Volunteer Time:
2006 (total): 103 days, 169 hours
2007 (total): 238 days, 425.75 hours
2008 (total): 201 days, 477.35 hours
October
17th, 2008:
 Sometime
this past week I logged my 1000th hour over 500 days as a volunteer cleaning
the Pier and scrubbing the railings, benches and trash cans every
morning.
As of September 12th I acquired another title and different responsibilities
... Pier Host overseeing the new Angler
Center and related activities. Due to the additional time required
in running the Angler Center the County has agreed to take over the daily
scrubbing and washdown.
My new position, within the County's Park Host system, provides
overnight parking for my RV in exchange for a minimum of 20 hours labor
a week. The Angler Center will only be open for 5 hours daily on the weekends
during the winter season (September 15th through June 15th.)
In order to make up the other 10 hours I will be on the Pier
early every morning during the week for approximately 2 hours. The
time will be spent picking up trash, discarded fishing line and hooks,
rescuing injured birds, and reporting any maintenance needs that developed
overnight such as graffiti and vandalism. Normally these activities take
less than an hour and the balance of the time will be used in helping the
County with their end of the bargain ... especially in the immediate area
of the Angler Center.
The video above gives a good feel for what I have been facing
every morning for the past couple of years and for what the County can
look forward to ... it's a formidable task but if the Pier is truly to
be accessible to all it needs to be done.
October
21st, 2008:
One of the more enjoyable tasks of a Pier Host is assisting in
the netting of pier-caught fish as in the case of this small Thresher shark
landed at Goleta this morning.
What is even nicer is an old pier tradition of rewarding those
who help with one or more fresh fillets ...
October
31st, 2008:
Been thinking lately on the economic tailspin we are currently
undergoing and its ramifications for many of the low income anglers at
Goleta Pier. Having noticed an increase recently in the number of people
fishing primarily for sardines and mackerel
I thought it might be helpful to explore some simple ways of
preparing such fish.
Here is what I had for lunch today.
Escabeche of Sardines
Ingredients:
4-6 small fresh pier-caught sardines
1oz plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3fl oz olive oil
1fl oz red wine vinegar
1/4 medium red onion, sliced thinly
2in thin strips orange peel
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp salt
Method:
1. Gut, scale and remove the heads from the sardines, then dust
them in the
seasoned flour.
2. Fry them in the olive oil for 1 minute on each side, then
transfer to a
shallow dish.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, bring to a boil
and then simmer
for about 15 minutes.
4. Pour the hot marinade over the sardines and leave until cold.
Enjoy!
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