The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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PUBLISHED: March 20, 2008
'Sound of Music' hadmany great contributors
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Many thanks to reporter Brian Cox for his very complimentary review of Milan High School's production of "The Sound of Music." It was very encouraging to all students and families involved.
Mr. Cox was very gracious to credit so many people in his review. May we just add a few more that also deserve a lot of recognition?
The music director, Debbie Nichols, who teaches at Paddock Elementary School, did an outstanding job on the many memorable music numbers. Her excellent pit orchestra consisted of Gary Mull, Rachel Sutton, Mike Williams and Garrison Mull.
The talented choreographer, Ron Smith, created many graceful and charming dance numbers for the cast.
Thank you Milan, for your enthusiastic support of this production.
Ed and Vicki Cadagin
Milan
Athletes slightedby recruiting
This letter is to address the editor of Heritage and the Milan community at large, and yes I do claim it as my own as do most readers of this publication.
I am, as is my wife, an alumni of Milan High School, as well as all of our children. We have had a child enrolled in the Milan school system without reprieve since 1983; however, that will end this spring with the glorious graduation of our youngest.
Since we have no grandchildren, we likely will be less involved directly with policy and programs consistent with the managers of our community's children's education.
I have, in my lifetime, known and enjoyed friendships with some of the more acknowledged families that have been an intricate part of the make-up of "modern Milan" and some whose family name appears in the founding of our community.
Their offspring may have relocated for vocational reasons or married into a family from afar, but most will mention Milan as their hometown.
There's something special about the word hometown for me being from small-town USA. I have worked with people over the years who claim communities like Livonia and Warren and the like as their hometown, and they marvel at the fact that I see my classmates at Kroger weekly or that I coached Little League in competition with my classmates and their children.
I have never considered anywhere but the middle class hamlet of Milan as my hometown with zeal. However, the very nature of this letter is the digression of that very zeal into one of apathy.
You see, when the opportunity presented itself, many citizens of our town chose not to support our local kids, even when they knew they were wronged. I did little to politic for their support, however the outcome was one of deafening silence.
I've authored a journal that includes, in detail, our story of what I can only describe as community abandonment. This includes scholarship opportunities taken from kids in our community and handed to kids from other towns, and using facilities provided by the supporters, taxpayers and members of our community to promote the progression of someone's child who is none of the above over our own.
I have tried to communicate to these very school officials only to get no response or a comedy of an investigation that can only be classified as "Mickey Mouse."
At the postseason football banquet this year, it was announced by a transfer student's family member on stage with a microphone that our coach went to their house and talked the parent into sending their son to Milan schools. This was a clear violation of high school rules under the heading of "Undue Influence" and a slight to the Milan kids who had worked since seventh-grade football to represent their hometown.
In front of a hometown crowd of perhaps 300, the entire coaching staff within feet of the speaker and I have yet to here of a single person to come forward.
There's a local political risk involved when stepping forward on issues like these, but I believe these very actions separate the men from the mice.
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