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Paradise, California

image located by Ivan Sache, 15 April 2007

Flag Description
Seal

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Flag Description

"Paradise is located in Butte County in Northern California. Nestled at about 2.000 ft. elevation in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we are noted for our tall pines trees and blue skies. The Paradise area includes the communities of Magalia, Paradise Pines, Lovelock, Stirling City and Inskip. Johnny Appleseed Days which is celebrated in October and Gold Nugget Days, which is celebrated each April, are favorite times for locals to remember our rich history. The Paradise Ridge was originally inhabited by the Maidu Indians who lived here for perhaps 10,000 years before the arrival of white settlers. The onset of the Gold Rush brought miners from around the world. The largest gold nugget ever found in California was discovered in the town of Magalia in 1859, which weighed an amazing 54 pounds, of which 49.5 ounces were pure gold. After the gold rush slowed, the Paradise area continued to thrive as an agricultural area and a stop over for weary stagecoach travelers to Susanville and Nevada. The 1880 census put the population at 301. Today, the Paradise Ridge is home to nearly 40,000 people and continues to grow as more visitors discover this beautiful, friendly town with its breathtaking scenery and fresh air."
Source: Town website

In "The Chico Enterprise Recorder", 1 February 2007, Roger H. Aylworth reports the launching of a contest for a town flag:
"[...] "We have an approved town seal, but we've never had a town flag," explained Town Manager Chuck Rough. "Many cities do have (flags) but we never have," he continued. In order to spur the creation of a community flag, Paradise is sponsoring a contest with a $200 prize for the winning design. The contest is open to all Paradise residents and to any student attending school in the Paradise Unified School District.
[...]
All entries have to be in no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 12. When the potential flags are all in, the Town Council members will judge the entries.
[...]
Rough said the new flag will be "unveiled" on the same day Paradise Community Park is dedicated.
[...]
When the flag is chosen it will fly over all Paradise town facilities. "This will be our flag for time immemorial," said the town manager. Source: http://www.chicoer.com/newshome/ci_5131291.
Ivan Sache, 5 February 2007

Ryan Olson, in "The Chico Enterprise Record", 11 April 2007, reports the final decision on the flag:
"Butte Creek Canyon. Trees. White clouds lining a blue sky. Glenn Harrington's take on these familiar symbols of Paradise will soon find its way onto the town's flagpoles. On Tuesday, the Paradise Town Council selected Harrington's bold design from two other finalists to be the town's official flag.
[...]
The design eschews words or specific symbols of the ridge, opting for symbolic takes on Paradisian images running horizontally across the banner. A red ribbon running along the bottom symbolizes the ridge atop of which run bands of green trees, white clouds and blue sky.
[...]
Vice Mayor Scott Lotter cast the lone vote against the winning design because the word "Paradise" doesn't appear on the flag. He said nearly all city flags from the League of California Cities include a municipality's name or a city seal. Mayor Steve "Woody" Culleton said the committee reviewing the designs researched a online study and survey of 50 state flags. The more popular, well-regarded designs excluded words or seals. Lotter dismissed the study, noting anyone can post their opinions online. Many councilors noted words are often hard to read from a distance, and people will likely notice Harrington's design atop a flagpole.
[...]
The town will take Harrington's design and have a graphic designer prepare a final version suitable for printing. It will cost up to $2,500 to produce 20 flags, according to a staff report. As the winner, Harrington will receive a $250 prize donated from the community."

Ivan Sache, 15 April 2007

Seal

image located by Ivan Sache, 5 February 2007

The seal of Paradise is shown on the municipal website.
Ivan Sache, 5 February 2007

At http://www.townofparadise.com the circular seal consists of a thick outer ring in black containing the words 'TOWN OF PARADISE CALIFORNIA' written in white block lettering around the top. At the bottom of the outer ring, in the 5 and 7 o'clock positions respectively, are two small red balls, while at the bottom of the outer ring is the word 'INCORPORATED' and a date in miniscule illegible white block lettering. The central image consists of a white disc, on which is placed a redwood tree proper. Behind the tree is a gray triangular shaped mountain with a blue pinnacle; the top of the tree and the pinnacle both being circled by a gray halo (perhaps a canting reference to the name of the town!). Beneath this image, at the very bottom of the white disc, there appears to be a town motto, but both the script and the wording are too small for me to distinguish any details.
Ron Lahav, 29 March 2005

The Town seal was adopted by Town Ordinance in May, 1983, which then became a part of our Municipal Code. It was designed by a graphic artist in Town after many submissions for consideration by citizens within the Town. That person has long since retired and moved to Arizona. I am going to quote the description of our Town Seal from the Municipal Code as I did not come to work as the City Clerk until 1984.
"A circle of not less than one and three fourth inches in diameter with the following inscription thereon near the edge of the stamping and embossing part thereof: "TOWN OF PARADISE, CALIFORNIA" in the upper edge and "INCORPORATED NOVEMBER 27, 1979" between two acorns at the bottom; within which and occupying the center circle is a pyramid encompassed by a halo, the left side of which depicts trees, the right snowcapped and forested mountains, below which waving lines represent water under which is written "In Harmony with Nature".

We do not have a Town flag. Also, at incorporation the citizens decided that we would be called a Town and not a City even though there is not legal difference. Our population is currently approximately 27,000.
Frankie Rutledge, Town Clerk, 6 April 2005