It was unfortunate a bus from the Souderton School District broke down while on a field trip.

But it was fortunate it broke down in front of a home - where there was presumably a telephone with which to call for help.

But the students and the chaperones on the bus didn’t have to use the phone, because the bus broke down in front of the home of Darrell Laudeman, chief of the Ringtown Valley Volunteer Fire Co. - who entertained the kids while a substitute bus was on the way.

Schuylkill County Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington told the story at the Wednesday commissioners’ work session.

“The bus had 49 eighth-graders, teachers and chaperones,” Hetherington explained. “The group had been to Knoebels Grove when it broke down in front of the Laudeman home. The Laudemans used their home and backyard to entertain the kids with games until the backup bus arrived.”

Hetherington told of the history of the Laudeman family.

“They are second-generation volunteers,” Hetherington said. “Darrell and his dad John started the Ringtown Fire Company, which later merged to become the Ringtown Valley Fire Co. Darrell is Emergency Management coordinator for Union Township, and a former supervisor.”

The commissioners also lauded emergency personnel who responded to the incident in which a tornado touched down in Mahanoy City earlier this week.

“Emergency personnel did a good job responding to the tornado,” said Commissioner Chairman Larry Padora. “If it would have taken a different course, there could have been a lot more damage,”

Padora said Commissioner Gary Hess reached out to the Governor’s Office for help.

“The crew that responded was aided by people from the Governor’s Office, PEMA (the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) combined their resources to see what could be done,” Hess said.

“Unfortunately, there wasn’t sufficient damage to declare it a disaster area,” Hetherington said.

Summer program

Remember summer arts and crafts?

Next week, the commissioners are expected to approve a contract with Schuylkill Community Action to provide a summer prevention alternative activity event.

John Reed of the county’s Drug and Alcohol office said Schuylkill Community Action will be partnering with the Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Prevention Team to facilitate a program to provide summer arts and crafts at four playgrounds this summer - in Tamaqua, Mahanoy City, North Schuylkill and Pottsville.

“The program at the South Ward Park in Tamaqua already has 70 registered,” Reed said. “It’s good to see this program come back,” Hess said, “The idea is to pick up more playgrounds next year.”