As we are all now aware, Proposition 3 has passed and a three-year contract will be offered to Huntington Coach. Even though the district has claimed that our drivers will be offered jobs, most, if not all of these people will be gone from Manhasset. Forty-seven of these people have lost their jobs, some with young families, others who were months away from receiving pensions, yet others who could have long ago retired but stayed because they felt like part of our community. They are the drivers, mechanics, bus matrons, and dispatcher. These people were part of our Manhasset family, many for over 30 years.

This letter offers thanks to you, the 47 special people who have abruptly lost their jobs. We want to let you know that you are appreciated by many in the community. If you look at the final vote on Proposition 3, outsourcing was passed by only about 200 votes. This was enough to show the depth of opposition to the board's outsourcing plans. We want to thank you for the little things you have done, for the kind people you are.

"It's about the little things." Here are just a few examples:

As third grade boys occasionally do, a child forgot his bag of ingredients on the bus that he would need to make gingerbread houses in school the next day. Needless to say, he was upset with himself. The next morning as he was leaving, he said, "I'll ask Pat if he found my bag on the bus yesterday." As he climbed the steps of the bus, Pat pulled the bag from the side of his seat and the boy's face lit up. The bus driver had saved the bag, and the day, for him. Priceless! Pat, we thank you for caring about our kids.

There was the time Pat called the parent in the middle of a cold winter to tell her that her child was taking his jacket off as soon as he got on the bus. He was concerned the child would get a chill when he got off the bus to go into the school. Pat, thank you for having a parent's eyes.

Ernie would make sure he kept the children safe on the bus. There were times when a parent might observe him parking the bus at the curb and walking down the aisle to help some rather rambunctious children to settle down. Ernie, thanks for making our children's safety your primary concern.

Adele, one of our drivers, wrote us to say, "The children I carry are my children for that short period of time. I treat them the same way if they were my own flesh and blood. I have seen children go from diapers to graduating high school. That is something that comes with time. It's not an overnight thing. My children and I even have shared tears together. You are not going to get the same service and dedication you do with us. I came from a contractor 21 years ago. I know what they are capable of doing. Outsourcing is a big mistake. Thank you for letting me vent. I love my job and all my kids. How can I tell them goodbye?" Adele, this is the kind of caring and concern that will be sorely missed, and we appreciate all you have done for our children.

One could always reach Eddie on the phone when calling the bus garage with a problem. When a child did not get off the bus (turns out he or she decided to stay for after-school sports), the parent called Eddie. He could be heard calling each driver and the school to look for the child while the parent was listening on the other line. Of course, the child was found safe and sound, in record time. Eddie, thanks for allowing us to depend on you to listen and respond to our transportation issues.

At the end of the first day of second grade a little boy at MP was placed or got on the wrong bus. When he did not get off the right bus, his mother calmly called the transportation department - confident that they would quickly locate her son. Before she could complete the call, Mario (the little boy's bus driver in first grade) delivered the little boy directly to his home. Safe service like that is priceless. How long would it take for an outsourced bus company to locate a 'lost' child and get him home? I hope never to find out! Mario, we thank you for safely bringing our children home each day.

Bernice, another Manhasset driver, was bringing home a child whose parents were not at home. Knowing these parents, she knew it was unusual that these parents were not there. She not only wouldn't leave this child alone or with a neighbor. She called the bus garage to inform them and waited while the parents were contacted. Bernice, thanks for caring and for going that extra mile for our children.

A few words about Adele-here's what one parent had to say-"Adele has been driving my kids for the last eight years, has loved them and cared for them like they were her own. My daughter has on many occasions when I was at school for one reason or another late in the afternoon told me that she didn't want to go home with me but take the bus with Adele. One time a few months ago I noticed my fourth grade daughter was a few minutes late coming home, it turned out that Adele couldn't get the bus down my block because of construction. My daughter came in, pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number on it and called the bus dispatcher and said 'please tell Adele that JoAnna got home safely.' When my daughter got her new kitten (who she loved more than life itself) Adele drove by the house after her runs were finished because my daughter insisted that she see the cat. How many $15/hour employees are going to take the time to make a little girl happy? Wednesday afternoon when I got on the bus to give Adele a hug, it was obvious to me that she had been crying most of the day. We cried together for a moment as she told me how much she loved her kids, and I told her how much we all love her. How can we say good-bye to a woman like this after 21 years?"

From another parent, "My autistic son loves The Magic School Bus. In fact The Magic School Bus is what he watches as the bus pulls up. The first day of school, the bus pulls up and beeps its horn. My son runs out, steps onto the bus, looks at Madelene D'Mato's curly red hair and glasses sitting behind the steering wheel of the school bus and just stops. He thought he met his first celebrity. He ran back into the house, got his Magic School Bus videotape, and came running back out. I looked at my son (who can not speak) and said: You're right, how kind of Miss Drizzy to come pick you up your first day of school." To all the drivers and bus attendants who work with the Special Education Department, thank you so much for all the extras you do.

Another parent's thoughts: "My son came off the bus in a panic one day because he left his presentation board that he worked so hard on, on the bus. I assured him as soon as he realized he left it on the bus that everything would be OK. As the bus pulled away, I said, Don't worry the bus driver will save it for you and you'll get it tomorrow. There was no hesitation in my voice and no doubt in my mind our bus driver would come through for my son. Needless to say, as soon as my son walked on the bus the next day to come home... there was his presentation board that the bus driver was happy to give him.

"That's the kind of bus drivers we have here in Manhasset... ones that 'think' like both a 'child' and a 'parent' in their actions and the way they handle the children and situations. It is quite a loss to see so many seasoned, loyal and dedicated bus drivers have to lose their jobs because Huntington Coach will not offer them nearly what they were getting as a Manhasset employee. How anyone can live on $15/hour is beyond me.

It is quite a shame and I'm very sorry to see them go... It's funny, I don't even have Adele as our bus driver yet. With my oldest son who will be going on to middle school in a couple of years... I've always said to myself, I look forward to one day having her as our bus driver... that's the kind of impact these drivers have had on our community.

The other day, I had the opportunity to speak directly to our summer center bus driver, Steve, who has been driving for Manhasset for 12 years and when he was speaking to me he mentioned my son's name. This is a man who only drives my children for summer center four weeks out of the year and he actually knew my son's name. That's how personal we've all become with our bus drivers. I'm sure those 200 votes we lost by were those who have never experienced the Manhasset bus driving community. Best of luck to all of you and we'll surely miss you."

We've cited only a few examples and just a few stories-there are many more. Thanks to Ronnie, Adele, Willie, Ernie, Mario, Eddie, Bernice, Lenzie, Gino, Pat, AJ, Jose, Paul, Eddie, Steve, Madelene, just to name a few of the 47 people who are losing their jobs. We will miss all of you. We'll miss the end of year bus parties you throw for the children on your buses. We know you did this from your own pockets just to make it fun for the children. Who hasn't heard the Manhasset bus drivers blowing their horns on the last day of school, just to make it an exciting summer send-off for "their" kids? It's the little things that you do that the children will remember.

We have considered our transportation staff part of the "Manhasset family." We moved to Manhasset for that "small town feeling of community" while still living close to the "big city." Some things just shouldn't be quantified, and the focus should have been on those things that cannot be counted. Unfortunately, this board did not agree, and instead, chose to run an aggressive publicity campaign to push through this folly called the outsourcing proposition (and passed it by only a small margin). We are sorry this has happened and that 47 of you are losing your jobs. We think you are all special people--the best, most reliable and pleasant drivers and staff. You helped make Manhasset special. Please know that we wish only the best for you and your families, and please know that you will be sorely missed as part of our "family."

After all "It's about the little things."

The Goldfond family -- Carol, Scott, Jeff and Eric

>Barbara Linder

Lisa and Ira Carlin

Ann Marie and Tom Fruhauf

Nuccio and Jodi Fera

Phil and Sussane Fera

Rama and Ashok Vora

The Amato family -- Vita, Thomas, Adam and Olivia

The Terzo family - Frank, Susan, John, Nicholas, Katherine, and Megan

Stella Spanakos and Paul Kitsos

Laurie Spampinato

Rally Robinson

Scott and Connie Wysota

Marcella and John Crewe

The Whalley Family- Andrew, Fiona, Catriona and Morven

Andrea Doherty

Lisa Boukas

The Ferrari Family - Susan, Fred, Freddy and TJ

The Marchetti Family

Dianne and John Sheehan