By Michael and Victoria Howell, (former) Bitterroot Star co-publishers
We could never have imagined 35 years ago, when a nice hitchhiker we picked up showed us how to put together a newspaper with only a few commitments from advertisers, a camera, a typewriter, a homemade light table, some press on letters and border tape and a hot waxer, that we would still be doing that 35 years later.
It’s true, the technology has evolved, but the concept is still the same: gather the news and write the stories, sell the ads, put the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle and send the whole thing off to the printing press in some other town, then wait for it to come back as a newspaper. Send that out to all the readers, and begin again.
Now, after 35 years, our own weekly cycle with the Bitterroot Star is about to come to an end. It’s been quite a journey. We started out living in a school bus, camped at Bell Crossing with our two young children, renting some space in downtown Stevensville to put the paper together with the help of a couple of friends. The friends moved on and from there we progressed through five different locations over the years, finally settling in our current location in the Kohl Building. Through the years we bought a small farm, had another child, raised a family, buried a son, survived the Great Recession, and made the acquaintance of dozens, probably hundreds, perhaps thousands, of exceptional people who gave us so much love and support.
Some of them are local legends who worked for us in various capacities, like Harry Vanhorn (our mentor and first editor), Sandy Ingersoll, Martha Burke, Pat Rhodes, Louise Langton, Rob Breeding, Carlotta Grandstaff, Dusty Schurman, Dorinda Troutman and Chuck Stranahan.
Some are professional colleagues who, from the very beginning and in their various roles, recognized the value of the Bitterroot Star in fostering community pride and economic success, like Bill Perrin, Dale Burk, Stewart Brandborg, Joan Nygaard, Joan Prather and Dan Severson.
Some are dear friends who mostly just walked into the newspaper office and introduced themselves, like Ralph Wood, Ella Buckallew, Celia Grohmann, Gene Mim Mack, Bobbi McKibbin, Cathy Scholtens and Becky Howard. All so very special in their individual ways. And there are just so many, many more.
Some are business owners that have shared with us a philosophy of mutual support that has sustained us all for these 35 years, and has contributed to the overall well being of the entire valley.
We have also had so many good people on the Star staff through the years and we want all of them to feel our gratitude.
Some still work for us, like Jean Schurman and Liz Cook who, with their tremendous abilities, institutional memory and amazing cross-generational collaboration, will be soldiering on in our absence. We thank them so much.
We’d like to give a shout out to all of our current staff, who show up every week and get their work done in admirable fashion: in addition to Jean and Liz, there’s Deven, JJ, Serica, Shannon, Nichole, Mark, Alan, and newcomer Vince.
We mention all these people – and there are so many more – because none of what we’ve done and do at the Bitterroot Star could have happened without them. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts. We do hope we can all stay in touch.
While we will miss our jobs at the Star, and we will be involved in the transition as needed, we look forward to whatever awaits us next. We both plan to stay involved with our volunteer work and the non-profit groups that are important to us, like the North Valley Public Library, Bitterroot River Protection Association, the Bitterroot Free Press Foundation, the Stevensville Civic Club and Project 59870. We also want to keep writing, cooking, farming and gardening (you can guess who does what!) and fostering a deeper connection with our children and grandchildren.
We couldn’t be more encouraged that Jesse Mullen reached out to us about buying the Bitterroot Star. We think he has just the right qualities to continue our proud tradition of community journalism and civic engagement. We wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor. And we ask that all of you continue to be engaged with the paper as you always have.
One of us came to Montana in 1971 and the other around 1978. We both fell in love with this place and then we fell in love with each other. Our children were born here and we put down roots that are now deep and strong. Thank you, Montana, Bitterroot Valley and Stevensville for sharing your treasures with us, for believing in us and sticking with us through it all!
It seems appropriate to share with readers the very first column that Michael Howell wrote for the Star, in the very first edition, August 22, 1985.
Star Gazing
By Michael Howell
Today is a day for celebration. After all, it’s not every day that a star is born. No, I’m not talking about another Ronald Reagan, John Wayne or Michael Jackson. It was not a super-star that was born today. It was just another little star. Just another hometown newspaper. Unlike those super-stars, who seem as far and distant as those little twinkly things in the night sky, the Stevensville Star shines right in your own backyard. It can’t afford the distance that the super-stars require.
But this little star offers you something that none of those distant stars can… the chance to be your own star. It offers this community the chance to develop its own voice, its own view of itself. And unlike those other stars, this one is within reach. Obviously, since you now hold the newspaper in your hands.
But the Star you hold in your hands today could fall tomorrow. Or it could turn out to be your lucky one. It’s mostly up to you. It’s your paper. For, as Nietzche once said, “What is a star without those for whom it shines?”
We are prepared to publish a newspaper of whatever size and quality you care to support. We need to know if there are really any Star gazers in Stevensville, or if you’re all still looking for a super-star.