Norwood Farrington is ending a 27-year career
JAY – Norwood Farrington, a jovial man by all accounts, is retiring as bus mechanic in 10 days.
Though he talks about hunting and fishing and a dream trip to Alaska, Farrington admits he’ll miss his job.
“I’ve been here 27 years, of course, I’m going to miss it,” Farrington said.
Though he’s shy to admit it, the Jay man is proud of how he has kept Jay’s school buses running to haul the town’s precious cargo.
His pride shows through his work.
Tuesday was no different.
Farrington, 62, washed the newest bus of the 14-bus fleet by hand inside the bus garage for the high school girls basketball team trip to the state playoffs.
Farrington put on his sunglasses and climbed into the bus to back it out.
He walked back into the garage and pushed the button to shut the overhead doors.
“It’s time to move on,” Farrington said. “I’m too old to go to school.”
Buses have changed during his career from gas engines and plugs and points to diesel engines and computers to control them. Even the gas engines are computerized now, he said.
Farrington didn’t like school as a teen and decided as a freshmen in high school he had enough.
“I decided I knew more than the teachers,” Farrington said with a laugh.
He worked in the woods, construction, shoe manufacturing and farming after buying a farm in 1970-71.
Then a school bus driver and mechanic job became available.
He drove a bus for six years and helped the late Roger Preston maintain the buses in the garage.
“I didn’t mind driving a bus,” Farrington said. “It was five days a week. It had benefits and good pay.”
And the job was “right close to home.”
After six years, Farrington became the bus mechanic.
He has taken welding courses through adult education at Foster Regional Applied Technology Center in Farmington and a basic diesel engine course at Central Maine Community College in Auburn.
Other than that, Farrington had no official training as a mechanic.
“What I know just comes natural, I guess,” he said.
With buses going computerized, Farrington said, it’s time for some younger fellow to take over…. Somebody who has been to school.”
Farrington and the town’s mechanic, Larry Melcher, both reviewed applications to replace the retiring Farrington.
Danny Latham of Jay was hired. He has worked for a Ford garage, the Maine Department of Transportation and has a two-year college degree as a mechanic. His starting pay is $14.96.
Farrington said he’ll not only miss his mechanic’s job, but the people he works with.
“I’m going to miss coming to work every day,” he said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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