Connections IN OUR MIDST
A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON PEOPLE, PLACES AND PERSEVERANCE IN YELLOWSTONE COUNTY
Shine On! By Jackie Swiesz
Whenever it’s a school day, you will find this fellow on the busy corner of Parkhill and 17th Street West, waving at passing cars full of parents and kids who exuberantly wave back at him. “I do that to make people aware that there’s a school crossing here – the motion gets their attention.” People can’t help but wave back, especially because of his contagious grin and his thumbs up when they see him. “Some of the kids are so little they can’t see over the window – I just see the hand!” Bill Bishop is somewhat of a celebrity and people go out of their way to drive past his crossing station just to get a glimpse of his shiny smile. “Seeing him just makes my day better,” said one young woman, who pulled up beside us as Bill and I were chatting. “Have a Happy Holiday!” Bill shouts out to her. She replies, “and you as well!” Rain or shine, he’s always on this corner, making sure the children get to school safely. He takes it very seriously, waving to get eye contact with drivers and holding up the big red “lollipop” stop sign as the kids cross the street. Bill worries about the boys and girls. Not only does he teach them how to properly cross the road, but he’s also genuinely concerned about their well-being. One rainy day a small girl had no coat on and was soaking wet. He made sure she got to the school where they called the parents who brought dry clothes and a jacket for her. That inner glow is evident when you see Bill, even on a cloudy day! 20
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
About four years ago, Bill was taking his morning walk near Rose Park Elementary School when he met Chuck, another crossing guard who’s 85 years young and still going strong. Between Chuck’s encouragement and another young woman at the crossing, Bill told me he was “finagled into becoming a crossing guard, too!” First and foremost, he loves the kids. “There’s no better feeling than when they run up to me all at once, tackling me and giving me bear hugs,” said Bill. He adds with a twinkle in his eye, “but, I sure hope that, at age 78, I don’t lose my balance when they come at me!” He's also seen several accidents at the intersection over the years, a lot of times due to drivers texting, and once a near miss happened when he started to step off the curb to escort a little girl across the intersection. “So, I always make sure all the cars are stopped and that they are aware that I’m crossing the street with the kids.” People really appreciate his dedication to the children’s safety, and he’s been given gift cards for coffee and oth-
