Valley loses tenacious agent of change

WASILA — A Wasilla man whose love of country manifested itself in both military service and an ongoing defense of its Constitution and laws leaves behind a bevy of editorial page letters to show how one citizen can make a difference.

Russell K. Butts, 62, died Feb. 3 outside of the Veterans’ Administration Medical Clinic in Wasilla from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Butts, who signed his letters “R.K. Butts, 1SG Armor U.S. Army (retired),” was a frequent contributor to the Frontiersman’s editorial pages, commenting on subjects ranging from the criminal justice system to wildlife issues to the state of modern society. Two of his most recent letters, which appeared late last year, covered poor grammar and lack of patriotism. Both of the charges were laid at the feet of the Frontiersman’s editorial staff, among others.

“Well, here it is, 7 December, and once again the Frontiersman couldn’t be bothered to mention Pearl Harbor,” Butts wrote in a letter in the Dec. 10 issue of the Frontiersman. The letter also lamented the lack of knowledge of the importance of the date among local young people. Immediately above the letter appeared a story on Alaska’s connection to Pearl Harbor.

His letter on Nov. 25 took umbrage with an editorial: “Got a good laugh from your editorial, ‘When we lose our right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.’ I reckon some people just have to advertise their lack of education and lack of class by making fun of someone.”

Frontiersman publisher Kari Sleight is among those who will miss sorting through mail and seeing his familiar handwriting on a hand-addressed envelope with the familiar return address.

“Mr. Butts was vigilant in his fight to toughen laws on impaired driving and never missed an opportunity to let us know how we could better advocate for improvement in our community,” she said. “He was a tough critic and eagle-eyed proofreader, but was just as quick to congratulate us on a good editorial or story.”

Mark Kelsey, former Frontiersman managing editor, was among those whose words — or lack thereof — ruffled Butts’ feathers. Kelsey decided to give Butts a special venue to air his beefs — a spot on a Frontiersman reader advisory board.

“R.K. Butts was never short of opinions or shy about expressing them,” Kelsey said from his office at the state Department of Commerce. “He seemed always to have a great passion for justice at all levels of the human experience. For these reasons, I welcomed him on the Frontiersman’s reader advisory board.

“His feedback may not always have been diplomatically delivered, but it was rarely without value,” Kelsey said. “I am saddened by his passing and for the hole it leaves in the community.”

Cliff Judkins of Wasilla, chair of the state Game board, said Butts was a regular fixture at the Mat-Su Fish and Game Advisory Committee meetings, where he will be missed.

Judkins said Butts was a practical man who educated himself on the issues, and then shared that information. He frequently sent notes and clippings to Judkins on wildlife matters. One of his primary interests was protecting the Palmer Hay Flats while seeing better management of the moose population.

“He really wanted to see people harvest the excess and the population managed so there would be excess,” Judkins said. “He was a guy who did research. He wasn’t just blowing off steam.”

Judkins said Butts’ style wasn’t always diplomatic, but he was a passionate fighter for those causes in which he believed.

“I liked him,” Judkins said. “He was a pain in the butt at the same time.”

Judkins said there are not many willing to put the energy into a cause like Butts.

“We need people like that,” he said. “There are few people who are tenacious and persistent, and we need them.”

Butts signed his final letter to the Frontiersman, postmarked Jan. 24, 2011, with this epitaph: “I shall write no more. I am done.”