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Beyond the Byline: Thank you to all veterans

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Avoca plaintiffs suing for $619M more of Kerr-McGee settlement

<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; Despite the fact that most comments were in favor of sports consolidation at the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board meeting Tuesday, critics questioned the failure to release details beforehand. Attorney Kim Borland noted the vote was actually to approve &#8220;utilizing the procedures and processes outlined in the Proposed Monthly Milestones within the Transition Committee Report dated May 16, 2018.&#8221; Borland asked why that report was not available for the audience to read before the meeting.</p><p>After the meeting, the board did provide Borland&#8217;s son, Joseph, and the Times Leader with a copy of the milestones, largely a &#8220;to-do&#8221; list broken down by months. Here&#8217;s a recap:</p><p><strong>2018</strong></p><p><strong>May:</strong> Inform District 2 and the Wyoming Valley Conference of the move, file applications with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, develop a coaching manual and a junior high mission statement, choose a facility plan.</p><p><strong>June:</strong> Meet with the district transportation contractor and the purchasing department, develop a preliminary athletic budget, plan maintenance and repairs to fields, meet with custodians and review athletic equipment inventory.</p><p><strong>July:</strong> Complete preliminary bus schedule and conduct a dry run; develop &#8220;publicity attack&#8221; focusing on the theme &#8220;Our history is our strength;&#8221; review facility and field choices; develop bad weather practice plans and contingency practice sites; develop plans for building and field security; develop an emergency athlete-safety plan.</p><p><strong>August:</strong> Meet with the booster clubs, procure historical athletic information, meet with fall coaches and teams individually, draw up preliminary rosters, develop student driving waiver forms and parent pick-up policy, review academic and attendance policies.</p><p><strong>September, October, November:</strong> Review Wyoming Valley Conference 2019 schedules for varsity and junior high, evaluate 2019 academic scheduling and release times for athletics, draw up game day busing schedules, meet with district superintendent regarding coaching staffs, relocate equipment and storage, recondition major equipment.</p><p><strong>2019</strong></p><p><strong>May 13:</strong> Start fall sports sign-ups. Place notices in daily bulletins for all three high schools, Solomon Junior High and all sixth-grade elementary classes. Recall a &#8220;core list&#8221; of returning athletes and use them as &#8220;ambassadors to reach out to other potential athletes as well as encourage others within their returning group.&#8221;</p><p><strong>May 15:</strong> Hold rally assemblies at all locations.</p><p><strong>May 20:</strong> Begin three-day sign-up meetings at all locations, distribute PIAA packet with dates for physical examinations, use the athletic department offices as collection points for return of those packets.</p><p><strong>May 28:</strong> Give returned physical packets to school nurses for review.</p><p><strong>June 5 through June 13:</strong> Conduct all physicals for fall sports.</p><p><strong>June 24:</strong> Develop functional roster, mail summer pre-season practice schedule and welcome letter to athletes and parents.</p><p><strong>July 15:</strong> All pre-season sports camps open.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

WB Area sports consolidation: How it’s supposed to go