The coach, two school board members, their voting preferences and my annoyance.

Yesterday I posted a brief remembrance of Ron Weigleb, who died on Saturday.

R.I.P. - Ron Weigleb, former Floyd Central football coach.

In the posting, I mentioned that the NAFC school board voted last week to name Floyd Central’s football stadium Weigleb Stadium in honor of the coach, a decision that came just in the nick of time, and also that two board members voted against the naming. This prompted reader TS to express curiosity as to their reasoning.

Normally I would have provided a link to Tribune coverage of the story. I didn't do this yesterday for the simple reason that the newspaper’s on-line version of Tara Hettinger article omitted the last paragraphs.

I was too lazy yesterday to key in the excised section (I'm an agitator, not a steno), and what's more, I was chagrined at being unable to come up with a clever way to link opposition to Weigleb Stadium to the Linden Meadows project and Resources for Results.

Ah, but today’s a new day, and I’m full of energy this morning, so in answer to reader TS’s query, here’s the link to the original story as well as the final section, with the previously omitted paragraphs in italics.

Note that nothing in this should be construed as "personal" on my part. I know neither of them personally. However, the two school board members were elected to their positions, and decisions like this one certainly apply to their future electoral aspirations. It's a part of the record, and worth remembering.

Note also that the notion of the school system instituting random drug testing is deeply troubling, but grist for another day.

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New Albany-Floyd County board to consider random student drug testing, by Tara Hettinger (News and Tribune).

WEIGLEB STADIUM

Floyd Central High School’s football stadium is officially named Weigleb Stadium after the board voted 5-2 to approve the naming.

Ron Weigleb coached in the corporation for more than 20 years, board members said. He worked with track and football, according to board members.

Weigleb suffers from terminal cancer that is inoperable, according to Phillip Lockhart, who addressed the board Tuesday night.

That night, Lockhart presented the board with a petition showing support to name the facility after Weigleb. He said the board would only have to approve the naming and that donations would pay for the additional signage to the facility.

The board debated whether they should approve the move, especially since the football field is named Scott Field, after the last county superintendent.

“I want to honor him, but I want to be careful not to dishonor the Scott family, said Lee Ann Wiseheart, board member.

“I would like to see Mr. Weigleb honored in some other way, but to keep the Scott family honored, said Rebecca Gardenour, board vice president.

The two board members voiced concerns that the field and stadium are one of the same.

Neil Smith, board president, said he felt that a field and stadium are two different things.

Jim Zoeller, board member, said the issue is null and void since the field is completely new.

“It’s not even there anymore. It’s a parking lot,” Zoeller said of Scott Field.

Wiseheart said she did not feel comfortable voting on an issue in a board work session, so Brooks called an attorney to get the OK. Once that was done, the board voted to amend the agenda then voted on the naming. Wiseheart and Gardenour were the two no votes.

R.I.P. - Ron Weigleb, former Floyd Central football coach.

The Tribune's Chris Morris does great work in a poignant final interview with Ron Weigleb, the former Floyd Central football coach who died Saturday morning.

Weigleb loses battle, but will live on in hearts of many.

From my perspective, I can't recall meeting a more likable person than Ron, and few men in our area excelled as he did in positively influencing generations of young men through teaching them athletics played the right way. Sports were his life, but in the days when I would run into him following a trip to Europe, he always was keenly interested in hearing about my experiences. I've never forgotten that, and I believe it shows that he was a well-rounded individual.

Last week the NA-FC school board did the right thing (and as we see now, at the right time) in naming Floyd Central's football facility after Ron. It's regrettable and sadly indicative of performance that two board members didn't see it that way and voted against the proposal.

I don't believe Ron ever would have held their "no" votes against Rebecca Gardenour and Lee Ann Wiseheart, and perhaps that's final proof that he was a better man than I'll ever be -- because I absolutely do hold it against them.