The new Al Statts Transportation Facility (bus garage) and Koberna Salt Storage Facility are now complete! City Council members and Board of Education members, along with City and Hudson City Schools staff gathered for a ribbon cutting at the new facilities.
Phil Herman said in his remarks at the ribbon-cutting, "This facility is a concrete example of the benefits of collaboration. We are fortunate, not only to have resources in our community, but we are also fortunate that we have City Officials and school officials that continue to work towards beneficial solutions, even when the work gets difficult. I have often said that it is easy to collaborate when everyone is on the same page, but the true test of collaboration is how we behave when we have to work through challenges."
The Hudson City Schools will begin operating in the new facility in June. An Open House will take place in August for community members. Watch for the announcement this summer!
About Al Statts:
Al Statts was a 1932 graduate of Hudson High School. He began his career with the Hudson Schools as a bus driver and later served as the supervisor of transportation. He began his employment around 1948 and retired in 1979. He lived in Hudson with his wife, Donna, she was also a Hudson graduate and employed in the Superintendent's Office. Their children are also Hudson graduates.
It is known that Al was a terrific athlete during his high school years. In his (to be) wife's memory book we learned that they dated in high school. Donna kept everything from dance napkins to news articles about the Hudson athletic games. The book is on display in the Alumni History Room.
Al is also the reason the district has the 1860s bell from the Union School. When the school was torn down, the district at the time wasn't interested in keeping the bell. He kept it in his barn for many years. After the passing of he and his wife, his kids came to Jerry Reeves and said "if you want the bell, you need to take it now." Jerry was superintendent at the time and an avid collector of historical artifacts associated with the schools. He was grateful to have the bell become part of the district's collection. It now resides at the entrance to the Alumni History Room in Hudson High School.
