RRHS courtyard rehab underway

By Jack Elliott
Correspondent

Ground breaking of the Courtyard Rehabilitation Project at the Rainy River High School is finally underway after two years of planning and fund raising. Site preparation began last week with removal of some vegetation and installation of concrete forming and relocation of the 1905 cornerstone from the original Alexander School.. It was a mighty push as Telford and Peggy Advent, Ian Johnson, and Guy Arpin levered and rolled the old landmark into its new position.
Later a brigade of students and parents moved piles of foundation gravel and topsoil into position in preparation for the concrete pour scheduled for a few of weeks hence.
On Sunday, May 3, a very successful consignment and donation auction was held at the Rainy River Arena with net proceeds to the project. Students got first hand experience in the hustle, bustle, and mechanics of running an auction. Hoisting and hawking items for auctioneer Telford Advent as well as running sales sheets, set up and tear down responsibilities, and running a canteen were some real world experiences gleaned in providing community service hours- part of their graduation requirements.
“They did a simply great job,” reported auction clerk Peggy Advent.
Over 100 bidders bought up a total of about 650 lots of both consignment and donated goods raising a total of $2374.00 for the project said Advent. Moe and Joyce Henry of Stratton donated a ‘guess the pennies’ with a $1 per guess entry raising $65 for the project. Winner of the penny jar was Tom McCormick with closest guess of 2120. Actual was 2191. Guesses ranged from 400 to around 7000 reported Henry.