A Big thank you to everyone that attended the Bus Barn naming ceremony on Friday, it was a special event. If you weren't able to attend, we would love for you to know the reason behind why this name was selected. Here is the speech from the event.
For those of you who don’t know, the Youngs have been part of Cascade High School for generations. In fact, we’ve had family members graduating as far back as 1937, and we’ve got future Ramblers lined up to graduate in 2025 and 2028! That's a proud legacy, one I'm incredibly honored to be part of.
Anne Young spent over 30 years on the school board, and Gary? Well, he was the heart of bus maintenance for more than 30 years. He worked tirelessly behind the scenes, making sure the buses were in top shape. He didn't just see them as vehicles; to him, they were extensions of our school pride. He believed that Cascade Ramblers should ride and travel in the nicest looking buses around, so much so that he would even buff and wax the buses in the summer! And while the rest of us might’ve rolled our eyes at the time, we all knew it was because he cared so deeply about how this school was represented.
In fact, Gary was always advocating for a bus barn, even having plans drawn up years ago. He knew how important it was to keep those buses in good shape and out of the weather. But, as it often happens, funding was hard to come by, and the dream had to wait. Today, though, I know he would be ecstatic to see this beautiful new building. We can all probably see him beaming with pride, knowing that this bus barn finally came to life.
The Young family has always believed that the Cascade School District is the heart of our community. They’ve been involved in just about everything—sports teams, theater, band, choir, ASB—you name it. Whether it was driving buses, chaperoning trips, keeping scorebooks, or advocating for bonds and levies, the Young’s have been here, doing whatever they could to support this school district. It’s not just a place; it’s a home, and this new bus barn is another example of the love and dedication that makes this place and the Young’s special.
So today, as we celebrate the opening of the new bus barn, it’s more than just steel and garage doors. It’s about community, legacy, and the future. I’m proud to say that this building will stand as a testament to the hard work of so many people, especially the Young Family, who always saw beyond the surface and wanted to leave this place better year after year.