December 8, 2005

Almaden Lake Park’s supervisor uses creativity,
volunteers to keep facility looking good in lean times

Mike Will’s innovation compensates for lack of funding

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

Faced with an 18 percent budget cut last season, Almaden Lake Park continues to attract fans, thanks to creative programs being implemented by Mike Will.

Mike Will, parks facility supervisor of Almaden Lake Park, stands near some Canada geese, which are destroying sections of the park’s lawn covered with a type of grass that they love to eat. The park is slowly replacing that grass with a Bermuda-type of grass, which the geese don’t like. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

As parks facility supervisor, Will is reinventing the wheel to fund maintenance programs needed to make the 65-acre oasis one of San Jose’s premier recreation spots.

The financial cuts meant the park lost half a maintenance person and half a park ranger, forcing the 39-year-old Will to primarily concentrate on safety and hygiene issues.

He’s doing his job. Weeds are almost invisible. Picnic areas are clean. The sand beach and swim area are neat. The garbage cans are empty. Bathrooms look tidy. Litter is nonexistent.

But planting flowers and trimming trees—a task previously performed every winter and fall—can’t be done anymore.

The San Jose native, who graduated from Silver Creek High School, said key improvements include repairing Los Alamitos Creek Trail sections because leaving them unattended could become trip hazards for the public.

“I find it amusing that people think I’m doing such a good job because I’m really just doing my job,” said Will this week during an interview in the park’s office. Numerous compliments given to Will from Almaden Valley residents prompted this profile.

Will, who has a bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University, began his career with the city in 1989 when he was hired as a park ranger. In September of 1998 he was promoted to parks facilities supervisor managing the Alum Rock Park, Emma Prusch Park and Overfelt Garden Park, Almaden Lake Park, Edenvale Garden park, Police Athletic League Stadium Maintenance Program and the Athletic Field Maintenance Program.

“I make the park usable and friendly to the people that come here,” he said.

Will’s advantage on the job is that he’s been working on recreation issues for the past 16 years.

“I’m always looking six months in advance,” he said, showing a white board outside his office indicating all the projects he will have to oversee in the future, planning summer activities, what resources would be available and how to articulate the park’s needs to his superiors.

Will is also working on recruiting local volunteer groups to work with the park to make it better. For example, at the corner of Almaden Expressway and Coleman Road, he would like the lonely barren hill, which has an irrigation system running through it, to be adopted by big-hearted folks who want to give those driving past “some color.”

Some of those volunteers include two boys from Pioneer High School who have started serving the park four hours per weekend as part of their community service requirement. The students are doing so-called “willow staking,” which consists of cutting willow tree branches and replanting them into the ground to grow roots and become trees of their own. Willow trees are native to the area and are great for soil retention and stability, he said. “These are simple tasks, but they’re tasks that we don’t have the time or the money to do anymore.”

Assisting Will at the park are one full-time park ranger and one full-time grounds worker. He also receives help from part-time staff. His weekend worker takes care of the park when it’s the busiest.

“The things I’m doing are not special. They’re part of my job. The struggle is that the resources keep getting smaller and smaller so we have to be more careful about how we spend those resources,” Will said.

Because park rangers are sworn peace officers, the Santa Clara County Department of Corrections sends its weekend worker participants to the park so trained staff can supervise them.

The park is planning, in the next couple of weeks, to receive busloads of workers who weed the park’s perimeter.
Through the Sentencing Alternative Program, the park also receives assistance from persons assigned to supplement the park’s maintenance program on their own schedule. “We try to work smarter not harder,” he said.
Will replaced Rick Stanley, a recreation supervisor who retired.

Last summer, he worked with the rangers and lifeguards to make sure all of them were trained and certified. He’s proud to report it was the first summer when the park didn’t have swimming-related emergencies.

Will is one of six parks facility supervisors in the city who manage regional parks such as Almaden Lake Park, used by approximately 100,000 people every year.

This week, Will’s concern for the park turned to the beautiful but mischievous Canada geese, which are destroying sections of the park’s lawn covered with a type of grass that they love to eat. The park is slowly replacing that grass with a Bermuda-type of grass, which the geese don’t like.

Will is married to a Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department worker. They have a 3-year-old son.

“Parks serve an important role in society. They connect people to the land and if people are connected to the land they’re going to be interested in what’s going on in their community, politics and be active in the democratic society that we have,” Will said. “I like helping people. I like to be challenged. There are always new issues that need to be resolved at the park.”

Will is also being praised for intelligently balancing the recreational and biological needs of the facility, always educating the public and environmentalists on reaching the middle ground.

“The animals keep coming back and nesting here. They’re used to the humans here. It’s OK to have recreational activities here. Nature is going to find a way to make it work out,” he said.

Almaden Lake Park is open all year, 8 a.m. until one-half hour after sunset. For more information on Almaden Lake Park, 6099 Winfield Avenue, San Jose, Calif., 95120, call (408) 277-5136, or visit www.sanjoseparks.org.