Some Colfax residents and business representatives were shocked by the posters in shop windows around town last spring, which solicited attendance at the open forum meeting held on Wednesday, March 21 at Camp 20 Coffee House.

"Colfax is not a Ghost Town!" they exclaimed.

But the shocking headline worked. Forty-five business owners, merchants, residents and city officials met to discuss issues of concern, including the alarming rate of business closures in Colfax.

A variety of ideas were presented at the meeting, which was hosted by the Colfax Area Chamber of Commerce (CACC), and the concerns of the community were noted. The question is, what can be done?

I hope the answer is "plenty."

Since March, the chamber board has reviewed these ideas and concerns. Teams have been assigned to the areas for which the Chamber can have a direct impact or be most effective in finding a solution.

Some of these areas include:

l Tourism and the Marketing of Colfax

A strong and healthy business community attracts local customers as well as visitors and tourists. The chamber sees as its mission "to foster economic growth and to ad-vance the commercial, industrial and civic well-being of the community through a strong and expanding business base."

It is unlikely that Colfax retail stores, which rely completely on our local customer base, can survive. Most successful Colfax retail establishments entice visitor trade. It is im-perative that Colfax-as a whole-attract the visitor dollar. The chamber has taken this task very seriously with a strong commitment of re-sources to the task of sustaining a long-term marketing campaign and by continuing to host the Visitor Center.

Investment in a long-term marketing campaign will yield a constant stream of tourist dollars and will have the greatest impact and potential for economic growth and stability. The chamber, working in conjunction with the Placer County Visitor Council, is in a position to pool local business resources and to realize this long-term marketing goal. Details of the campaign will be discussed at the chamber's "Colfax Revisited" follow-up meeting later this month.

l Establishing a Colfax Identity

Colfax has an identity. It just needs better marketing. Many of the businesses in Colfax already use this identity in the name of their stores, logos and marketing material. That identity is the railroad. While not completely unique, it is easily recognizable and has the potential to be a powerful draw. In cooperation with the Colfax Area Histor-ical Society, Placer Sierra Railroad Heritage Society and other civic organizations, the chamber plans to nurture a very special annual event. "Railroad Days, a Founders' Day Celebration" will be held this year on Sept. 29.

l Exposure for established business and the entrepreneur

Special events, such as festivals, are important. Visitors to Colfax have a good time and think about returning later for recreation or for a nice meal. The events also give "locals" pride in this community. Festivals are typically most beneficial to the shops directly within the event boundaries for the few days of the event.

The chamber is committed to providing advertising and marketing support for local special events. Events are posted on the organization's Web page at www.colfaxarea.com, fed to weekly KNCO radio announcements and published in the monthly chamber newsletter.

Chamber members are also entitled to advertising rate discounts in selected local publications.

The chamber has re-instituted several regular networking opportunities. Dates for both the monthly Greater Good breakfasts and the every-other-month mixers are posted on www.colfaxarea.com. In addition, Sept. 29 is the date for the Colfax Area Business Fair. Held in conjunction with "Railroad Days, a Founders' Day Celebration," very competitive booth rates will encourage our local home businesses to come into town for a day and "strut their stuff."

I have heard disgruntled shop owners in town ask the question, "What does the Chamber do for me?" My answer is, to paraphrase the famous JFK quote, "Ask not what your chamber can do for you but what you can do for your community." Every membership in the chamber strengthens our community - not just individual members - by supporting Colfax marketing efforts.

I invite you to attend the next open forum meeting, to be held at Shang Garden Restaurant on Wednesday, July 25, at 6:30 p.m. We will discuss the points above - and more - at this followup meeting, "Colfax Revisited." Make reservations by calling 346-8888.

And oh yes, it's a little ironic; Camp 20 Coffee House has closed its doors since we met there last March.

Rebecca Martinez is a local business owner (Blue Cat Studio) and a Colfax Area Chamber of Commerce director.