Editor’s note: I came across this article on the internet. It was published in The Union in 1998. LOL at the Todd Juvinall mention, among others.
“Liberal Nevada County in the Year 2008 Published Saturday, June 13, 1998
“Judging from the June election, the voters want new elected officials who confront and solve problems instead of posturing and whining about them.
“Good! The liberal perspective is that government is the best mechanism for solving problems private enterprise can’t or won’t handle. Conservatives want to reduce the size of government, but they are solving the wrong problem. It’s not too much government – it’s bad government.
“Last night I dreamed I saw a copy of The Union, dated 6/14/08, ten years in the future. I was amazed at the progress we had made by combining liberal thinking with government involvement. Here are a few of the items that appeared:
“Note: all of the newsmakers in my dream are imaginary. Any resemblance to anyone we currently know would be purely, absolutely, impossibly coincidental.
“General Plan. The new General Plan has met with widespread approval. It allows the creation of 20 “enclaves,” Nevada City-sized towns, each with no more than 3000 people. These villages are a little like the gold mining camps of the 1800’s. The plan calls for low traffic, many commercial services, no garish signs, and sheriff’s mini-substations.
“Housing. Ex-president Jimmy Carter came to Nevada County yesterday to honor builder Todd Juvinall for his innovations in residential housing. Juvinall’s latest development comprises two hundred 1000 square foot homes. Juvinall’s highly-unconventional project is located in the forest and hides the houses from each other and the street. It includes paths and parks, and relegates parking and storage to common facilities.
“Juvinall said, ‘The size is right for new buyers. The homes are affordable, made of space-age materials, energy efficient, and completely wired for satellite and internet communications. I’m grateful to the County for waiving all those unnecessary mitigation fees.’
“New industry. When the county finally funded the Economic Resource Council at a realistic level, it was inevitable that it would attract six major corporations to the area. As a result, housing sales are up, and unemployment and welfare cases are at all-time lows.
“Infrastructure. Construction begins tomorrow on the Gold Center Monorail, a federally-funded high-speed electric transport system, running from Washington to Lake of the Pines, with branches to Lake Wildwood and North San Juan.
“Crime. Grass Valley Police Chief Jerrod Johnson stated that crime was “virtually non-existent” in the city, citing as reasons the high level of prosperity, youth programs, senior patrol, and numerous beat officers.
“Media. Beginning July 1st, 2008, The Union will stop printing on paper, and will be delivered daily via the internet. Publisher John Walker said, “We use no paper or ink, can deliver more news and let people can react to the news instantly through discussion groups. Also, our advertisers like to use animation, music and film clips in their ads. Television can’t match us, as we have a local perspective, depth in reporting, better ads and interactivity.”
Barry Schoenborn is a technical writer, and a ten-year resident of Nevada County.
“The rest of the article is here.
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