A Break in Rain Gives Workers and Businesses the Chance to Rebound
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Soaked and sidelined, many businesses are coming back after five days of rainy and windy weather.
For workers at the Santa Barbara waterfront, it was a time to pick up debris, clear walkways and open up areas that had barricades.
The maintenance staff pulled out all the holiday decorations and started putting them up now, while the sun was out.
They said, however, in a moment’s notice they would pivot. “At certain points of the day, we’re in the middle of an intense preparedness ‘Okay. Stop what you’re doing. All hands on deck. Get some brooms, shovels and hit the parking lots,'” said Waterfront Maintenance crew leader Nathan Badiggo. “And make sure everything’s flowing and roadways are opened up and stay opened up.”
They are also watching the weather forecasts very closely.
“100% prepping for tomorrow, we know we’re going to get a large downfall tomorrow. So we’re just trying to get as much as we can in the little time that we have available,” said Badiggo.
In the Harbor West Parking lot, “the first row of parking spots are closed off because of some tidal overflowing. It will likely be cleaned up after the next round of rain. That’s when crews will be out with their shovels and heavy equipment.
There is also a sand berm about to be built in front of the historic Yacht Club and its adjacent parking lot. Both have been impacted by bad storms in the past.
For tourist oriented businesses, like the Lil’ Toot harbor touring boat, getting off the docks and back in motion was so important, free rides were offered all day.
Captain Milo Wolf was on the microphone going by the bait barge calling out the birds taking a rest.
“Oh, there’s a big blue heron, a great egret, some cormorants, pelicans and some western gulls, ” said Wolf.
He went out to a buoy to show off a sea lion or two hanging out there.
Along the way he told stories about historic boats in the harbor and some notes about the City of Santa Barbara, Stearns Wharf and the U.S. Coast Guard.
He said the yellow boat with a perky whistle is especially popular with kids. “It’s like a living cartoon boat. So, you know, kids expected to talk honestly. They really do! “
Like other nearby operators ranging from boats to kayaks, “we were anxious to get back to work.”
One passenger, Dani Sternhagen, said the free tour got her to make plans to come back. “We’ll probably come back here with family again, take the Lil’ Toot around this place. Especially our older grandparents and such. We go kayaking in the harbor. There’s a million things to do out there.”
Wolf said, “Yeah. We’re going to be, ready for all the guests coming from here in town and people from all around the world. “
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