion on building security.

Snyder reported on a recent teacher inservice that included a speaker from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, as well as local law enforcement and first-responder representatives, noting that he felt the inservice went very well.

During the discussion, Snyder stressed the importance of maintaining the best security possible, with the superintendent further noting that recommendations on what students and teachers should do in the event of an armed intruder has changed radically from what it used to be.

Snyder said the newest recommendation calls for students and teachers to move around as much as possible to make themselves a harder target, to fight back, and evacuate a building, if possible, if a gunman enters the school, rather than sit passively.

The superintendent also advised that, with the damage done to an elementary school in Moore, Okla., earlier this week, he would contact Van Wert County Emergency Management Director Rick McCoy to schedule a tour of Lincolnview buildings in an effort to make them as safe as possible in the event of severe weather.

High School Principal Kelly Dye reported that more than 90 percent of Lincolnview sophomores passed all portions of the OGT, with that percentage at 98.5 percent for math.

“I was very happy with the sophomores,” Dye said.

Elementary Principal Gordon Stemen updated the board on kindergarten enrollment, noting that five recent enrollees brought the number of incoming kindergartners to 63. Stemen added that, although the number is larger than normal, he did not see any need for changes in the number of classes and teachers required.

In district personnel items, Marsh School Principal Roger Salisbury was given a new one-year administrative contract, while Stemen was given a three-year limited administrative contract. Salisbury was also given a personal services contract as Marsh Title I supervisor, while Stemen will be Title I district coordinator.

Teresa DuCheney’s study hall monitor’s position was also eliminated by the board, for financial reasons.

The board also approved an 80-hour plan for technology professional development submitted by the Northwest Ohio Educational Technology Foundation (NWOET) to provide training to teachers and staff in conjunction with the district’s plan to provide computers to students through the 1:1 Computer Initiative. Cost of the services is $9,889.

Also Wednesday, the board approved a resolution to place a renewal of the district’s 2.5-mill permanent improvement levy on the November ballot. The board had previously approved a resolution of necessity related to the levy renewal.

In other action, the board:

• Approved a contract for Craig Staley to provide summer bus maintenance under the supervision of Rodoc Inc.
• Hired Sharon Brincefield and Lucy Rice on an as-needed basis to provide bus summer cleaning and maintenance services.
• Accepted the resignation of James Johnson as a district bus driver after 15 years of service to the district.
• Authorized the following special events and overnight stays: a girls’ basketball camp for girls in grades 3-9 instructed by Coach Dan Williamson and members of the varsity team on June 3-6; the girls’ basketball team to attend the Ohio Northern Shoot-Out on June 7, and an overnight trip to Wilmington College on June 20-21; a boys’ basketball camp for boys in grades 3-12 on June 3-6; and the cross country team to attend a camp at Hocking Hills in Hocking County on August 4-9.
• Employed Sarah Kimmet as a substitute cook for the remainder of the current school year.
• Granted one-year supplemental OGT intervention contracts to Paula Johnson and Adam Owens for this summer.
• Approved the following summer school contracts: teachers Chad Kraner, Patti Cox and Ellen Hemple and supervisor Gordon Stemen.
• Granted the following supplemental contracts: Anna Baker, high school instrumental; Brad Doidge, girls’ golf coach; Beth Schnipke, yearbook advisor; Deb Stetler, newspaper advisor; Tara Gustwiller, seventh grade volleyball coach; Gary Nolan, high school Science Club advisor; Pat Woirol, French Club advisor; Gustwiller, seventh grade girls’ basketball coach; Tony Campbell, FFA advisor; Paula Johnson, Student Council advisor; Matt Langdon, head cross country coach; Stacie Korte, swing choir director; Campbell, Young Farmers advisor; Nolan, Saturday School teacher; Campbell and Kevin Losh, Saturday School substitutes; Tom Bryan, athletic director; Robbie Breese, assistant athletic director; Dan Williamson, girls’ head basketball coach; Woirol, Spanish Club advisor; Brett Hammons, boys’ head basketball coach; Doidge, assistant softball coach; Langdon, head track coach.
• Approved the following non-teaching employee supplemental contracts: Denise Cramer, Ohio Reads coordinator; Dianna Ashbaugh, public relations coordinator; Larry Clark, boys’ assistant basketball coach; Curtis Miller, head wrestling coach; Kyle Hayes, girls’ eighth grade basketball coach; Kent McClure, girls’ softball coach; Heather Crow, head volleyball coach; Aubrey Markward, assistant volleyball coach; Shana Evans, eighth grade volleyball coach; Daryl Dowdy, head boys’ golf coach; Breese, boys’ junior varsity basketball coach; Seth Evans, eighth grade boys’ basketball coach; Kevin Longstreth, head baseball coach; Chad Overholt, junior high baseball coach; Ben Cowan, boys’ track coach; Briana Geiger, girls; junior varsity basketball coach; Curtis Miller, girls’ track coach; Steve Pardon, assistant wrestling coach; Trina Langdon, girls’ cross country coach; Cowan, junior high cross country coach; Kenzie Ray, junior high cheerleader coach; Danielle Profit, high school cheerleader coach; Katrina Smith, girls’ soccer coach; Mark McCleery, boys’ soccer coach; McClure, girls’ varsity basketball assistant; Chris Youtsey, assistant baseball coach; Kristi Reed, assistant high school instrumental instructor.
• Approved returning the following advances to the General Fund: $3,600 made to the Data Communications Fund, and $27,000 and $32,500 made to Bond Retirement funds.
• Approved the following unpaid volunteer sports assistants: Al Arnold, girls’ varsity basketball; Heidi Oberhaus, junior high basketball; Daryl Dowdy and Benji Byrne, varsity boys’ basketball.