RSU 10 wins Squarehead Team Trophy, again

RUMFORD -- RSU 10 bus drivers demonstrated their bus driving skills recently by repeating as winners of the Squarehead Team Trophy.

The drivers, all from the Mountain Valley Region, successfully defended their title against competition at the Western Regional round of the Pupil

Transportation Conference, presented by the Maine Association of Pupil Transportation (MAPT), in collaboration with the Maine Dept. of Education and

Maine State Police. The all-day conference/bus rodeo was held on April 20.

Drivers competing in the team event were Brandon Ricci, Bruce Bulger, Joe Gabriel, Pauline Jamison, Bernadette Canwell and Duayne Jodrey.

The group took first place in the team event of driving. Bruce Bulger won the transit style bus competition. In the individual category, Brandon Ricci placed second.

With school budgets being so restricted, training is often the first item to be eliminated by administration. When students get hurt, or worse, they look to the training and maintenance records of the driver and the bus to try to determine what could have been done to prevent a tragedy.

Which is why MAPT, who believes the best driver is a well-trained driver, sends a team of trainers to six difference locations and does not charge for training or for lunch.

This year's theme was "bullying."

Bus drivers from the entire RSU 10 were invited to participate, but only the six-person team from the Mountain Valley Region chose to do so. Along with the driving competition, drivers attended classes on safety and bullying on the buses.

Interestingly, the plaque listing the winning RSU's and districts over the years, includes the local group of drivers, who also won in 2011, 2008 and 2004. Because the plaque is now full, they were told to keep the plaque, which now adorns the Central Office.

The team will move on to the statewide event, to take place at Sugarloaf in Kingfield from July 24-27.