Funds for the community

It's hard to walk down any main throughfare in Havre and not see some project that has been affected by the James Sleeter Charitable Trust.

From the Welcome to Havre sign on the west side to Town Square in the heart of the city to the city's skateboard park, to the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump, the Sleeter trust has donated matching funds to get projects off the ground.

It provided funds to the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, North Havre Park, the bridge at Rotary Pond, the automation system at the Havre-Hill County Library, the city's walking paths and much more.

Along with other charitable and civic groups, the Sleeter fund has consistently provided money to the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce's musical programs, Tunes at Noon, Kicks@6 and Sounds on the Square.

This year it donated to several community efforts, including the vinyl cover project that will cover traffic signal boxes on downtown street with decorative paintings by local artists.

The late James Sleeter, a Havre businessman and community activist, set up the fund two decades ago. Sleeter was a member of several local service clubs and he wanted to help them in their service to the community. So the trust he set up was designed to pay matching funds to the clubs that undertake projects that improve the quality of life in Havre.

The trust sunsets this year. It was designed to run for 20 years. The last set of grants has been awarded, and when the money is spent, the funds left in the coffers will go to the Montana State University-Northern Foundation.

Many of the organizations that have received funds over the years thought this would be a good time to look back at Sleeter and the legacy he left behind.

Gail Rader recalled Sleeter fondly.

"We were great friends," she said, recalling days when Sleeter and her late husband, Dr. William Rader, were business partners and fishing buddies.

He was the general contractor on the project that converted the old Sacred Heart Hospital to Parkview Apartments. The Raders, Sleeter and about eight other people were initially partners in the project.

At the start of this career, he was involved in Havre Laundry Co., but he left that business to become involved in contracting.

He refurbished the old Buttrey's store into the Atrium Mall, he built Boxcars restaurant and the Ryan Building. Despite the fact he was not a golfer, he bought the Bear Paw Country Club.

"I think he ran out of things to do downtown, so he bought the country club," Rader said.

"He was always a builder. He loved to see thing go up, whether he made a profit or not, he enjoyed the building," she said.

"He was a real community man," she said. "He loved Havre."

"We first got to know him through Jaycees," she said.

Sleeter was a president of the Havre Jaycees and later the Montana Jaycees.

He later became involved in Rotary and the Lions Club, she said, adding, "And he always was a Chamber member."

Other community residents said they will always remember him for the projects he helped fund even after his death.

The Sleeter trust helped the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line fund construction of a courtyard that was used by young people for many years, said Krista Solomon, the club's executive director. It later partnered with the Lions Club for further projects, and just recently it gave the Optimist Club $1,000 to help make the club's new playground area handicapped accessible.

Solomon said she was pleased that the money went to service clubs to help them do more community work.

"The service clubs already do so much for the community," she said.

The Chamber has benefitted several times from trust, said Debbie Vandeberg, the Chamber's executive director.

The summer music programs have been helped out, she said, the fund helped pay for the bandstand at Town Square.

"I applaud James Sleeter for his vision in starting the trust that has done so much in providing the community with entertainment and recreation," she said.

Here are projects that have been funded by the James Sleeter Charitable Trust since 2001:

2001

Jaycees, BB gun participation, $500

Lions Club, bathroom /showers in the Ice Dome, $2,000

Optimist Club, upgrade to ballfields and drinking fountain at Optimist Park, $3,400

Rotary Club, food bank freezer and library fund, $3,500

Soroptimist International, Town Square, buffalo jump, Northern Montana Hospital Park, no amount listed

2003

Heritage Center, 2003, $1.425

Rotary Club, skateboard park and roof on gazebo at Rotary Park, $1,900

Skateboard Association, construction of skateboard park, $5,000.

2004

Lions Club, Boys & Girls Club projects, $4,000

Optimist Club, new lights at 6th Avenue, softball field

Rotary Club, Havre welcome sign, $1,250

Soroptimist International. server and equipment for MAT, $3,000

2005

Kiwanis Club, campground project at Fresno, $1,000

Lions Club, walking path, $3,600

Optimist Club, baseball/softball field fence, $3,000

Rotary Club, playground equipment and summer reading program, $1,558

Soroptimist International, equipment for MAT, $3,000

2006

Lions Club, timing unit, nature and education trail, Boys & Girls Club

Rotary Club, landscaping and summer reading program, $1,400

Soroptimist International, playground equipment, $3,000

2007

Chamber of Commerce, Tunes at Noon, $1,000

HRDC, funding for Head Start, $5,950

Optimist Club, portable fencing for Optimist Park, $2,000

Rotary Club, city clock and summer reading program, $1,750

Soroptimist International, library materials for Sleeted Cancer Center, $1,000

Chamber of Commerce, Kicks @ 6, $1,000

2008

Chamber of Commerce, bandstand at Town Square, $1,000

Kiwanis Club, Refurbish bathhouse at Camp Kiwanis

Lions Club, Lions baseball park improvements, $1,000

Optimist Club, scholarship and improvements to Bill Baltrusch Nature Trail

Rotary Club, Restrooms at Rotary Park and books for the summer reading program, $3,500

Soroptimist International, no project listed, $1,000

2009

Chamber of Commerce, Kicks @ 6 sponsor, $1,000

Kiwanis Club, computer for Lions swim team, $985

Lions Club, timing units for Lions swim team, left-hand competition rifles for Havre Youth Rifle Club, trail head at Beaver Creek Park

Optimist Club, electronic equipment for Lions swim team and improvements to the Bill B altrusch Nature Trail

2010

Chamber of Commerce, Kicks @ 6, $1,000

Girls Fastpitch Association, 5th Avenue ballfields update, $2,000

Kiwanis Club, handicap assessable restroom, $1,129.87

Parks and Recreation Department, fence at Optimist Park, $2,000

Rotary Club, bridge at Rotary Park, $3,000

2011

Boy Scout Nader Greytak, North Havre Park, $1,600

Chamber of Commerce, Sounds on the Square, $1,000

Clack Museum, Jim Sleeter Memorial Brick, $500

Lions Club, North Havre Park, $1,000

Northern Alumni Association, tribute band and stage, $1,000

2012

Lions Club, curling stones for Havre Ice Domes, $2,670

Lions Club, informational markers on Rotary Trails, $3,450

Chamber of Commerce, Sounds on the Square, $1,000

St. Jude Thaddeus School, playground equipment, $2,009.87

2013

Chamber of Commerce, Sounds on the Square, $1,000

Lions Club, Ice Dome project, $4.617.39

Kiwanis Club, Camp Kiwanis wheelchair ramp, $3,512.00

2014

Chamber of Commerce, Sounds on the Square, $1,000

Rotary Club, Ice Dome projects $3,000

2015

Kiwanis Club, swim team clock and PA system

` Lions Club, vision screening machine, $3,200

Lions Club, Ice Dome project, $3,000

Chamber of Commerce, Sounds on the Square, $1,000

2016

Chamber of Commerce, vinyl wrap projects $1,500

Optimist Club, Boys & Girls Club playground, $1,000

Lions Club, Lions Campground improvements, $5,000

Kiwanis Club, Camp Kiwanis cabin project, $2,000

Optimist Club, trail project, $2,700

Rotary Club, playground equipment, $2,700

Total contributions, $146,962.57