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Happy 40th Birthday Town of Paradise

Dennis Ivey

November 27, 2019, marked the town’s 40th birthday. Bill retired in 2001, but he’s still around. He went on to
Under any other circumstances, the day would have been fame as the town’s very own Willy Wonka and owner
celebrated by elected officials and community dignitaries. of Joy Lyn’s Candy. He’s not sure what happened to the
Something would have been said at a Town Council meet- bear.
ing, or posted on the town’s website, or shared on social
media. But this birthday has gone relatively unnoticed. Al McGreehan, long-serving Planning and Community
Development Director has a bear story of his own. Al
The community’s attention has been focused on marking spins it this way:
the one-year anniversary of the historically catastrophic
wild fire that decimated the Town of Paradise and the “I started my tenure with the town of Paradise in 1986. The
surrounding communities of Magalia, Concow, and Butte town was then only in its 7th year as a self-governing munici-
Creek Canyon. Rightly so. The loss was unprecedented pality. I remember that in the early days, the town was operat-
and the recovery efforts are Herculean. Still, milestone ing on inherited rules and regulations. That made everyone’s
birthdays, even those that fall in the shadow of tragic life more difficult. One particular rule called for a formal public
events, can be acknowledged and celebrated, even if in hearing for anyone wanting to start a home-based business.
a low-keyed way. Milestone birthdays are occasions to Such was the case in late 1987, when an elderly woman wanted
reminisce. They are an opportunity to dream about the to continue making and selling teddy bears from the comfort
next 10, 20, 40 years. With that in mind, I’ve asked a few of her home. I scheduled a public hearing after completing the
longtime town employees to weigh in with some memo- paperwork and held the hearing in my office. Attendance was
rable moments from the last 40 years. The lighter side of sparse, except for the business owner and her entire inventory
the town’s history, if you will. of stuffed bears. The Teddy Bear Lady of Paradise set up and
displayed an array of six or seven themed teddy bears, each one
The early years saw the town grab some national head- staring, no glaring, directly at me.”
lines when Richard Crabtree, then in his early 20s, was
sworn in as Mayor, making him the youngest mayor in You need to know that Al is totally serious when it comes
the country. Who can forget Alice Smith’s second tour to official business like public hearings. But in this case,
of duty on the Town Council? She was well into her 90s it was all he could do to keep a straight face as the row of
when she was selected by her peers to serve as Mayor. bears stared him down. The fact that several of his staff
Then there’s the story of another mayor who wanted to peeked in on the hearing and did little to disguise their
build a toll booth on Skyway and charge Upper Ridge hilarious reactions didn’t help. Al goes on to say that the
residents a couple of bucks to drive through town. Budget permit was approved and that he later changed the rules
friendly--yes. Neighborly--not so much. for home business permits. One close encounter with a
mob of teddy bears was enough for Al. He retired from
While myth and legend are part of any community’s full-time duty in 2011, but returned to help his former
story, it’s the day-to-day reality of running a city where department in the wake of the 2018 Camp Fire.
memories are made. Just ask now-retired Paradise Police
Sergeant Bill Hartley. Bill joined Paradise PD in 1981 as Jim Broshears, longtime member of the Paradise Fire
one of the department’s original hires. Bill relates the Department, remembers the intense political struggle to
details of one of his more dangerous and memorable incorporate. For Jim, Paradise Fire, and Ridge residents,
encounters: the incorporation effort had to succeed if the fire depart-
ment had any hopes of surviving. Fast forward to No-
“It was 1995; I received a report of a suspicious person sitting in vember 1979. The voters approved the formation of the
a parked car near the front of a house. The caller relayed that the Town of Paradise. Now the work really began. Jim recalls
person had been sitting in the car for hours. I responded, located this memory from those early days:
the car, and confirmed that indeed a person was sitting in the
front seat, just as the caller claimed. It was a large teddy bear “Beginning in November 1979, the police department had to
wearing sunglasses and taking up most of the passenger seat.” hire and train officers and dispatchers. The town had to be ready
The car and the suspicious stuffed bear belonged to a guest to provide services on July 1, 1980. Without an existing police
of the caller’s neighbor. Bill adds, “The caller and I enjoyed a station to work from, the Paradise PD placed a mobile home
good laugh when I told her the suspicious person was Yogi.” next to Fire Station No.1 to serve as headquarters. Dispatch
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