Breezy’s Blog

With increasing admiration and pleasure Breezy got wet, blessed, and fed at this year’s Fish Fest.

Rain at the 2 pm Saturday Wooden Boat Race soaked everybody, the boats and my camera. The race was so much fun. The crowd was so enthusiastic. Must have been a whole dock full of crazies.

Locals knew the next day would be glorious weather.

And it was. Sun, calm, zephyr-like breezes all day, a large crowd, exciting music, lots of fish boats in the Blessing of the Fleet, lots of decorated boats in the Boat Parade – what else could a festival need?

Breezy was in unique position to monitor the health of our local institution. I took lots of pictures of many of the volunteers through the two days. Though everyone was smiles on Saturday morning, the rain was an obvious worry. Everyone spoke about it, everyone commented and the rain rained harder. By Sunday volunteers were smiling, broadly. By close of festival, everyone was tired and ready to go home but full of smiles.

And there is cheerful news – In addition to the longer salmon season – the take from on site sales was very healthy. The two day total from sales at the festival was just over $66,000. Compare that with last year’s $61,000.
On site cash receipts in 2005 totaled $95,000. That’s ten thousand dollars more than 2004, when they brought in $83,000. Another small bit of good news: the Fish and Chips booth sold out of fish about 3 pm Sunday. That means there was no leftovers.

Also in the good news department is that many of the committee chairpeople were new to their jobs this year. Old time handed off the heavy lifting to new faces. Notably, Jane Schultz handed off the big job of Chair of the Festival to Ginni Bassi. Dave and Fiona Love, Susan Williamson, Donna Martine, Cathy Tenent who took over the crucial leadership positions are all new to the Festival production. Rod and Ida Moore, and Ellen Meuse took over the heavy job of the Fish booth. Mike Lewis, also new, produced and instigated the wildly successful Wooden Boat Challenge.

The show couldn’t have gone on without a cast of thousands – actually about 500.

Good job all. Now if the fish and crabs (and visitors) cooperate the upcoming season will be bountiful.

Last night’s discussion at the meeting of the Fisherman’s Festival committees at the BB Community Center hit a sensitive topic.

The process of making decisions at the monthly meeting of the volunteer leaders is quite a sight. Problems or questions are brought up by the committee leader most concerned. A lively discussion follows. Regularly, how that problem was addressed in the past is recounted. After more discussion, a formal motion is made, seconded and voted up or down. Usually motions are made that reflect the majority’s discussion points and pass unanimously. Some decisions are split.

A few months ago, discussion about why the festival is held produced a split vote on the fees to be charged. Last night’s discussion started after a sobering report on how many (in this case less) craft booths would participate. A point was made that the decline represented quite a bit of money: wouldn’t it be nice to earn that money another way — expenses are going up, etc, etc.

Quickly, speakers reminded the group about why we do the fish fest, eloquently. “The Festival was designed to honor fishermen and celebrate the blessing of the fleet.”

Another speaker talked about her first experience aboard a fish boat receiving a blessing. She recounted the scene with fishermen and their family members choked with emotion, tearful with feeling.

The discussion continued that the festival’s true meaning and purpose was not to make money. A speaker pointed at the – easy to forget – experience of different folks of the community working “side by side.” These are folks that sometimes have chasms of differences.

The group decided to continue accepting the reduction of income without potentially alienating the crafter community.

This group of folks does represent some of the opposite chasms of differences of our town – fishermen’s families, Bodega Harbour residents, other new and longtime residents. Usually, it is the “grey beards” reminding the newcomers of the hows and whys. (Note here: The “grey beards” are usually grey (white, blue)-haired women wielding the voice of experience, moderation and wisdom.)

As much trouble the fishing community has encountered over the past years, their presence should remind all of the values they represent: hard work is the path to the American Dream. It is far too easy to connect the problems with Ocean resources to overfishing. That thinking is just wrong. For most fisheries, the declines are ALL traceable to ignorant policies about our rivers from pollution to water mismanagement. I could go on, but lucky for you I’ll stop here.

The Festival is about the American Dream and everything that goes with it. Enjoy.

On other but also festive notes: 

Breezy was the third car to pass over the newly constructed Hwy One repair. You remember which one, the multi-million dollar one to repair 25 feet of pavement. Workers temporarily halted traffic, a few cones and tee-rails were moved and I was surprised to find myself on the new pavement. Just between you and me the pavement doesn’t look any different than before. The guardrail is also indistinguishable from the old guardrail. There is a new curb underneath the guardrail. That’s all folks.

While waiting for the now joyful traffic to roll,  two men in wetsuits entertained the crowd doing cannonballs off Lucas Wharf. ‘Twas a fun spring sight.