Resident urges Newman City to seek return of historic Patchett school bus

Glynis Kidder told the Newman City Council on Sept. 9 she is leading an effort to bring a restored Patchett school bus back to Newman and asked for the city—ouncil nd staff ssistance tracking the vehicle.

"That school bus means a lot," Kidder said, telling the council she had provided a written packet and that the bus was rebuilt by men in Newman who worked on it in their spare time. She said the vehicle carried the council in fall-parade events and served as grand marshal transport at festivals.

Kidder told the council she had heard several rumors about the bus—eing stored in Canada and that the company holding it has taken it on photo opportunities; she urged the city to approach the owner about donating or selling the bus back to the community. "Get the school bus back and then we can find a way to store it so it's taken proper care of," she said.

City Manager Michael (first name only in the record) said staff have reached out to former staff and community members who helped bring the bus to Newman previously and are coordinating contact information. The manager said the city will attempt to locate the vehicle and work on a plan to return it if possible.

Kidder suggested potential fundraising and said donation would be preferable for preservation and tax reasons. Council members expressed appreciation for the effort and said they would help locate records and contacts related to the bus.

No formal action or funding was taken at the meeting; the matter was discussed during the public-comment portion and staff described outreach steps they are taking to identify potential contacts.