After 26 years, the Kat is permanently recognized for her efforts at Lamers
W
ith over a quarter century of experience to rely on as her daily guide the Kat goes about the business of operating her school bus without thought of receiving an award for efforts she deems necessary to get the job done. Since 1980 "The Kat" has been transporting children to school and back, on field trips, and even some night charters with college students on bar runs.
The award was presented at the annual Lamers Awards Banquet, which historically has been held at The Apple Creek Inn since the closing of The Swan Club. The Kat a two time winner previously of The Customer Service award was unaware she was the winner of the prestigious Presidential Award this year. The much sought after award entitles the recipient to a custom made coat with his or her name on it with the Presidential Award Logo prominently displayed.
Many awards are forgotten a few days or weeks after they are given, however the Kat's co-workers will be reminded of her achievement every time they enter the terminal office and see her name proudly displayed permanently on the Presidential Plaque which hangs in the drivers lounge.
It is perhaps in her best interest that the award itself remains at the bus terminal as a testament to her longevity and ability to serve her employer and it's customers. Her achievement will remain on the wall for all her co-workers, managers, future employees, and
The Kat
As mentioned the Kat had no idea she was about to win the award of the evening when she signed up for the dinner, she spent most of the evening trying to win a plastic bus bank with her door prize ticket. That would be number eleven and would eventually be lost for years after it got placed in a plastic storage box and tucked away in a few cubic inches of unoccupied space either in the bedroom or laundry room. Earlier in the evening she was honored for her perfect attendance with a pin and a certificate of which she will add to her collection in a junk drawer, of which there are many in strategic locations about the house.
Kat unwillingly models her new coat
owners to see for years to come, long after she leaves the West De Pere Bus Terminal for the last time.
Tim and Joanne Lade attended the event and were seated across the table from us with Tim's actual position actually catty wompus to mine. Lade a new employee at the popular local bus company works out of the East De Pere terminal. Although Lade is new around the terminal and knows many of the regular drivers, I witnessed first hand that even though the silver haired Lade is pretty long in the tooth himself he is thought to be the youngster by his colleagues.
Lade thinks that he should buddy up to a few of the old timers and note some of the peculiarities about their routes. When the time comes Lade will make his move to ease himself into one of those creamer routes the old Jacks have by convincing the managers he knows the ins and outs of said route.
Tim Lade shows how clean he keeps his bus
Although Lade has no awards yet he loves the job and has a place picked out on the Presidential Plaque for his name. I suspect he will make it by the time he is 80. That's all the news that is news, see ya.
