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Wenatchee

Debbie Manke Takes 1st in State Public Transportation Roadeo

Debbie Manke took first places in the State Public Transportation Roadeo competition June 25th in Pasco. She earned the top place with a score of 635 points out of 725 possible, qualifying for National Competition on July 16th in Indianapolis.

“This is my 11th time going to state, placing in the top three,” says Debbie. The winner for the last ten years has been an airline pilot from Bellingham who drives bus part time. Debbie outscored him this year in a tightly contested competition.

“This is the first time I got first at state,” she says. “It felt awesome.”

Twenty-seven contestants took written tests, a pre-trip verbal test and a driver tests on a competition course with 12 events, including parallel parking. “My favorite event is the parallel parking,” says Debbie. “You get one back up and one free pull up. The space is 6 feet longer than the 20 foot bus. You have to have your tires for 2 inches from the curb for the top score.”

Each summer the State Public Transportation Roadeo is held in conjunction with the annual state public transportation conference. A public transportation roadeo is a safety and skill competition that encourages excellence and professionalism in bus operators. Bus operators and maintenance teams have separate competitions involving safe driving skills and maintenance disciplines. At the end of the competition, scores are totaled for each bus operator and maintenance team and the highest scores win.

She attributes her success to her nature. “Every time I drive a bus it’s a competition with myself. I have a competitive nature.”

Debbie brought home a traveling trophy that will be in Wenatchee’s Transportation Department for the year. Debbie is a Transportation Router for Wenatchee School District.


 

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