It has been a busy time for the SBCA board as they work towards procuring the CFEP grant, County of Foothills support grant, Agri-grant, Millarville Horticultural Club grant, along with other local and provincial grants. Along with these grants comes the obligation to match with cash or in-kind volunteer hours. We are closing in on some of our goals and that is due to the tremendous support of the community at large.
Our online Spring Auction is up and running! It closes on May 8th at 6pm.
www.32auctions.com/sbchauction
We have 73 items donated that range from inexpensive, to collectable to great entertainment, history, quilts, and more. There’s something for everyone! The site is easy to navigate and you get a response by email after each bid. The last week will see the most activity as you try to procure your favorite items. A secret I will let you in on, is to place a proxy bid so you don’t have to have your finger on the bid button every minute. Don’t miss out on all the fun.
Thanks to all of those who have donated and for those making your bids count! We are hoping to meet or surpass our goal of $8,000.
“Stories and People from Our Past”
As we reflect on our past in the Square Butte Community our School Bus drivers come to mind, in particular Jake Reimer.
He lived up by Whiskey Creek on #762 but of course it was no highway then, just a muddy, at times impassable, gravel road.
He bought a Jeep about 1946 so he could drive his 3 kids to the Square Butte School, he also picked up the Birney girls, Art Ball and another neighbor along the way. Of course there was no worry about having seat belts for each kid as there were none and we are not sure if there was a concern of over crowding! Then in 1950 amalgamation of the various small schools took place and the Sheep Creek school was moved and built on to at its present location in Millarville. That year Jake bought a big yellow bus and for the next 20 years safely delivered kids to Millarville school, picking up kids along the way. He delivered kids to school for 24.5 years missing only 2 days in that time. He drove bus until 2 days before his death.
One of the most nerve racking job was the school bus drivers who had the lives of the children in their hands. Those days on the bus were always fun as Jake was quite jovial and liked to visit, except he ruled with a firm hand and everyone knew that. I can remember one time he slammed on the brakes, stopped, got up, and proceeded to reprimand some of the kids with a firm hand. Of course we all went flying when he hit the brakes. There was one thing for sure you never had a “snow day” if you rode on Jake’s bus as there were no phones, so of course no way of letting families know that the school would be closed due to cold or snow.
Look for more Square Butte information at our website: Squarebuttehall.com
Facebook: Friends and Neighbors of 762
Contact@squarebuttehall.com
Financial: sq.butte.comm.assoc@gmail.com
Submitted by Mary Ann Watson
