No Sense of History in Potterville

There used to be several Victorian Era houses in Potterville. They were torn down for stores and a car lot.

There was a Carnegie Library in Potterville, a park (at least) stands in its place.

The downtown was converted into a Mall at one point; a business disaster with huge cooling bills during the summer. A few years ago the roof was taken off, leaving a "promenade" that has absolutely nothing of the old town in it.

Not that the old town was that great. It was called "Poverty Flats" before Redding. But, it was my hometown, my Eatons Drug Store, the Five and Dime; etc.

The Cascade Theater was saved, and is thriving as a cultural center.

But the rest of "downtown" is being lost, despite valiant efforts by mostly those under forty. The local Costco, that is on the other side of the river, but centrally located, is scheduled to move far north of the city center. It will have gas pumps, at a discount to Costco members, promising to drive the downtown further into decline.

In short, Potterville has no sense of history, nor of common sense. Right when oil prices are going up, and will stay up, Potterville spreads more and more.

But, with the Tea Party holding a majority on the City Council, what more would you expect.

Now, one of the most historic buildings in Potterville, Shasta Learning Center, is being considered to be renamed after a nine year former Superintendent. Potterville had at least two other educational leaders of its high schools, with far longer reigns and accomplishments, but never mind, Potterville's historical perspective is about twenty years long.

Its outlook into the future is about six months long.

So, with literally thousands of Shasta High graduates who graduated from a school with magnificent columns, a true architectural treasure, plans are underway to take Shasta off the face of the building, and name it after a Superintendent who was in the district for a few years.

And, are your ready for this, before he was Superintendent, he was Principal of Enterprise, Shasta's arch rival!

That's right, the powers that be are considering renaming the old Shasta High Building, after the Principal of Enterprise.

It would be like renaming Stanford's Hoover Tower, the University of California Tower.

I live in Potterville, where there is no sense of history, where there is no perspective of the future, and where we are slowly sinking into oblivion.