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Long time Pine Valley bus driver resigns

OBSERVER Photo by Amanda Dedie After years of service to the Pine Valley Central School District as a bus driver, David Howard is retiring for medical reasons.

SOUTH DAYTON — A Pine Valley bus driver reluctantly bumped up his retirement date after learning of some medical news, combined with other factors.

David Howard presented his resignation to the school board during the February meeting, which he then proceeded to read aloud.

“Almost a year ago I had a meeting with the business executive and Superintendent Payne,” said Howard. “… at that meeting, I requested time off without pay to run my personal business during the spring.

“I was told I couldn’t have the time off because it would cost the district too much money for that to happen. After a presentation to the board of education by myself, which resulted in several written agreements the first two weeks, which I refused to sign for various reasons, we did come to an agreement that was workable. I was able to take the time off needed as long as I gave 24 hours notice and the time that I needed off and a substitute bus driver could be found,” Howard said.

He then decided to delve a little further into his personal life, and shared an even bigger reason why he had to tender his resignation.

“I have been treating with a dermatologist for about 18 months now for precancerous areas on my face and my head,” shared Howard. “For the first year, the doctor used liquid nitrogen treatments and did several biopsies; however, this did not give me the results that she was looking for.

“The doctor said that there was another treatment that she wanted to try. For this treatment, I had to stay out of the sun, and it would compromise my immune system. Since I am diabetic, this treatment would further compromise my immune system. As a bus driver, I am in contact with children every day, so I had to be off work during this treatment until I was completely healed.

“The first treatment did not get the results the doctor was looking for, so I had to do a second treatment; Therefore, I was off again for this. Then, when I went back to the doctor for a follow up appointment for the second treatment, there were still two areas that did not respond to the treatment. At that visit, she did a biopsy of one area and did a treatment of liquid nitrogen to both areas.

“Last Friday I received a phone call from the doctor’s office with the results of the biopsy, which was precancerous cells with a mutation of cancerous cells attached.

“As a result of the doctor’s report and spring coming up, I have decided that March 31 will be my last day as a bus driver, my effective date of retirement being April 1, 2017,” Howard concluded.

School board president Patricia Krenzer gave a heartfelt thanks to Howard.

“Mr. Howard, on behalf of the board, I thank you for all of your years of service,” Krenzer said. “I wish you well in your retirement, and I hope your health drastically improves. It was great to have you on board. You are a true gentleman, and I appreciate knowing you both as a driver and as a neighbor.”

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