Little Town Blues: Voices from the Changing West

Ringholz ( Uranium Frenzy ) had a good idea: to document the growth and commercialization of small towns in the West. She focuses on three towns: Moab, Utah, which is on the cusp of change; Sedona, Ariz., which is filling with ``retirees, artists and New Agers''; and Jackson Hole, Wyo., which has been almost wholly transformed from cow town to tourist resort. However, Ringholz apparently visited each town only briefly, and her account suffers from disorganization and needless detail (such as a list of Sedona notables who headed a local art center). Her style becomes more tolerable when she presents an overview of the issues of economic and social transition, talking to reminiscing old-timers and resentful Native Americans, and discussing such problems as the strain on public services resulting from population increases. She concludes that each of these towns should adopt a ``customized-growth'' philosophy, which takes into account a locality's unique geography and population, and develop a master plan for the future, but she acknowledges that such plans have often been ignored by residents lured by the promise of individual profit. Photos not seen by PW. (May)