History is not a Commercial

In 2006, John Curtis was complicit with the City of Martinez and its development agenda in stating the Sharkey Building (630 Court) was not historic. They did no research, nothing. But simply because Curtis fell in the role of historic society president, he has been given the license to make edicts about history that have nothing to do with facts. In fact, Curtis told the Main Street Association of the time that because rehabilitating the Sharkey Building seemed to him economically unfeasible, that it should not be found historic. Curtis also flagrantly lended the “opinion” which somehow the City of Martinez has declared is superior to real research, that the bricks on the Sharkey building were added in the 1960s. A citizen and an expert refuted that on the State level. Now, Curtis has a 1930 photo of Main Street–replete with the Sharkey Building and its current bricks, as his facebook cover photo. And yet, he will not allow the Sharkey Building nomination to be in the historic society.

Then, there is RCD. What Curtis did with that, and history, and reporting, is so intense and disgusting–there’s no room emotionally or intellectually to explain all of that here. However, if the true history of the Shoreline District had been properly researched and Curtis and Blachman read about and then were true to the purpose of a Federal 106 survey (necessary for all HUD undertakings), there would have been an EIR. How wretched that people who are willing to compromise history simply get these volunteer positions and then get rewarded in some way for lying about history. There is a special hell for these people. For those of us that care about such things, we continue doing for history what we know how to do best…despite this. Trying to explain this to a public that is far more interested in what parties it gets invited to is useless. People who care will continue to care with the best of their spiritual and intellectual ability.