LETS DF-IGE OUR CHfifTI BER 0 F COHIfTl ERCE THIS SPRinG
With the coming of spring to Seldovia and
the cityfs busy stir after a winter-long
nap, there comes much activity in other
phases of city life. Seldovians have elect
ed a mayor and councilmen and have launched
a wholesale Clean-Up campaign in the past
month, in addition to their regular tasks of
refitting and overhauling boats for the com
ing seasonfs work.
But with this resumption of industrial,
municipal and sanitary duties, there should
come still more of a spring awakening in
Seldovia. The activity that comes with the
release of winter!s icy fingers is not any
thing that comes to Seldovia alone. The
whole of Alaska is now busying itself with
preparation for the work weeks of the long
summer months.
With that preparation in other cities,
although thus far not noticeable in Seldo
via, there comes an upsurge in civic pride
and a desire to shout from the housetops
about the joy of living in a particular mic
roscopic speck on the face of Alaskats map.
Most of that shouting is channeled through
Chambers of Commerce, whose leaders are sel
ected for their ability to hold forth loudly
and at length on town virtues.
But rot so Seldovia. With other cities
and towns the length of Cook Inlet, from Se
ward at the southern terminus of The Alaska
Railroad to Fairbanks at its northern ex
tremity, from hut villages built on mud bars
of Interior rivers to st'ilt-mounted fishing
towns in southeastern Alaska, all dinning
their special glory into the alertly listen
ing ear of millions of Stateside tourists,
Seldovia does nothing.
Seldovia is so lacking in the civic pride
that makes for civic growth and achievement
that a mouldering Chamber of Commerce cannot
even be rejuvenated long enough to call a
meeting. Two men, when occasionally it be
comes evident that even Seldovia cannot'
avoid a Chamber of Commerce issue, shoulder
the responsibility for octlon for our de
funct Chamber.
No meeting is ever called, no membership
drive is ever staged, and no community pro
jects are ever placed before the group as a
whole. No effort is made to disseminate in
formation to prospective home seekers and
businesses. In snort,
Seldovia is shaking
its head in emphatic
negation to those who
feel they may find in
our city the home for
which they are seek
ing.
Now is the time to
chip this old Chamber
of Commerce out of its
icy bed of past years,
pump some new blood
into its frozen art
eries and at least as
sume enough interest
in our city to see
that letters and
auerie3 from newcomers
receive the courtesy
of an answer.
une carnoc wa±K xxie
streets of Anchorage
or any other A laskan
town, probably, with
out being stopped do
zens of times to ans
wer questions about
possible new busin
esses here.
"Can I find a job?"
"Where would I live if
I came to Seldovia and
set up a carpenter’s
shop?" "How many oil
furnaces and stoves do
you estimate there are
in Seldovia?" "Is
there room for a rest
aurant or hamburger
stand there?" These
are but a few of the
questions gleaned in
a four - day absence
last week.
Let’s get together
and do something about
supplying the answers
now while interest is
high. We must act at
once if we ure to pre- <
pare to build this
spring for future new
homes and businesses.