How he rolls: Bentworth superintendent takes wheel in school bus demolition derby
Thirteen buses are scheduled to face off at the Washington County Agricultural Fair鈥檚 annual school bus demolition derby 鈥� one of the fair鈥檚 most popular events 鈥� at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Behind the steering wheel of the Bentworth School District bus, ready to crash into the other buses and hoping to emerge as the winner, will be Bentworth Superintendent Scott Martin.
Wait 鈥� the district鈥檚 top administrator wants to drive in the demolition derby?
鈥淚 thought it was something that the community could get behind and that the kids could get behind,鈥� said Martin.
Mission accomplished, said Dave Schreiber, Bentworth Middle School principal and district transportation coordinator.
鈥淥ur community鈥檚 really excited about this, the kids are so enthusiastic,鈥� said Schreiber. 鈥淎mong his peers and colleagues, we鈥檙e thinking, boy, oh, boy, I wonder if he鈥檚 watching old videos of Evel Knievel to get ready for this. I don鈥檛 know who, at age 56, wants to get in a school bus and get beat up, but Scott has a remarkable desire to do whatever he can to create a positive culture in our district, and this has ignited a lot of excitement as we start the new school year.鈥�
It鈥檚 also a chance for Martin to fulfill a long-time goal to participate in a demolition derby.
When he was a senior in high school, Martin bought a used Oldsmobile Delta 88 for $50 and worked on it, with the intention of driving the car in the Harrison (Ohio) County Fair demolition derby. But Martin, who had been active in the 4-H and served as Harrison County Fair King, had enlisted in the U.S. Army earlier that year, and two weeks after he graduated from high school he left for basic training.
鈥淪o I didn鈥檛 get to drive it,鈥� said Martin, who served in the U.S. Army National Guard for 12 years.
To prepare for the event 鈥� metal crunching against metal under the bright lights 鈥� Martin has been getting advice from Bentworth鈥檚 mechanics and has spent some time in the bus garage working on accelerating, backing up and stopping.
鈥淚 drove larger-sized vehicles in the military, but buses are a little different. I鈥檝e been reading online what鈥檚 the best strategy, but there isn鈥檛 a lot out there,鈥� said Martin.
For the competition, Martin will don a Hawaiian shirt decorated with school buses and emblazoned with 鈥淭his is how I roll鈥� on the back. He also plans to wear a helmet, boots, knee pads and safety glasses: He鈥檚 ready to take some hits, but plans to plow into some buses, too.
鈥淚鈥檓 just going to do my best and see how it goes. There鈥檚 a bet that I won鈥檛 be here on Thursday because I鈥檒l be too sore to show up, but even if I鈥檓 on death鈥檚 doorstep I will make it in,鈥� said Martin, laughing.
Washington County high school bands 鈥� who decorated the Pixar-themed buses last week 鈥� will perform at 6 p.m., and a large contingent of Bentworth students and parents will cheer Martin on as he competes on the dirt battleground.
鈥淚f he wins, he鈥檚 a hero; if he doesn鈥檛, he鈥檚 still a hero,鈥� said Schreiber. 鈥淚 commend him for doing it.鈥�
Martin, a cancer survivor who was diagnosed 3陆 years ago with head, neck and throat cancer, said the school district鈥檚 motto is 鈥減urpose, passion, pride,鈥� and he鈥檚 hoping his stint as a demolition driver motivates students.
鈥淢y purpose is to get kids excited and motivated. We always tell them to find their purpose, pursue it with passion, and be proud about it. I want them to know that if you have a purpose and a passion, you can accomplish anything,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淚鈥檓 just going to do my best and see how it goes.鈥�
And, sometimes it鈥檚 just fun to wreck stuff.