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Wayne Smith-Eighth Generation Vermonter

photo by Marcie Bolton

Tuesday December 20, 2011

By Marcie Bolton

Wayne is a wise man.  He sits behind the large wheel of the bus, 5 to 6 days a week during the school year.  He does this no matter what weather the Vermont sky brings. He is faithful and loyal and committed to doing right, and has been driving bus for over twenty years.  You may have seen his bus.  It is the only one I know of with the glowing “M” on the front grill.  The bus company assigned it to just him about 12 years ago and he is the only one to drives that particular bus.  In that bus he has gotten to know the coaches, the kids and roads.  He mainly drives because of the kids.  He loves their energy, spirit and their involvement.  Some kids sit in the front row of the bus to talk with Wayne, who has carried thousands of high school boys and girls safely all the way, through the years. Knock on wood.  He has no plans to give it up.  Most of the journeys are throughout the state of Vermont, to athletic events.  

It was in 1981, Wayne Smith began driving the activity bus for Middlebury Union High.  Before that Wayne was working as a salesman selling fertilizer, feed and farm supplies to the New York, New Hampshire and Vermont region.  After a conversation with a woman from the local bus company who mentioned to him they were having a hard time finding someone who did not mind driving in the Vermont weather, Wayne fell naturally fell into the position.

"I started because I was tired of going door to door selling, and the truth is, I really did not mind driving through the Vermont conditions.”  He does not mind the late nights after basketball and football games either.  In fact, on occasion, when needed, he plays the role of coach, medic, videographer and water boy.  Every once in a while, when the coach drives himself and perhaps takes a wrong turn, Wayne will get things going until the coach does get there.  

Only once did an athlete get left behind. They stopped for dinner at a Burger King, and then all, (he thought) boarded Wayne’s bus to leave.  “I do not count heads.  When we got back to the high school, the father of that child came up to me and asked where he was.  The dad hopped in his car and drove to pick the boy up.”  While the father was a bit upset, all was fine.  “Since then,[many years ago] I always ask the coach if he is ready [to depart].  It has not happened since.”  He always watches the events that he brings the teams to.  
A big sports fan, and a participant at one point, he played football for Middlebury High School form 1962-1966.  His son Dennis, the current varsity football coach, played football for MUHS, and Wayne was able to drive his son and his teammates to all the games.   Fully entrenched in athletics, if you have ever been to a home game it is his voice on the intercom.  He has been the announcer for home football games over thirty years.  

He has a great attitude.  He looks for the positive in people though sometimes will get a bit salty.  For instance, when people around him are talking on the cell phones, or using an IPad.  It is never because he has mean intentions, but rather because he is a bit on the old fashioned side.  He is an eighth generation Vermonter.  “The Town Line Cemetery over in Bridport, has headstones that date the Smith Family back six generations.  My mom was a Sprague.  Her family traces back to the Mayflower.”  He tells me a story of how long ago in the 1700’s, native American’s captured some family members and brought them to Canada.  They escaped and returned to Vermont.  

Today, and around this time of year in particular, Wayne relishes talking about one of his hobbies; one which he is known as a local legend for.  He decorates his yard in Salisbury with over 10,000 lights.  He started decorating in the 60’s for his own children and continues to do so for his grand children and all the community.  It grows bigger every year.  For many years people have been driving by as one of their annual family traditions.  It is a work of art, and should not be missed.  If you want to do a drive by he lives at 44 North Pond Road off of Rte 53.  

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