We got pavement

For this tiny town, there is quite a bit of development going on.

Here is the first bit of pavement was laid down in town last week. We have had dirt/gravel roads up 'til now.



We have a new ferry and ferry terminal that goes between two other islands, one has a town of about 3200 the other has a pop. of 2500 people. This photo was at the inauguration/christening last January in Seattle. I will try to get a picture of the terminal up here, that was a huge project in itself.



They are also developing the road that comes into camp and connects to the rest of the island towns. This has been a major project going on for the past three summers. It was a one lane dirt road, very narrow and curvy. It will now be two to three lanes wide and less curvy. Lots of people who live in camp work on this road. There are also alot of people from out of town that come to live here during the constuction, which leaves a bit of a housing shortage in the summer, but it seems that everyone found a place. The work that is required for this job is amazing, even after seeing the Big Dig for so many years. It is raw, wet and remote land on an island much larger than Long Island but with less than 4,000 people. This the only part of southeast Alaska that you can actually drive to other towns, there are 9 towns that you can drive to with populations that range from 30 people to 1500 people.



The road on the right is the old road, the road on the left will be the new road.



The city also got a $1 million grant to expand the harbor. This is very exciting for me because one of my jobs is harbormaster and there is a shortage of space in the summertime at the dock. We are gong to run another finger out the middle and then a dock parallel to the existing one. We probably still won't get electricity out there. There is a new school and a clinic in the works, but that may be a bit down the line. We did get a new post office this year and they are building a new seaplane float this month. They are in the process of putting up street signs. Nobody ever knew what street they lived on. We just made up addresses and the post mistress would sort by name. Our mail comes by float plane three times a week, so Fed EX definitely does not apply here.