Wednesday, May 30, 2001
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Wednesday, May 30, 2001 |
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Fayette bus drivers compete Driving a school bus is a challenging task, but Fayette's school bus drivers made it look easy as they demonstrated their skillful driving maneuvers at the annual School Bus Road-E-O at Flat Rock Middle School. During the event, drivers competed against each other on an obstacle course. They performed such maneuvers as driving a bus in and out of cones without knocking them over, placing the bus' right dual wheels through tennis balls without touching them and backing into a 40-foot stall. Drivers were scored against each other based on how well they executed the course. School officials say the roadeo is an effective instructional tool to help improve a person's driving skills. It emphasizes certain objectives including motivating drivers to learn and employ good driving practices. Additionally, the event recognizes excellence and provides a forum where drivers can demonstrate their skills. "We are proud of all of our drivers and will continue to strive to maintain the excellent safety record we have had for many years," said Pam Holt, coordinator of transportation. This year Diane Vaughan and Ruth Ellison placed first and second, respectively, in the county competition. Both drivers represented the school system at the District 5 Road-E-O competition in Calhoun. Although neither driver placed at the district level, Holt said she was pleased with their performance. "They gave it their best. Our biggest challenge is that many of the school systems we compete against have permanent courses for their drivers to practice. We don't have a permanent course," said Holt. However, Holt said that she hopes to change that for next year. "One of my objectives is to find a suitable place in the county so that our drivers will have somewhere to practice on an ongoing basis," she adds. As winners of the county competition, Vaughan and Ellison received a number of prizes donated by local merchants. Included in the donations was a cooker from Petroflame, two fishing rods and reels from Jordan Salvage, a gift certificate for a free lawn mower blade sharpening from Fayette Mower, and a picture frame from Wings & Things. Freightliners donated three hats and t-shirts and Melear's Barbecue provided sausage biscuits for all of the participants. "We would like to thank everyone who donated prizes. It helped to make the Road-E-O a more competitive and enjoyable event for everyone," said Holt.
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