Historic uptown Susanville’s Pancera Plaza looks a little prettier today, thanks to a collaborative effort by the City of Susanville’s Public Works department, local volunteers, and family-owned businesses.
Jill and Randy Robbins own the building at 800 Main Street next to the Gay Street plaza, a vibrant space used heavily for outdoor community events throughout the summer. The building houses Jill Robbins’ legal office in one half and Randy Robbins’ Thousand Windows Gallery in the other.
Wanting to refresh the uptown atmosphere, the couple picked out new hanging flower baskets to replace the aging ones that decorate the plaza each year, with Mrs. Robbins personally selecting and purchasing the blooms to get the project moving.
On Monday, once the flowers were secured, a dedicated group of community members and city staff gathered to plant and hang them. The volunteer crew brought together Miss Lassen County Kaylee Micone and Ambassadress Delilah Heard, alongside Susanville Mayor Mendy Schuster. The entire effort was coordinated by uptown merchant David Teeter, owner of Margie’s Book Nook, who worked closely to bridge the logistics between the Robbins family, city leadership, and Alex McElrath and Marci Rojas from the City’s Public Works Department.
City Administrator Dan Newton confirmed that the City is reimbursing the Robbins family for the full cost of the flowers, and he extended a warm thank you to the couple for donating their valuable time to help plant and place them.
The project highlights the incredible impact that small, grassroots initiatives can have on a community’s pride and appearance. Teeter noted that this is exactly how public-private partnerships are supposed to work, calling it a small, quick and efficient effort that started on Friday and wrapped up completely by Monday.
The Robbins family was equally thrilled to participate in the uptown face-lift. Randy Robbins shared that they love being right on the plaza, and because Jill is a huge fan of flowers, they jumped on the opportunity the moment Teeter called rallying support. He added that the project wouldn’t have happened without Teeter’s coordination with the city, noting that it really doesn’t take much to beautify the town and encouraging everyone to try it.
Mayor Schuster echoed those sentiments, praising the distinct community spirit that drove the project to a successful completion. She expressed her gratitude to Jill and Randy Robbins for securing the lovely flowers, as well as to everyone who helped plant, hang, and care for them, stating that it is truly people like this who make the Susanville community special.
Next time you are in historic uptown, be sure to take a stroll by the Gay Street plaza to enjoy the beautiful new blooms!
