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Letter: School board should listen to Norm Bickford
Op-Ed · September 28, 2017


I want to thank Norm Bickford for his involvement and commitment to the West Branch community.
He has been instrumental in the defeat of the school referendum and has demonstrated a level of resolve which most people will never achieve.

Apparently there are many in the area who have no idea just how much Norm has accomplished over several decades in the West Branch area. As a contractor and developer he spawned growth in a city that hadn’t seen any for quite some time. He worked for the school district for a long time during which he knew more about the school facilities than anybody else in the administration.

He also served as a bus driver who had the total respect of the kids he transported to school, my own included. As parents, my wife and I had complete faith that our kids were safe when under his supervision.

And yet, because Norm is outspoken and not intimidated his opinions and suggestions have been discounted and scoffed at by the school board. Like any of us who openly voice our opinions in opposition to the referendum Norm has been branded as a naysayer or a negative person, of which he is neither.

Therein lies the problem with the referendum. The school administration and school board has dismissed nearly half of the voters as if we don’t matter and in doing so have alienated themselves from those of us who do not agree with the referendum. In doing so they have done a great disservice to the school district as the true needs of the district are not being addressed.

By tying just about everything into one plan the school board has, until now, ignored long-term problems like the high school HVAC issue. Spending hundreds of thousands on a road to nowhere and a new tin shack facilities building before the HVAC is fixed seems like mixed up priorities to me.

Whatever the future holds for the school district we can all rest assured that Norm will be involved. Thank you Norm and keep up the good work.

Rod Hanson

West Branch