More Than a Ride to School

　　The National Education Association claims．“The school bus is a mirror of the #munity．”

　　They further add that，unfortunately, what appears on the exterior does not always reflect the

　　reality of a chosen #munity．They are right--sometimes it reflects more! Just ask Liesl

　　Denson. Riding the school bus has been more than a ride to school for Liesl．

　　Bruce Hardy．school bus driver for Althouse BUS Company has been Liesl’s bus driver since

　　kindergarten．Last year when Liesl’s family moved to Parkesburg，knowing her bus went by her

　　new residence。she requested to ride the same bus

　　This year Liesl is a senior and will enjoy her last year riding the bus．She says，”It’s been a

　　great ride so far! My bus driver is so cool and has always been a good friend and a good listener．Sometimes when you’re a child adults do not think that what you have to say is important．Mr.Hardy always listens to what you have to say and makes you feel important．’’Her friends Ashley Batista and Amanda Wolfe agree．

　　Bruce Hardy has been making Octorara students feel special since 1975.  This  year he will

　　celebrate 30 years working for Althouse Bus Company，Larry Althouse，president of the #pany,

　　acknowledges Bruce Hardy’s outstanding record：“You do not #e by employees like Bruce

　　these days. He has never missed a day of work and has a perfect driving record．He was

　　recognized in 2000 by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association for driving 350,000 accident

　　free miles．Hardy’s reputation is made further evident through the relationships he has made with

　　the students that ride his bus．”

　　Althouse further adds，‘‘Althouse Bus Company was established 70 years ago and has been

　　providing quality transportation ever since．My grandfather started the business with one bus．

　　Althouse Bus Company is delighted to have the opportunity to bring distinctive and safe service

　　to our local school and #munity and looks forward to continuing to provide quality service for

　　many more years to #e．’’

　　Three generations of business is not all the #pany has enjoyed．Thanks to drivers like

　　Bruce Hardy，they have been building relationships through generations，Liesl’s mother Carol

　　also enjoys fond memories of riding Bruce Hardy’s bus to the Octorara School District． [NextPage]