A couple comments on the comments about tear-down cost.
1. A 1956 dollar - the year for CVB initial appropriation for construction - is equivalent to 7.92 2008 dollars. So the $9.4 million tear-down cost equates to $1.186 million in original-year-of-construction costs, not really outlandish.
2. The biggest cost in tear-downs of this age is often environmental remediation. You don't have to be a tree-hugger to be concerned with kids playing in dirt doused in carcinogens etc. When CVB went into commission, no one knew how to even spell environment and I think it likely that a lot of nasty stuff was disposed of by pouring it in the ground etc. Direct harm aside, the math on legal costs and lost lawsuits much favors prevention of environmental harm to individuals and ecologies over paying costs after a loss in court.
Jim: thanks for link. Hope all is well and sorry cannot make it to Norfolk in Sep.
What memories I have of CVB. Without having gone to CVB I never would have:
1. ejoyed the klamuth river (about 1/4 mile from my house in Rio Del) 2. Fished for salmon on the EEL river. 3. enjoyed the beauty of northern California 4. been able to work at such a beautiful location (when the fog wasn't there!)! and 5. met the good people, of the area, who are MUCH different than those in the rest of California. All of us, who were stationed there, have memories of CVB.
Speaking of pieces of history - perhaps they could reduce the cost of tearing it down if they simply opened the gates, provided sledge hammers, and let anyone from the community or that was stationed there come and get a piece of history. Think of how many pieces of the Berlin Wall there are scattered around the world in people's houses, gift shops, and museums!