The Wrangell sentinel., 1940-03-29
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

 what it considers one of the most important pieces of news that has developed in Wrangen for some time. It was an announcement from cold storage officials that immedi- ately work was starting on increas- ing the size of the local cold stor age plant to around a capacity of a million pounds. It means that through the initiative of local capi tai the towns basic industry is be- ing benefited and as a result every person in the community is being benefited. It will mean ultimately the development of a comparatively new frozen fish industry here with additional industrial pay roll for the town. It means, in short. that Wran- gell is capitalizing on what it has in it's own front yard and going ahead with developing 1t in con- structive way.
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 This week we hope to be able to carry in the news columns another equally important piece of news that the community is taking adVan- tage of it's natural tourist business opportunity and developing it.
 As this is written, the entire town is considering the problem of put ting on a potlatch here during the first days of June in connection with the completion of the Shakes Island projeet-a tourist attraction. The U. S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs officials have offered their cooperation. The Forest Service has sent two men here to assist in working out the idea. Preliminary discussions have been held and the outlook shows promise.
 There is nothing that we can think of at the moment that would be of any more direct benefit to the town of Wrangell right now than to capitalize on its tourist business. The season is virtually here. They are coming north this year by the thousands.
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 If We in Wrangen can offer some thing which will interest them, help in making their trip north a suc- cessful venture, we will have laid the ground work for developing profitable tourist business in the community. It is our belief that it will encourage the transportation companies to make longer stops here; to point to Wrangell as one of the. places where it is important to stop all tourist boats for suffic- tent time for their passengers to actually see what we have to offer. It can't be overlooked that the transportation companies are bring ing the people to our dock. Certain ly we should make 1t point to pro- vide part of the entertainment.
 There are many details to be worked out to make such an under taking success. Our greatest hand icap, of course, is being small community and we cannot turn readily te capital sources as can some of the great recreation centers of the States. But we can make an effort which will be worthy and we can expect some substantial assis- tance from Outside our own com munity.
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 T. land is being reconstructed to its original state and being completed this spring, this is the year to act, and the time is now The thought is not at all remote that such celebration as is being now consid- cred could be made into an annual affair. The Wrangell Potlatch could be made to herald the opening of the spring tourist season in the north with the transportation companies using it during the winter months in their advertising campaigns as the first big event of the season for the Alaska tourist.
 lWrangell has it's original Wran- gelI people who know how to put on9sa genuine potlatch. We don't have to depend on build-up and phoney representation as Is too of- tene the case in ventures of this kind. In Wrangell5we have the real thing; we can give the visitor value received-a real old-time Pot latch. ai . .a
 As we said before, we hope to be able, to announce elsewhere in to- days Sentinel that Wrangell has anaWarad onnortunitvta knock