Open letter to mayor

To the editor:

Dear Mayor Combs,

I am a longtime resident of Palmer Alaska. I am writing to you, on behalf of a discussion and tragic decision to take up the tracks from downtown Palmer. I understand you did not have a full say in what will happen to them, and I fully respect your opinion whether or not I agree with you. I understand this decision was to benefit Palmer.

However, I am not persuaded that this decision will entirely benefit the history of Palmer. The train tracks are one of the most historic pieces of Palmer’s history. Roughly 40,000 tourists come to Palmer every year; they come here to learn about Palmer’s role in Alaska history. As for the tracks, they are a very important part of this history.

In 1936 the colonists arrived by train and the train set apart the colonists from the Palmer locals. It also brought in all the food and supplies. If we were to take up the tracks we would soon forget that Palmer may not exist without them. If we act on this decision, the amount of tourists will be likely to plummet. If this happens, the companies that rely on tourism would soon be sent out of business or owners out of work entirely. This would be liable to upset many Palmer locals.

Please consider this, and I look forward to hearing back from you regarding my letter.

Kiersten Johnson

Palmer