#spanning most of the entire history of skating by sitting with the people who built it.

[bakermake]

BUCKY LASEK and JEFF GROSSO in LOVELETTERS TO SKATEBOARDING (2011-2021)

[bizprofben]

Paradise, California

Paradise, California, reduced to ash in deadly wildfire, was everything its name implies: charming, friendly and historic. Two of my best friends lived in Paradise since 1965, nestled in a valley between the Sierra Nevada and Coastal mountain ranges.

Here is a published article by the Associated Press.

By MARTHA MENDOZA - Associated Press

Friday, November 16th 2018, 09:56 am EDT

PARADISE, Calif. (AP) — There's a sweet legend about this town: On a blazing summer day in the 1850s, a lumber mill crew with wagon and ox took a break under a grove of tall evergreens. The air was cool, the pine needles fragrant. "Boys," said the team boss, "this is paradise."

Thus, more than 170 years ago, Paradise was born. From the start, it was enriched with gold mined from nearby hills and lumber harvested from the forests. Over generations, thousands lived and loved here; they built homes and businesses, schools and houses of worship, parks and museums that proudly honored Paradise's place in American history.

In a matter of hours last week, it all disappeared.

Nearly 9,000 homes. Hundreds of shops and other buildings. The Safeway supermarket. The hardware store. The Dolly-O-Donuts & Gifts, where locals started their day with a blueberry fritter and a quick bit of gossip.

This town of 27,000 literally went up in smoke in the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California history. The death toll, for now, is 63, but many more are missing. And memories are all that's left for many of the survivors.

Driving past the smoldering ruins of downtown, Patrick Knuthson, a 49-year-old, fourth-generation local, struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. He pointed out places that once were, and were no more: a saloon-style pub, his favorite Mexican restaurant, a classic California motel, the pawn shop, a real estate office, a liquor store, the thrift center and auto repair shop, the remodeled Jack in the Box burger outlet, entire trailer parks.

At the ruined Gold Nugget Museum, the ground was crunchy and hot, a few birds chirped nearby, and a half dozen soot-covered deer stood eerily still under a blackened tree.

Paradise was a town where families put down roots, and visitors opted to stay. Children could bike to the park, go fishing in the town pond, shoot bows and arrows at the nearby archery range. As they got older, they'd kayak in the canyons or hike in the forests after school.

"We could tell the kids to go outside and play, and be back when the street lights come on," said Kaitlin Norton, whose uncle is still missing. She does not know if her home still stands.

Like all places, Paradise had problems. There were issues with addiction and poverty, but residents felt safe. And while prices were rising, it was still affordable for many in a state where housing costs have soared.

"You would never miss a meal here," said Terry Prill, 63, who often sought lunch and dinner at community churches. "The people are good people. They don't look down at you."

The pace was relaxed. Neighbors waved to each other in the morning, shouting hello as they headed off to work on tree-lined, winding streets and cul-de-sacs. Families kept tidy gardens and planted vegetables, trading their bounty up and down the block.

Louise Branch, 93, says Paradise was a lovely place to retire. "It's a slow town, really. People have yards and dogs," she said. "I especially liked it in the fall when the trees are full of color."

Parks burst with bright orange California poppies and wildflowers in the spring, and soften with light snow in the winter. At 2,500 feet, on a ridge that rises above deep canyons carved by the Feather River and Butte Creek, Paradise offers cool respite from hot, dry weather in the valleys below.

Spanning the creek was the Honey Run Covered Bridge, built in 1886. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and was the only covered bridge in America with three unequal sections. It, too, is gone.

Glenn Harrington raised two sons in Paradise. He found it so picturesque he started the Visions of Paradise page on Facebook; image after image chronicles the town's history and spirit, its seasonal colors and its many festivals.

Each spring there were Gold Nugget Days, marking the discovery of a 54-pound lump in 1859. The Donkey Derby in nearby Old Magalia would get silly, as locals recreated how miners heaved the famous chunk of gold into town. The highlight was a parade of homemade floats.

"My daughter's going out for the Gold Nugget Queen this year," said Krystin Harvey, whose mobile home burned down. "Well, it's been going for 100 years, but we don't know — there's no town now."

In the fall they'd celebrate Johnny Appleseed days, gathering at the recreation center for a crafts fair and games. This is when Paradisians would feast on more than 1,000 pies baked with fruit from Noble Orchards, a nearly century-old farm on Paradise Ridge where trees were heavy with cherries, nectarines, pluots and 17 varieties of apples.

"Paradise is everything the name implies," said Tom Hurst, 67, who grew up there and raised horses at his 7-acre Outlaw's Roost ranch. He has relatives in the local cemetery dating back to the early 1900s, and he refuses to talk about the town in the past tense. In fact, some buildings still stand, among them the town hall, the 750-seat performing arts center, the Feather River Hospital, its newer sections damaged but intact.

"Don't use the word 'was,' use the word 'is,' because we ain't done, we're just getting restarted," Hurst said.

And yet, there's so much to mourn.

A month ago, the Paradise Symphony was rehearsing for the local "Nutcracker" ballet, and kids were pulling out their skates as the outdoor ice rink was set to open for the winter. The Paradise Post reported that fifth graders were building cardboard arcade games, and warned of backyard bats with rabies.

Now, crews search for live power lines and gas leaks. Rescue teams continue to pull human remains from cars and homes. Fire crews tamp out smoking piles, and a heavy layer of gray-brown haze hangs over the town.

The toxic, smoky air is a visceral reminder of what's missing in this place where the skies were so blue by day, and dark by night.

"The most cherished thing for me about Paradise were the summer nights my mother and I would sit out on the porch under the clear, starry night," said Harold Taylor, who moved to Paradise eight years ago, caring for his mother until she died.

Patrick Knuthson said visitors always were amazed by the glittering stars and the meteor showers, brilliant streaks of light that shot across the summer skies.

"We used to tell people all the time, 'We made sure to turn all of them on for you,' " he said. "It's going to take a long time to get that back."

___

Associated Press journalists Jocelyn Gecker contributed from San Francisco and Gillian Flaccus contributed from Paradise.

___

[popofventi]

Ventipop #233 :: Kinky Karma, Nordic Noir & The Prison Inside Me

"We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever."  -- Sagan

HERE ARE THE MOST INTERESTING, HUMOROUS AND INSPIRING THINGS I FOUND ON THE NET THIS WEEK. IF YOU ENJOY, IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF YOU WOULD HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT VENTIPOP AND SHARE WITH A FRIEND.

Joy To The World

SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TO VENTIPOP THIS WEEK:

BRYAN JAMISON, LAYDON MCGUIRE, EDNA SIGORSKY, ANTNY HARRISON & LISA MCCADE

It’s A Small World After All

South Korea - For the past five years, a mock prison facility in Hongcheon, South Korea, has been locking up paying “inmates” for brief stays in simple cells where mobile devices are prohibited, talking with other participants is not allowed, and no clocks can be found. Welcome to The Prison Inside Me

Ancient Rome - "Evidence from an archaeological dig has found," wrote Telegraph science correspondent Richard Alleyne in 2012, "that legionnaires wore socks with sandals" — ancient Roman legionnaires, that is. "Rust on a nail from a Roman sandal found in newly discovered ruins in North Yorkshire appears to contain fibres which could suggest that a sock-type garment was being worn."

Japan - In Japan, the swastika still appears on maps and buildings, in its original unflipped form, as a way of designating a variety of positive meanings including good luck, prosperity, and eternity. For Westerners, the swastika induces feelings of disgust and remorse; the tacit acknowledgement that we must not let evil consume us again. Japan is the host country for the 2020 Olympics. Should Japan modify how it culturally displays swastikas before taking the world stage? The debate is on.

"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee."  -- Abraham Lincoln

Snaps & Buckles & Things

Years ago, I was working in a dive shop when this little old lady with a British accent came into the store and asked if I could direct her to the craft store located in the same shopping center. I told her where it was and after a brief back and forth, she thanked me and in her thickest Hogwart’s sounding accent said this very line: “Well, I’m off for some snaps & buckles & things”. I’ve been quoting it ever since. Sometimes it’s ok if you’re the only one that gets the joke. After all, if you can’t make the audience in your head laugh, it’s gonna be a long, lonely life. Now, “snaps & buckles & things” are the links to the small stories that also make me laugh.

Instant Karma Gonna Get You - Jerk tries to drive through giant snowman not realizing it was built on a tree stump

Poorly Researched Men’s Fiction by McSweeney’s Evan Allgood

PopQuiz, Hotshot! - How Open Minded Are You? (I’m radically open minded!)

If you scored high on the quiz above, you may be happy to hear your partner probably wants a kinkier sex life

TV’s The Office helped a Tucson, Arizona man with the last name Scott save a woman’s life

Strangest Reader Submission of the Week :: Thanks Reader Tony Clayton for submitting The Cleverlys performing “Gangham Style”.

I will sing nothing else all week.

"I don't really go out at all."  -- Jack Kerouac

Culture Vulture

Design - I had no idea my family room was Nordic Noir until I read Tiffany Lewis’ nice piece about 2019 trends in interior design over on Spacify.com.

Science - A fascinating new study claims to link gum disease as the root cause of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Goods - It’s a date! Check out this scrolling calendar that spans an entire decade. Check out more of our favorite goods here.

Food & Drink - Non-Alcoholic bars are a thing, but how do they work?

Travel - If you’re both an avid traveler and a social media influencer (not to mention somewhat of a cheap skate), Amtrak Is Searching for Travel-Lovers to Ride Its Most Scenic Train Routes for Free

Books - I’m in a literary lighter fare mood lately. Currently, I’m reading Dry by Neal & Jarrod Shusterman. It’s a true story about what happened when we all ran out of water. I also recently finished The Bomb Maker by Thomas Perry. I recommend both if you’re looking for a book that’s both entertaining and fast moving. Get more book recommendations here.

Recommendations

True Crime TV :: 3 Excellent docs To Watch

1) The Staircase :: Streaming on Netflix - Accident or murder? Author Michael Peterson claims to find his wife’s bloody body at the bottom of the staircase inside their home. The police arrive and immediately become suspicious. The events of this documentary take place between the years of 2001 and 2018. I couldn’t decide the entire time watching this doc whether or not the accused, Michael Peterson, was someone I should feel sorry for or someone I should be scared to death of.

2) Making A Murderer, Season 2 :: Streaming On Netflix - Like everyone else who watched the first season of Making A Murderer, I was pissed off on behalf of the accused. I thought the defense team did a pretty decent job on behalf of Steven Avery, but he was convicted despite their efforts due to a corrupt justice system in the state of Wisconsin. However, after watching an even more infuriating season two of the series, Avery’s new attorney, Kathleen Zellner makes it clear just how incompetent Avery’d defense team were and presents a very logical alternative explanation to the crime and those involved in the ongoing coverup.

3) The Jinx :: Streaming on HBO - This is one of the craziest docs you will ever watch. The story delves into the strange history of real estate heir Robert Durst, long suspected in the still-unsolved 1982 disappearance of his wife as well as the subsequent murders of family friend Susan Berman and neighbor Morris Black. It features an extended, revealing interview with Durst himself. He’s hard not to watch. The final moments of this doc are guaranteed to leave you sitting there with your mouth agape.

Some Long Reads

Some private colleges are doing the unthinkable: Slashing Tuition Prices

"Fox will always be best known for his Back to the Future films and his other acting roles — that's only natural. But his most important legacy is the Fox Foundation, the model it created, and the hope it has given to people who have Parkinson's disease." Joe Nocera in Bloomberg: The Michael J. Fox Foundation Gets Results

2019 Seems like the perfect year to begin using a search engine that does not track you. Nothing Can Stop Google. DuckDuckGo Is Trying Anyway

I used to go into people’s homes for a living as well, so I totally related to this story: I Was A Cable Guy. I Saw The Worst Of America.

Aeon - The Marvel of the Human Dad

Check out more Long Reads in our Mental Yoga Archive

Encore :: New Songs We Love This Week featuring new songs by Over The Rhine, Jenny Lewis, Florence + The Machine, Lady Lamb, Phoebe Bridgers, Conor Oberst & More

Ventipop #233

-xxx-