MEEKER I Members and friends of the White River Community Association have been meeting together for good food, fellowship and neighborly support for the past 45 years with the Buford School in mind.
Rich in history, the Buford School was built in 1889 by Buford area homesteaders. Some additions and modernizations kept it viable through the last classroom use in 1952.
As owner of the property, Minewa Bell Roosevelt donated the schoolhouse to the White River Community in 1953 in memory of her father, Alfonso Bell. It continues to be an active community center and, in 2006, was placed on the Colorado Register of Historic Places.
June 14 is the date for this year’s annual White River Community Association Fish Fry. The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Buford School, located upriver near Buford on County Road 17. Go east on County Road 8 for about 20 miles on the beautiful scenic byway along the White River. Turn right at the Lake Avery spillway, then left at the stop sign onto County Road 17 and go about 1.5 miles. You can’t miss the Buford School as it will have lots of cars and plenty of activity.
Bring your appetite to enjoy not only the delicious deep fried white fish that will be served but also to sample some of the finest side dishes and desserts prepared by members, friends, neighbors and family of the White River Community Association. Peanut oil will not be used to fry the fish.
Donations for the meal are: ages 12 to adult $10; seniors 65 and over $8; ages 6 to 11 are $5; and ages 5 and under are free.
The white fish being served is the bounty of the annual Buy/Fly White Fish Tournament held each year in March. The fillets are weighed in by each team to determine the winner. This year’s winning team was our youngest team of anglers, made up of locals Daylon Nielsen, Dayton Willey, Jake Edinger and Codee Woodward. They were co-sponsored by Sable Mountain Outfitters and the K Bar T Ranch. As the top anglers, they took home an Orvis fly reel and fly boxes with fishing accessories.
We welcome anyone interested in joining the White River Community Association. For more information, contact Jeanne Horne at 970-878-0663.
