| Teachers, administrators remember long-serving principal as the 'definition of excellence'
Robert C. Mardis, a beloved principal whose inspirational leadership has had a lasting impact on Vigo County schools, died Wednesday at age 80.He was a Vigo County elementary principal from 1952 to 1989 and spent nearly 30 years at Franklin Elementary. The Indiana Association of Elementary School Principals named him Principal of the Year in 1977.Among his many other accolades, Mardis also was a Fulbright scholar, a 1997 Terre Award winner and was twice named a Sagamore of the Wabash. He served in the Indiana Air National Guard for 30 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel. For Dan Tanoos, superintendent of the Vigo County School Corp., Mardis has served as a mentor, role model and father-like figure. "He's a great man and I'm going to miss him," said Tanoos, who fought tears as he described Mardis' positive impact on his life and career.Tanoos worked with Mardis for 28 years in different capacities, initially as a teacher at Franklin Elementary.
MEXIDATA . INFO
It seems like every wine region has a few heroes and pioneers who stand out for their contributions, vision and determination. One such "special soul" is Eduardo Liceaga Campos, owner of Vi�a de Liceaga Winery in Guadalupe Valley, Baja California, Mexico. Eduardo is a shinning star in Mexico's wine industry, and he was one of the founding fathers in the region's early quest for creating high quality premium wines. His dedication in promoting, marketing and educating consumers on behalf of the wine industry in Baja California has been instrumental in encouraging and supporting development of superior wines, and the wine culture in Mexico. So, it is with great pleasure that I have chosen him to be the focus for a special interview as the 2007 Person of the Year in Guadalupe Valley.
Schmakel's job? Everything
Each week The Detroit News examines an interior aspect of baseball -- intricacies that take place on the field as well as off. Today: The clubhouse attendant. In any business or setting, supplying a group of 25 people with food, apparel and equipment would have its challenges. When the group is 25 big league baseball players, not counting coaching staffs and dozens more players during spring training, the job can be particularly ticklish. Jim Schmakel, 55, has been pulling off the balancing act for 29 years as Tigers clubhouse attendant. It's a job of enormous scope and detail and involves a seven-man staff that works year-round. Ordering and laundering uniforms and the layers of apparel that are worn beneath the exterior uniforms is a principal task.
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