We Sell
licenSeS
777-2822 4039 HWY 93 N STEVENSVILLE
OUTLET STORE
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID STEVENSVILLE MT PERMIT 89
For all your ammunition & Hunting needS
www.ammoandmorestore.com
Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
‘The
ALL Napa Gold Filters on SALE until September 28th
’ ! l a c o L t a t s e B
Merrill
VO TE !
Hurry In! Stock up Today
for MONTANA
CORVALLIS NAPA AUTO PARTS
HD 87
1001 Main Street, Corvallis . 961-3031
Paid for by Merrill for HD87 ~ Democrat ~ PO Box 718, Stevensville, MT 59870 ~ Nancy Neal, Treas.
Volume XXXVI, Number 10
www.bitterrootstar.com
Honoring a legend
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
With Dale Burk’s passing, we lose a true force for good By Michael Howell Dale Burk: October 10, 1936 – September 16, 2020
About 50-60 people attended a vigil to honor the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on Saturday evening in front of the courthouse in Hamilton. Some spoke in the light drizzle, and the group quietly sang one verse of “Amazing Grace.” Photo courtesy of Mary Fahnestock-Thomas.
Former Star columnist featured in launch of $4.8 million stroke initiative American Heart Association and Helmsley Charitable Trust announce $4.8 million commitment to expand, enhance stroke care in Montana By Michael Howell Stroke, like heart attack, can happen suddenly to any person at anytime, anywhere. Like heart attack victims, stroke victims need help immediately. Luckily a modern clot-busting drug called TPA has been developed that has been shown to be effective at preventing the worst impacts of a stroke, but it can only be administered to a patient within four hours of the onset of the symptoms. This makes recognizing the symptoms
Vote for mber Reme in n to tur lot al your b
of stroke and acting quickly to get access to the treatment for stroke of vital importance. This is the message that one local stroke survivor, Dorinda Troutman of Hamilton, would like to help people understand. She didn’t make it to the hospital in enough time. She suffered a stroke in 2018. Her husband Ted recognized the signs and took action. But the Troutmans experienced the “layers of steps” it can take to get proper stroke care. She survived the incident but was paralyzed on one side of her body and is still recovering. Troutman, who for many years wrote the popular “Bird Seed” column in the Bitterroot Star, recently lent her support to the American Heart Association and the Helmsley Charitable Trust in the announcement of their $4.8 million commitment to expand and enhance stroke care in Montana. She joined the public announcement of the two organization’s “Lifeline Stroke” initiative from her wheelchair on the
RON
Longtime journalist, author, photographer, editor, wilderness advocate, and citizen of Montana, Stoneydale Press publisher Dale Burk has passed away, but the impact of all that voicing, all that writing that he did over so many years, is going to continue to have an impact for a long, long time to come. His was a “good, thinking, articulate and often passionate,” voice. That’s how he himself describes the “multitude of voices” that can be heard speaking out in a recently published book that he co-authored with Wayne Chamberlin: “A Wild Land Ethic - The Story of Wilderness in Montana.” Burk always saw himself as “just another voice” among others, another reporter among others, another editor among others and loved working in collaboration with other thinkers and writers. Having started a newspaper in the small town of Stevensville back in 1985, it is not surprising that I should quickly become acquainted with Stevensville resident Dale Burk. He was the first Montana writer to receive the prestigious Nieman Fellowship for Professional Journalists to Harvard University in 197576 and was running his small regional book publishing company Stoneydale Press with the help of his wife Patricia located behind their home in Stevensville. He always had a lot to share about the newspaper business and the importance of the press in American politics. One thing I noticed in Dale as we got to know each other was how important it was to him that journalism be founded on some sort of ethics. There was an ethical imperative to report honestly, truthfully and fairly on things. Your work had to be founded on respect for individuals and for the community and all the entangle-
Dale Burk, was a third generation Montanan born into a logging family in Kalispell, Montana on October 10, 1936 to Theodore R. Burk and Louise Burk. He died on September 16, 2020 at his residence in Stevensville. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1959 and was a veteran of the Korean War. Later, he worked as public relations manager for the Anaconda Aluminum Company for a short spell before becoming disillusioned with his employer’s ethics. After that he went to work as a reporter for the Missoulian newspaper. His publishing company, Stoneydale Press, established in Stevensville in 1976, published many books by local authors and some of his own. Burk, himself authored The Clear Cut Crisis; Great Bear, Great River; Brush with the West; New Interpretations; Montana Fishing; Montana Hunting; Dale Burk’s Montana; A Brush With a Wild Thing or Two in Montana (a memoir) and A Wild Land Ethic: The Story of Wilderness in Montana. His books are available from Stoneydale Press, which is still being operated by his daughter Rachel. Dale and his wife Patty were preceded in death by sons Ted in 1987 and Bruce in 2015. His surviving children include daughters Kathleen, Ruth and Rachel. ments and contradictions that involves. It wasn’t too long before I saw how ethics played a leading role in all aspects of his life. He was not just a journalist with integrity, he was a person of integrity. It’s plain to me now why he put the word “good” in front of “thinking, articulate and passionate” voices. It’s the word he put in front of just about everything he
did. It didn’t matter whether it was journalism, or magazine writing, book publishing or hunting and fishing, whether it was practicing a profession or a religion, or out hunting in Montana’s wildlands, he had to be able to articulate a moral case for his involvement. With that proviso, he was ready, willing and able to pitch in and See BURK, page 3
Scarecrow Festival back on Dorinda Troutman back porch of her home and urged people to educate themselves about the signs of stroke because it could save someone’s life, or possibly save them from having to go through what she is going through. She said that she was hoping to see the sky, but it was cloudy and rainy and she couldn’t. She shrugged. “It could be worse,” she said, “That’s what I say about a lot now, including stroke.” She said she found out recently that Walt Whitman, “our great AmeriSee STROKE, page 14
Get your scarecrows ready! By popular demand, the Stevensville Parks & Recreation Department will host the 2020 Stevensville Scarecrow Festival starting October 16th. The event, in its 15th year, will be scaled back due to public health concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be two separate categories for scarecrows: 1) kids, and 2) businesses and non-profits, individuals, and families. While this year’s event will look very different from past years, the core of the event will remain unchanged and resemble much of the what the event looked like in its beginning, according to Mayor Brandon Dewey. “The Town of Stevensville is excited to provide an arts and culture event that will safely bring the
community together in a positive way.” The Parks Department says that reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community and while social distancing will be encouraged, community members and visitors are reminded to consider the risks of public gatherings when participating. Spaces will be available along the bike path along Stevensville Cutoff Road for participants to display their scarecrows. While voting and judging of scarecrows will not be held this year, scarecrow builders are encouraged to keep the competition alive by creating a scarecrow that will keep the spirit of the festival alive for another year. Scarecrows will be illuminated at night for a special night-time viewing experience.
Entry fees will be charged to cover the expenses of holding the event. Businesses and non-profits, individuals, and families will pay $25.00 for their entry. To encourage youth involvement a special rate of $15.00 for kids in the 8th grade and under is available. Entry forms are available online at www.townofstevensville. com/parksrec and can be dropped off at Town Hall or mailed to PO Box 30, Stevensville MT 59870 with the entry fee. The deadline to enter is Monday, October 12th by 5 p.m. Scarecrows will be displayed through Halloween, October 31st. For more information, contact the Parks Department at 406-777-5271 or parks@townofstevensville.com
MARSHALL Paid for by Ron Marshall for HD 87 . 840 South 1st . Hamilton, MT 59840
HD 87