For Rocklin, times they are a-changin'

The birth of 2006, another new year, reminds me of lyrics to "The Times They are A-Changin'," penned by Bob Dylan in 1964. His observation about society was how it was morphing into a new era. So is Rocklin. The first verse of his song says: "Come gather 'round people wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown. And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth savin' then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin.'"Before you know it, the year will be gone like the defunct cabooses we once counted at the end of the trains that passed through here. I grew up here in a home along Front Street, before Sunset Whitney became a reality. Each time new businesses opened on Granite Drive, Whitney Boulevard and newer areas like Stanford Ranch Road, it seemed the area I call "Rocklin proper" around Pacific and Front streets, as well as Rocklin Road and Midas Avenue, seemed to shrivel like an old apple. It merely served as a roadway to extended parts of Rocklin.Now this city is nose to nose with Lincoln, Granite Bay, Roseville and Loomis. The past five decades have included a few weak efforts to beautify outdated homes, storefronts and street signs along what had been the heart of the city. But, some aging sages who know the value of preserving the past to enhance the future - the Rocklin Historical Society, City Council, founding families and longtime residents - had the wisdom to make provision for the revitalization of "Rocklin proper." Through them, funding for this undertaking was set aside many years ago and became part of the city's General Plan. Obviously the buildings and businesses destroyed by a fire in 1914, most of the thriving portion of the city, won't be rebuilt. But the original St. Mary's Catholic Church was saved and now rests where a new train "depot" and offices are being completed. A few older buildings that survived the flames will frame and complement the new station, which is architecturally designed to reflect the earlier years of Rocklin. From what I understand there will be restored photos and artifacts of the city's past available for viewing at the station as well as the existing Rocklin Historical Museum on Rocklin Road.The revitalization will afford me opportunities to spend more time in downtown Rocklin. Perhaps I'll once again wave to engineers as they move freight trains along the railroad tracks, but I'll not be in my front yard playing or walking to school. I'll be seated in a coffee shop in the train station or taking visitors on a tour of St. Mary's.In this particular case, history can't be repeated. But it can be retold and appreciated.The last verse of Dylan's song serves as a warning:"The line it is drawn, the curse it is castThe slow one now will later be fast.As the present now will later be past, The order is rapidly fadin'.And the first one now will later be last For the times they are a-changin'."You see, time is the culprit, so we have to be wise. What will the future fathers of Rocklin do to keep its legacy alive? Happy 2006, it will be gone in a moment.- Brenda Meadows is a reporter and columnist for the Placer Herald. She can be reached at brendam@goldcountrymedia.com.