April 26, 2007

Santa Clara County Parks recognizes volunteers at 12th Annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet

Many Almaden residents honored

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

In this world there are those who complain about things and those who want to make time for things…and then there are those who make things happen.

Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch park interpreter John Dorrance presented the award for Junior Volunteer of the Year to Jason Bombardier who accumulated 256 hours volunteering at the historic area at Santa Teresa Park.

No truer words could represent the 2,270 volunteers who tirelessly donate their time and energy to Santa Clara County Parks [SCCP]. And an appreciative SCCP reciprocated by presenting their 12th annual volunteer recognition banquet recently at Santa Teresa Golf Club.

“It’s always great to be here with all of you and celebrate the successes of last year,” said Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department director Lisa Killough in her opening remarks. “Last year was a momentous year for the department. We celebrated the achievement of our 50th anniversary and successful passage of our park charter fund. With the passage of the charter fund we have an assured funding date through 2021. It was a wonderful year made all the more special because you chose to give your gift of time and energy to our wonderful park system.”

Killough recognized and thanked Almaden residents Kitty Monahan, Janice Frazier, and current Parks commission chair Greg West for their tireless efforts in passing Measure B.

Junior Awards
“It’s one thing to volunteer as an adult but its another thing when you’re 18 or under,” said Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch park interpreter John Dorrance before presenting awards to junior volunteers.

The junior volunteer of the year is Jason Bombardier, 17, who has volunteered since 2001 accumulating over 265 hours primarily at Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch. Four times a week he’s caring for the rabbits, once a week checking on the hens and counting eggs of the chickens that live there and once a month helping clean the coop with the rest of the 4H project members. He also has his hands in the gardening project. He inspects the trails with friends and father Paul Bombardier. He even helped San Jose Police Department apprehend some “taggers’ in the canal. He assists Dorrance with the Bug-out movie nights in the barn. And, at the Founders Day Fandango, he brought the rabbit out for the kids to enjoy.

The junior volunteer group of the year is Boy Scouts of America Troop 453. The Scouts have volunteered over 500 hours in 2006 helping at many of the trail days as well as 10 monthly park projects including the Sunnyvale Mountain Meadow restoration project and coastal clean up.

Hourly Awards
SCCPR volunteer program coordinator Heidi McFarland presented awards for 50, 50+, 100, 250 and 500 hour volunteers.

It was a wonderful year made all the more special because you chose to give your gift of time and energy to our wonderful park system,” said SCCPRD director Lisa Killough in her opening remarks. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“It’s all about you tonight and all the amazing work you provide for us in our parks and our whole community,” said McFarland. “Thank you. There were quite a lot of accomplishments last year in 2006 due to your efforts.”

McFarland also thanked the Volunteer Coordinating Council [VCC] members Garnetta Annable, Chere Bargar, Mike Boulland, Steven Crockett, Mike Flaugher, Janice Frazier, Donna Gillette, Ken Halsey, Woody Collins, Sam Drake, Bruce Newhall, Kitty Monahan, Jan Webb, and Jack Wilson.

Five hundred hours or more volunteers were Bruce Newhall, Ken Halsey, Corey Fong, Ralph Adams, Tom Graham, Jaime Villareal and Marie Galvea.

Bill Hein, Robert Reed, Linda Adams, Neil Honeychurch and Mike Flaugher contributed over 1,000 hours of service.

The award for more than 1,500 hours of service was Willow Glen resident Virginia Hammerness who docents at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum.

Barry Redding and Steven Crocket contributed over 2,000 hours of service. Bob Meyer, Kitty Swindle and Ronald Horii volunteered over 2,500 hours. Walter and Marta Zavala-Lynch were awarded for over 3,500 hours.

Clocking in with over 4,000 accumulative hours each were Almaden residents Art Boudreault and Mike Boulland. Boudreault is a docent and archivist at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum where he has archived over 16,000 images and documents as well as set up a new system for files.

“This is a very special night for Art,” said Killough. “Art has spent a lot of time in the hospital and in a recuperating mode. It is a testament to this man that he is here tonight. This is a tough man, a very generous man and on behalf of the department we have the best, healthiest thoughts for you. We love you.”

Boudreault was diagnosed with leukemia on Feb. 9. He is now in remission.

Boulland’s volunteering includes work as a docent at the Quicksilver Museum as well as serving as president of Friends of Santa Teresa Park. He is also on the VCC board. Last year, Boulland and Boudreault published the book “Images of America: New Almaden” and donated profits to the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association.

“I’m very honored,” said Boulland. “It’s a lot of work but also a lot of fun, exercise and you’re out in the environment. You learn a lot and are helping our county parks. It is a privilege to volunteer for parks.”

Hugs for a job well done. On the left is 4,000 hour man Art Boudreault and SCCP volunteer program coordinator Heidi McFarland.

Clocking in at over 7,000 hours of service were Dean Thames and Kitty Monahan.Thames has volunteered for the past 11 years. He serves as a range safety officer at Field Sport Park where he observes the rifle and pistol firing line for safety issues. He is a certified pistol and rifle instructor and has taught many new shooters at the park. He came early to the banquet to set up but went home early to help a friend remodel his kitchen.

Monahan was instrumental in creating the Parks volunteer program, which is in effect today. She serves as president of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association where she organizes volunteers that docent at the Museum. She also serves on the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Commission and VCC. She is known for her fervent activism in saving open space for future generations. And you’ll also see her cleaning up trails all over the county.

Volunteer of the Year
Willow Glen’s Mary Lee Biaocchi and Almaden’s Judy Borcherding were the recipients of the volunteer of the year award. Biaocchi and Borcherding have led school groups several times a week on walking tours of the New Almaden historic district. They are also docents at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum teaching both school groups and the general public about the area’s history. Combined they have contributed over 1,500 hours of service to SCCP.

“I knew something was up,” said Biaocchi about receiving the award, “when Heidi called and asked how to spell my name! This is a very nice honor and thank God I’m healthy enough to volunteer.”

“Yes, Kitty told me to be here so I am,” said Borcherding. “You don’t volunteer for recognition but because you like to do it.”

Volunteer Group of the Year
This year’s winning volunteer group is the Society for Creative Anachronism Friends of Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas. This is one of the newest Friends Groups who started volunteering by assisting with projects for exchange of fee reductions for their events.

But that was only the beginning. Throughout 2006, the group set up volunteer days for weed abatement and working on the nature trail to refurbishing the stage.

Park Liaison of the Year
The annual award is presented to a park staff employee whose work with volunteers is exemplary. The Trail Crew Staff was recognized for their leadership in over 10 Trail Day events, trainings and social events. Since 2002, they have held 56 Trail Days and provided 200-plus hours of training under the leadership of

Volunteer Coordinating Council Award
Woody Collins has volunteered since 2005 accumulating 377 hours, 347 of which were in 2006 alone. His efforts include trail watch, trail crew lead, clean ups and numerous other projects many at Santa Teresa Park.

Judy Borcherding and Mary Lee Biaocchi received the Volunteer of the Year award for their work leading school groups at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum.

He also provides SCCP with detailed reports of the trails as well as led most of the Trail Day events and even helped with some of park’s corporate events. And he is one of the newest CCC members.

Directors Award
Linda and Ralph Adams were the recipients of the Directors Award. The couple has logged over 869 hours in 2006 with much of their time at Coyote Lake and Coyote Creek.

They have accumulated almost 1,700 hours since they started installing bird-nesting boxes in the area in 2004. They build the boxes; researching different designs to attract certain birds, develop nest box plans and informational brochures, as well as installing and collecting detailed data.

All total the 2,270 volunteers donated 32,413 hours, 4,000 more than last year.

Breaking down the hours another way, 30,000 hours equals 14.5 full-time paid employees and 2,080 hours equals one year of a full-time employee’s time.

Volunteering
SCCPRD has volunteering opportunities to fit everyone’s schedule at any of the system’s 29 parks. There are monthly Trails Days the first Saturday of each month at various parks. Cleanup days are scheduled the second Sunday of the month. And there are many projects the third Saturday of the month. There are also adopt-a-trail, camp hosts, docent positions, park friends groups, trail crew lead volunteers and trail watch.

For more information on volunteering for SCCPRD visit. www.parkhere.org/ or call (408) 355-2254.