I’m a firm believer in buying local and giving my hard-earned money to hard-working businesses and service providers in my own community. The fact that this is one of my “life philosophies” seems to have been missed by a recent comment on this blog where I was chastised by one of those “brave” anonymous blog trolls who love to criticize others without offering any valuable insights or information.

Did you know we have our VERY OWN rv Repair business here in tok (several to be exact) and one i know of gives a LOCAL DISCOUNT. He can repair just about anything on an RV, including the water systems, which happens to be his specialty. (Black grey and potable). Shamefull, really, to take your business somewhere other than local when the economy could so clearly use the boost. Still promoting Tok? Doesn’t sound like it.

It all started when I mentioned we were bringing our RV and bikes to Fairbanks to be repaired. After asking around and looking around the community for an RV repair shop that was open this early in the season and that repaired RV flooring, we were directed to Fairbanks and other towns even further away.

Luckily, another blog reader commented with some very helpful and enlightening information about RV repair shops in Tok stepped up and filled me in. Of course, we had already dropped off our RV at Arctic RV in Fairbanks when I saw the message with instructions how to get in touch with an RV repair guy in Tok.

Willards is open year round (he does some RV work) and if he didnt want to do it he would have gotten you in touch with our shop, J Squared Enterprises & Tok RV Center, and we would have loved to do it when we open this coming Friday. We have signs in the window with our phone numbers and would have loved to set something up with you to fix it. We have repaired many RV’s floors and understand the linoleum cracks and peels in the cold. We are full service on and off site and our family lives here year round.

Had you talked to Chevron also, they would have steered you to us. Yes, our building may not be open yet, but my husband it wonderful at being able to work offisite and could have offered you an estimate. Should you want to contact us about your RV, please, dont hesitate to call us . Our number is on the door to the big white building across from the old burnt texaco. If you dont want to call us and want to talk in person, we are opening at 8am on May 1st. I think the other commentator was just wondering why you would want to drive it all the way to fairbanks when there are more than a few quality repair places here in Tok.

Definitely something to know for next time.

I still haven’t found a bike repair person or bike supply place in Tok. I know that some very talented people provide services locally, however, finding them is a huge challenge, especially when you ask around and even the locals are going elsewhere for certain products and services. So whose fault is it when a business in a small community isn’t marketing to community residents in a variety of ways?

Or how about reaching out to new arrivals in town with promotional material. When we first moved here, a number of people stopped by from various churches with baskets of flowers and other lovely gifts. Perhaps business owners can pay a small fee (donation to these churches) to include their business cards or brochures in a package along with the flowers or cookies? I’d certainly welcome a stack of business cards to obtain products locally or use local services.

It isn’t really hard to imagine a smaller community like Tok lacking in a number of services. I was floored, however, when we first arrived to learn that there wasn’t even a bookstore in town – that the one that my husband had shopped at a year ago went out of business recently. I wonder: do these kinds of businesses in this area close up because of lack of customers or lack of business savvy or desire to sustain or all of the above?

How can we better support our local businesses when we don’t know they exist–or better yet, how can we help market these businesses so more people know they exist?

Stopped into the Tok General Store for the first time – after picking up two days worth of mail from the Post Office. Note to self: Postman doesn’t bring the mail to your home anymore!

I love the Tok General Store! Francine, the proprietor, is a vegetarian (yes, in rural Alaska!) and has a thoughtfully selected array of veggie and healthy foods, condiments, and cooking products. I felt right at home seeing all the brand names I know and recognize. And her prices seemed incredibly reasonable, especially after seeing the heavily marked up prices on Costco-purchased goods at the grocery store.

Francine’s daughter is an artist. I’ll be sure to profile her on this blog soon. She makes lovely ceramics, and I was coveting one of her huge moose head paintings ($399). I’m determined to buy more art from Alaska artists and have a substantial collection in the next few years.

I’ll also see if Francine would like to be profiled. She was telling me about coming to Tok in ‘91 as a nurse at the clinic and then one day having the idea of opening a general store. She says she had no business experience but told her husband about the idea and he ran with it. The next thing she knew, she had a store. She has seen her ups and downs – the more recent down was an attempt to add a deli to her shop – but she just keeps going at it.

Now all she needs is a little espresso drink stand and some free wifi, and I’ll be hanging out there every day!

It says 40 below

Busy first day in Tok. Woke up to 40 degrees below. Moving van had a frozen engine so the movers were late getting to the house (ended up getting a heater and warming up the oil pan to get it started).

Fast Eddy's, Tok, Alaska

Went for breakfast at Fast Eddy’s but it was 11:30am and the kitchen had switched over to lunch. So had to get out of my “breakfast state of mind” and go for something else – salad bar. Then we headed to the grocery store – Three Bears Grocery – for eggs, milk, and such. All the cars and trucks were left running outside the store.

Three Bears, Tok, Alaska

We recently met the manager of the Costco on Dimond in Anchorage who said that Three Bears, by far, is their very best customer. We recognized many of the items on the shelves but not the prices. This isn’t your urban Costco, baby. Welcome to rural Alaska! Then it was to the Post Office to confirm our PO Box, get some change of address postcards (yes, I procrastinated on that one), and purchase some postcard stamps. Felt like we met half the town at the post office but that is pretty typical in a small town – everyone sees everyone at the post office.

Post Office, Tok, Alaska

And everyone sees everyone driving around town when they do get out of their houses and drive around. In fact, my husband’s friend who has lived in Tok for several years saw our truck at the post office and stopped in to say hello. Next we headed to the AP&T (Alaska Power and Telephone) offices to pick up my wireless modem for my DSL connection. Finally, we headed back to the house and it was already starting to get darker, and it wasn’t even 3pm.