Volunteer Time:
2006 (total): 103 days, 169 hours
2007 (total): 238 days, 425.75 hours
2008 (total): 17 days, 15.50 hours
January
5th, 2008:
Pictured is the vessel Waterbase which was moored off of
Campus Point for several days before coming aground yesterday. I spoke
with one of the Park Rangers today and was alarmed to learn that they have
been given no specific instructions as to how to proceed should the vessel
refloat during the expected storm swells and high tides this weekend.
The concern is that the general direction of the inshore current
could carry the boat into the Pier doing severe damage. Last month during
a similar swell event another boat lost its mooring in the Bay and ended
up crashing into the pier.
The Waterbase is a significantly larger and heavier vessel with
the potential to actually undermine the structural integrity of the Pier.
I hope we don't have to start the New Year off by having to rebuild
the Pier! Why there is no contingency planning for such an event(as far
as I am aware) is utterly incomprehensible ...
Update 1-23-08:Noozhawk
reports that the owner of the boat, now living in Lake Elsinore, lied to
investigating officers when he claimed he had sold the boat. Actually
it was being held for a pending lien auction in Oxnard and was apparently
illegally removed from the marina there. The boat now appears to be secured
above the high tide level and, hopefully, is no longer in danger of refloating.
January
12th, 2008: *** New Poll ***
The online paper, Santa
Barbara's Noozhawk, is conducting a survey of those who visit Goleta
Beach County Park to assess their recreational preferences and opinions
concerning the various beach stabilization measures.
Current
results indicate 2 votes for the managed retreat option and 13 for
the County plan (permeable groin etc.). Although I personally am in favor
of the second option(County plan) I do have some concerns regarding its
possible impacts which I discussed
back in May.
Please visit their
poll (at the bottom of the front page)and weigh in ... it will be interesting
to follow this poll and see how it turns out.
Another Noozhawk
articlereports
that "Beginning Monday [1-14-08], the County
Parks Department will be issuing citations to dog owners who fail to observe
County Code Section 26-49, which requires all dog in county parks to be
on a leash not more than 6 feet in length and under the immediate control
of a capable and responsible person, or properly confined."
After cleaning up three distinct deposits on the Pier this morning
I strongly approve of this renewed enforcement effort. Goleta Beach is
not
an official off-leash
park and yet there are days when you would never know it.
Unfortunately there is a hard-core group who arrive before the
Rangers and Animal Control are on duty in the mornings. They let their
dogs out and then sit in their vehicles drinking coffee and reading the
paper purposely oblivious to the subsequent mess.
Update 1-23-08: The Poll and
the results
page are no longer available ... I received a notice saying "You
are not authorised to view this resource."
Shortly before it was removed I emailed the paper with a concern
about the polls' design - apparently there were no checks in place
to prevent duplicate voting. In fact it was possible to submit an entry
with ALL the check boxes filled out rendering the subsequent results
essentially meaningless.
I also noticed that the presentation order of the two choices
regarding the beach maintenance question had been reversed at least once
... was that an attempt to manipulate the response? I hope not.
I have yet to receive an answer to my inquiries.
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