by Shelley Bennett
I love Susanville. I truly do. I love the people, having four seasons, being both away from the hustle and bustle of a city but not too far if you need something. I love living close to the mountains and beautiful lakes and seeing the stars light up the night.
I love that my phone will tell me that “traffic is light” before I start my 2-minute commute to work in the morning. I especially love that whenever something obscure comes up, I can text or call a friend of a friend of my cousin’s neighbor and find a solution.
But…and this is a big but…I feel that Susanville has lost its identity. Or maybe even never had a distinct one to begin with.
At one time, banners on Main Street proudly proclaimed that we were the “Land of the Neversweats”, which I guess technically we were, but many didn’t know what that meant.
We’ve also been known as a “Prison Town, USA” thanks to a series on PBS. This seemed to be true at the time, but did we really want that to be our identity?
Now there is a new sign with a new slogan: “More Nature. Less Traffic.” Also, technically true, but how are we capitalizing on that?
A slogan can’t be a slogan without community buy-in.
During the summer of 2006, my kids and I were on an adventure to meet friends at Eagle Lake. Our 4-Runner was packed full with water gear, extra clothes, ice chests, and three car seats. As we drove up Main Street, I could see that preparation for the Main Cruise were underway.
The street had been newly paved and painted, the storefronts were spic-n-span, and brightly-colored classic cars were being pulled into their spots. My son Jacob, six at the time, made an observation that uptown looked very nice. As I nodded, he asked me, “Mom, is Susanville the best dang town in America?”
I laughed and readily agreed with him. Yes, Susanville is the best dang town in America.
Maybe with that slogan, we could get somewhere. How do you make a town the “best”? I think you have to nurture and care for what you have, fix what is broken, and look for opportunities to bring in what is missing.
Last summer, I was full of hope for Susanville. Rumors swirled about the Blue Ox Bistro moving to town, a new owner of the St. Francis, and a possible purchase of the Sierra Theatre by the Susanville Symphony. I imagined the possibilities, maybe got a little too optimistic thinking about the uptown I remember from my childhood.
Currently, I am disheartened to hear that the city and the symphony couldn’t work out a deal and the rubble that was the St. Francis will continue to be an eyesore. It sounds like the Farmer’s Market will be relocated next summer and the beloved Book Nook needs some serious repairs.
One thing we can all do is to continue to support our small, local businesses, like the Blue Ox, which is thriving in uptown. They’ve recently opened a bakery a few doors down and are adding a full-on ice cream parlor at the bistro location.
Another is to attend community events when they happen. Susanville’s annual Main Cruise kicks off this Friday with a mixer at the Diamond Mt. Casino starting at 5:30. The fun continues on Saturday at Memorial Park 11:00-4:00 with a classic car show, food, and other vendors.
I wish that I had all the answers, but I only have a few good ideas. I also have a concern for my hometown. A place that I love. A place that is dang good, but could be the best.
Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that might be newsworthy, please submit it to [email protected] and I’ll do my best to include it here in “The Good Stuff.”
