Heard&learned at the boardwalk celebration last night

Photos and notes. Updates Sept 19 & 20 - Give-o-Meter photo, a nice Boardwalk story in today's Union, some fact-tracking. I will suggest a Sustainability Team website with FAQ since there appears to be confusion on some points, particularly the probation period (details below).

"Thursday night after the San Francisco Mime Troupe performance, the whole town was dead, except for this one spot - and it was local people."

"We've passed an anti-loitering ordinance, and now we've built a place to loiter."

Note: I haven't fact-checked any of this (and remember, quoting someone accurately doesn't magically make what they said true, & there seems to be a lot of confusion on some points, particularly the probation period (60 days? 2 years? 6 months?), so if you see errors, please sing out so I can correct them.

The boardwalk was done by the Nevada City Sustainability Team - of many projects planned, "this is the first one out of the gate."- Reinette

The planned bike rack will "seat" 12, and will be protected by bollards. (From APPT listserv, add'l details: "...leaning towards an inverted U style... want a home grown version..." - )

The project is on probation, though for how long depends on who you ask. It's through February, according to The Union (Sept 20&Aug 30). I thought I'd read somewhere that the boardwalk was to have a 60-day probation period, but Reinette told me no, it's 2 years.
(Chris R. at The Union explains, "It depends who you ask. City manager contends it is a 1 year pilot program; City Council member Reinette Senum says two-years pilot, but it is tentatively set for re-evaluation at a February 2012 council meeting. However, the consensus seems to be that if something goes horribly wrong, the plug can be pulled at any point.")
From Reinette's celebratory announcement, my understanding is that the redwood lumber, which looks new, is actually recycled & resurfaced. She also said ( if I recall correctly, I didn't record it) that (not counting donated effort&materials) the total cost was $1800, raised by raffle tickets, which would come out to about 59 cents per Nevada City resident. (The Union, Sept 15: $1600, 53 cents (link))

NCFocus opinion: The "Give-o-Meters" - the existing, in-place parking meters, repurposed to collect donations for boardwalk completion & maintenance & other "town beautification" improvements - are a wonderful touch.

Video & other comments here at Pelline's.