- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
BY BRIAN WILLIAMS
bwilliams@nwitimes.com
219.548.4348 | Wednesday, June 06, 2007 | (2 comment(s))
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | They've covered way more than half a million miles.
They've gone through six different buses.
They've transported three generations of school students.
And now they're hanging up the keys on 40 years -- each -- of driving the big yellows for Washington Township schools in the East Porter County School Corp.
After careers spanning eight U.S. presidents, Art Bierma made his final run Tuesday and his wife, Virginia, makes hers today.
"My angels," Virginia says, showing off photos across the inside of her bus of the special needs students she transports to the special education learning facility in Valparaiso.
The Biermas started when their oldest daughter, Sandi, was in kindergarten. They're leaving just as their youngest grandson, Nick, has graduated from high school.
Art recalls a pair of high school senior sweethearts on his bus that first year; this past year he drove their fifth and seventh-grade grandchildren.
They've seen lots of changes over the years, but not so much in the bus riders.
"Kids haven't changed, parents have," Art said.
When a driver disciplines a kid nowadays, some parents tell them, "You don't have to listen to that," said Art, 66.
"Parents in this day and age don't think their kids do anything wrong," said Virginia, 64. But she emphasizes there are still lots of good parents.
The vehicles certainly have changed, though. Art recalls one bus, a big old GMC with a huge steering wheel and no power steering.
"The equipment today is so much better," he said.
"So much better and safer," Virginia added.
In addition to their 80 years of service to the school district, their daughter, Sharon Polite, is also retiring after 23 years of coaching and substitute teaching. She is going out on a high note, having led the Washington Township High School boys volleyball team to the school's first undefeated season. Polite, 41, also has been a substitute bus driver for 15 years -- but only for her parents, she said.
As a school bus driver wearing a red baseball cap, Art displays some similarities to comics page character Ed Crankshaft.
"That's my idol," he said with a laugh.
But in one key aspect of his job, he's different from Crankshaft.
"I've not run over mailboxes," he said.
In fact, aside from a car sliding into Virginia on an icy road, the couple has not had any accidents in their 40-year careers.
But both were hard hit by the tragic death of one of Art's riders right before his eyes.
Art was at the wheel of the bus in 2002 when a legally blind motorcyclist struck and killed first-grader Mary Ross moments after she stepped off his bus in front of her rural home.
Just two weeks before, Art had found the body of a woman who had committed suicide across the street from the family's farm.
"That was a bad year," Art said.
"Thirty-nine years have been great," Virginia noted quietly.
Now, with retirement here, you'd think driving is that last thing they'd want to do. But since 1985 they've put more than 300,000 miles on their motorcycle on vacation trips. This summer they'll take trips to Colorado and South Dakota. And just about the time school is starting in August, Virginia is taking Art on a trip to Tennessee -- to keep their minds off what they've left behind.
"After all those years," Art said, "it's gonna be hard next year."
Back to story 2 comment(s)
- It wasn't clear, concise or focused on the topic in the story.
- It was a personal attack, vulgar, explicit or degrading, used actual or implied profanity or contained potentially libelous statements.
- It accused someone of being guilty of a crime.
- It promoted violence or illegal acts.
- It contained telephone numbers or street addresses, or e-mail addresses and links to Web sites other than nwi.com or government agencies.
In no way do these comments represent the views of The Times or Lee Enterprises.
Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude and profane language and personal abuse are not welcome.
Reader comments will not be edited - they will be approved or declined. They may be used in the print edition of the newspaper.
If you feel a posted comment has violated these guidelines, please email our New Media team the commenter's name, the comment and a link to the article.
For more information please read our Terms of Service.
Joan & Jack Monaco wrote on Jun 13, 2007 12:43 PM:
Sandi Carter wrote on Jun 7, 2007 9:46 AM: