MEXICO – A man described as a visionary for vocational education in Region 9 and who is largely responsible for programs offered today was remembered at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

“He told us, ‘You people need a vision.’ That’s the spark that kicked off a whole series of events,” Region 9 board Chairman Norman Clanton said at the start of the school’s monthly meeting.

“There was the NOVA 2000 project where studies were done, to move us ahead to where we are now. Without Charlie Tanous’ vision, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Clanton continued.

Tanous, a director of the vocational region during its early years of creation, died late last week.

“Charlie Tanous left a legacy for Region 9,” said Clanton, who noted that only he, Hanover representative Clem Worcester and SAD 21 member Wayne Thurston continue to sit on the board from Tanous’ time.

Clanton also remembered George Krohne, an adult education director who served at least 10 years ago who also died recently.

In other matters on Tuesday, Director David Driscoll, who is slated to retire at the end of the month, agreed to stay on three days a week until his replacement is found.

The deadline for applications for the directorship is Friday. Once Maine School Management sifts through them, the board will decide who, and how many, candidates to interview.

This is the second time the board sought applications for the position. A finalist was chosen last month, but declined the position.

The board was scheduled for later in the meeting to enter into a closed session to work out payment with Driscoll for his part-time tenure as director.

Also at the board meeting, Adult and Community Education Director Nancy Allen announced that her program had received one of 15 grants given statewide from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy at a ceremony in Biddeford earlier in the day.

The $5,000 grant will be used to create a literacy program for children under age 8 and their parents when the school’s childhood development program begins in 2008. Region 9’s $4.9 million addition and renovation project, which includes two new vocational programs, is scheduled for completion in autumn, 2008. Ground is expected to be broken on the project later this summer.

“This is a real feather in Region 9’s hat,” said Clanton, who said the literacy grant from the Bush Foundation is a first for the vocational school.