Tourists walk onto our streets every day taking advantage of what Selma and Dallas County have to offer.

The travelers are not only looking for the sights and sounds of Selma but also for information about the different attractions.

There are already a couple of information sites that are readily available to help those who are not familiar with the area, such as the Visitor’s Information Center and the Center for Commerce.

Now there is one more institution that will provide the necessary information for travelers looking for civil rights attractions.

The friends of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Association have scheduled to open an office on August 6.

The office will have an open house where the public can view the amenities that will be offered to the welcomed visitors who will soon find out what the office has to offer.

The office will include a historical data bank collection and a youth history lab.

This is just another way to educate not only Selma’s visitors, but also the citizens of our community.

They will be able to search for people, places and events that were affiliated with the movement.

But more than that, people will get a feel for the people, places and events so crucial to what made the movement the monument we know today. A number of sites associated with the movement already edge towards obscurity; this office plans on gathering data on places such as the Walker Cafe and Good Samatarian Hospital to ensure they don’t disappear.

According to association secretary Tina Price, the office doesn’t have any written documentation on those two sites along with several others.

But it will with our help.

We feel the new office will be a healthy addition to a town already rich in history. Come August 6 Selma will host the association’s physical address complete with staff and equipment.

And we couldn’t be happier.