by Sean Malcom
The Bitterroot Heritage Civic Group (BHCG), a non-profit based in Darby, hosted its first local author book signing event at Sacajawea’s Rest Park in downtown Darby on Saturday, August 19. Across the street, the BHCG hosted a car show and raffle to help raise money for the park.
Gay Findley, a member of the BHCG, explained that the turnout was not exactly what they were hoping for. “It’s tough,” she said, “we’re competing with the Celtic Games.” The Celtic Games were running concurrently at the Daly Mansion in Hamilton. “The people who came seemed to have bought books, though,” Findley said.
Findley continued by saying that they hope to make it an annual event. “Overall, it’s been a good day,” she said. “It’s our first go around. We got the authors; we just need to get the public more involved.”
Laura Owings-Smith, president of the BHCG, explained that it was a quick turnaround, but they got 13 local authors to attend. “In a little under a month, we managed to pull it all together,” she said.
Most of the authors who attended were from the valley and one in attendance came from Salmon, Idaho.
S.S. Duskey, an author who lives in the Bitterroot, was promoting her work, The Rose O’Brien Trilogy, a series of three thriller novels. Duskey uses her late dogs, Saki and Rose, as inspiration for her work, bringing her late pets into the human world. Most characters in Duskey’s book are based on Saki and Rose’s other canine companions as well.
Another Montana author, Linda Fifer, was promoting her novel, The Road Between Two Skies.
Not all authors in attendance were fiction writers, however. Ted Hall was promoting his work, Lost Pass 1805, which is an in-depth look at the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s route through Sula, Darby and Gibbonsville, Idaho. Hall had previously published another Lewis and Clark-themed book in 2003 called The Trail Between the Rivers, which covered the expedition’s travel from Dillon to Orofino, Idaho.
While book lovers met with the authors, across the street gear-heads showed their classic (and a few modern) cars and trucks at the Show’n Shine Event. Members of Salmon Valley Speedway were in attendance, displaying different race cars and selling merchandise to raise money to keep their racetrack in operation.
A raffle was conducted to raise money for the park. Local businesses donated different merchandise and gift cards to be raffled off.
Following the announcement of the raffle winners, the winner of Best in Show was presented to Fred Kohlruss for his pristine 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster.
Money raised on Saturday will go to the park. Sacajawea’s Rest Park, a pocket park, is located downtown on North Main St, composed of a single municipal lot.
Owings-Smith said they recently commissioned Jane Azzarello, a local area artist, to paint a mural on the north wall of the park depicting Sacajawea and a pack train.
The BHCG wants the public to know the park is open to the public and fundraising is ongoing. They will be conducting a chili contest and a birdhouse contest on Saturday, Oct. 14 and say they need more chili cooks.
For more information, interested parties can visit bitterrootheritage.com