School Board backs away from naming fields, buildings after locals

Perhaps because Osborn Elementary School was named 50 years ago after a now long forgotten school administrator, the Cascade School Board has policy against naming buildings or facilities after local people. A discussion of the policy came about at the Feb. 12 Cascade School Board as community member made a request to name the soccer field after a former coach.
“One community member has approached us regarding his late brother that was a soccer coach here, wanting to know the process for naming the soccer field after his brother. One other person has been recommended to have something named for them as well,” Cascade Superintendent Bill Motsenbocker said.
Board member Kristen Wood said there is now a procedure for that.
“Just wanted to remind everybody of that. We also did that citizen legacy award recognition. Kristen’s dad was the first one inducted into the Wall of Fame, as we call it down at PD,” Motsenbocker said. “I would like get back to that person. There was at least one other person indicating we should look at another individual as well.”
Board member Trey Ising said there is another community member many people would like to recognize, but that person is not deceased. Board member Carrie Sorensen said since the person is not deceased, the only option is the Legacy Wall.
Wood said the policy warns against naming things after a person. We implemented this because we were trying to come up with a name for the new elementary school, board member Cindy Puckett said.
“It talks about not just using a local person naming a building. I thought that was the intent of the policy, that we were going to try and steer around naming buildings and facilities after local people. That’s where the legacy plaques come into play,” Sorensen said.
Ising asked if there were plans to add more legacy plaques.
“Absolutely. That’s what we wanted to start. Therefore, the naming of the facilities and building is more for national people or geographical. We were hoping to have a whole slew of legacy plaques,” Sorensen said. “Luckily, there are policies in place which are pretty clear.”
The person you talked to me about would be a person that would fit this criteria as far as another bronze plaque on the wall. I think it would be a fabulous idea,” Motsenbocker said.
Sorensen said they didn’t want the legacy plaque, they wanted to name the soccer field. Ising said the person he’s thinking of has been connected with a sport for a long time. He suggested putting a plaque at the place where this person was known.
“We could. The soccer field has a building. The other fields have other buildings. That’s why Louie  (Wagoner) was on the football field. He could have been anywhere. Or we could keep our legacy plaques in the one area,” Sorensen said.
“PD is known as the sports complex, but the soccer field is different. We should think about some specific ideas about where those should go,” Wood said.
Ising said they should honor a person at the place associated with that person. Wood said they could do that or some wall.
“I thought that is what we decided. We were going to make that a legacy wall, because we’re district with different locations, so that legacy wall was going to be,” Sorensen said.
“There can be a ceremony and presentation at the specific sport with the plaque. And we’re going to hang it at the legacy wall,” said Board President Brenda Biebesheimer.
The PD sports complex is fine, Ising said, if they are honoring football or baseball coaches. Wood said she did not see it that way.
“If we start to say, this person is over here, this person is over here. Whereas, eventually we are going to have a wall full of them. Some may be community members, some athletes, some teachers, some para-pro’s,” Sorensen said. “The original thought was that wall and that is kind of how it was designed. Eventually, that would grow.”
Wood said they could start signing more people up to the legacy wall. Ising said he wants the wall to be something more worthy.
“I guess if we’re going to dedicate that for what it is, then we need to come up with system of recognition too,” Ising said. “If we are going to designate this as a spot, it needs to be highlighted somehow.”
 “I think there needs to be a little more effort building this wall. Somebody said they wanted to name the field after him, so that’s where we came up with call on what we were going to do,” Wood said. “That was kind of a quick response and now we need to fulfill the desire of what it needs to be.”
Motsenbocker offered to take Ising to the legacy wall to try and come up more ideas. Currently, only Louie Wagoner is honored at the legacy wall.
“I think that would be good not just for Louie, but it needs to stand out. The legacy wall is great. If we had an athletics legacy wall. Then, maybe a different type. I don’t know where you would put it,” Ising said. “Schools come and go. Buildings and fields come and go. When you designate the legacy wall and then at some point, the facilities get changed. It’s just a matter of whether you separate athletics.”
Ising said they need to make a place of honor in some way, not just shoving something on a wall. The first plaque with Louie is really classy, Motsenbocker said.
“He is the first one. Then, we build it out and make sure it is done with some sort of pomp and circumstance,” Ising said.
Motsenbocker said the policy says, conditions of recognition shall be determined and planned by the superintendent or his or her designee.
“We need to designate what the legacy wall is and why it is important. The idea is you are going to go in and want somebody honored. The whole point is you want somebody honored and you’re sticking it on a back wall or whatever,” Ising said. “You need to do that when you say, I’m sorry, we don’t name fields. Somebody can go look and say this is a place of honor. We need to honor that and make it special.”
“The policy states, the criteria they put in there is it is for people with long term support of district facilities and students, for long term community members who have dedicated most of their adult life in service or as a volunteer. Most of their adult life. That is pretty significant,” Motsenbocker said.
Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com