April 15, 2008

The kindness of friends

Santa Clara County Parks honors unsung heroes

By Jeanne C. Carbone
Staff Writer

Several hundred unsung heroes, including a large number of Almaden residents, were honored at the 13th annual Volunteers Recognition Banquet held by Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department on March 21.

NAQCPA President Kitty Monahan accepts her 7,500-hour cumulative hour pin and gifts at the 13th annual SCCPR Volunteer Recognition Banquet.

“I’d like to start with a quote from a fictional character, Blanche Dubois from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” said Lisa Killough Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation director. “Blanche says ‘I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.’ You are not strangers for we desperately depend on you for your tireless efforts.”

Last year 2,500 volunteers donated their time and expertise contributing more than 38,000 hours to 28 county parks. The volunteers adopt trails—keeping them clean and free of brush and creating new ones for the public to enjoy. These are the Trail Crew lead volunteers, who are provided with in-depth trail building and maintenance training and then assist the park staff with major projects.

Trail Crew Leads also oversee Adopt-a-Trail groups and Trail Day events. Others are Trail Watchers, who patrol and provide visitor information and basic services in emergencies in addition to correcting or reporting park violations.

Volunteers are camp hosts where they provide site security, camp/restroom maintenance and assist park staff with educational programs. They are docents at Chitactac-Adams, New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, Santa Teresa Historic Area, Stevens Creek Visitor Center and Sanborn Visitor Center, assisting the park staff in conducting educational programs and staffing visitor facilities.

Park friends’ groups help with various projects at a designated park throughout the year. Individualized volunteer projects are perfect for scout troops or Eagle Scouts, corporate volunteers, school groups and individuals that are unable to commit to time-scheduled positions.

And it’s not just the adults who surpass expectations paying it forward. The Junior Volunteer of the Year was Jeffrey Friday who attends all Fishing in the City events at Hellyer, Lake Cunningham and Los Gatos Creek County Park where he is known as the “master fish cleaner.”

The Junior Volunteer Group of the Year is the National Charities League Heritage Oaks Chapter who fostered mother-daughter relationships with community service, leadership development and cultural experiences volunteering time at SCCPR.

The county awarded the Park Liaison of the Year to New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum Park interpreter John Slenter. He teaches adults and children of days gone by hosting van tours, creating ever-changing displays and hosting events like the “Tools of the Miner.”

Slenter is a board member of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association and is always available to lend a hand on various park projects. His fascination with mining started 25 years ago when he met Connie Perham who shared mining artifacts and history with him long before the historic mine became a park.

“I was totally surprised by the award,” said Slenter. “There are so many others who are more deserving of this acknowledgement.”

The Volunteer Coordin-ating Council Award went to New Almaden’s Mike Boul-land, who is president of the Friends of Santa Teresa as well as serving on the board of NAQCPA for many years. Last year he founded the Friends of Los Alamitos Water Shed. His love of the area led to co-authoring the book “Images of America: New Almaden” in 2006. Boulland also received an award for the 4,000 hours of time he has donated to SCCPR.

“I thank the Lord I can do this work but it takes a lot of help,” said Boulland. “Without the support of Kitty Monahan, Ron Horii and so many others, this work wouldn’t get done. Trails are cleared, projects completed and archives are saved. And it’s a lot of fun.”

Cumulative hourly pin awards are given to volunteers who have donated 50, 100, 250 or 500 hours. Brian Allen and Jeanne Carevic received the award for 1,000 hours, David Wright and Mike Flaugher for 1,500, Bill Hein, Guy Cooley and Mark Thomen for 2,000, William and Julie Lamos for 2,500, Ronald Horii and Barry Redding for 3,000 and Kitty Monahan for 7,500.

SCCPR Director’s Award went to the Volunteer Coordinating Council, which includes Garnetta Annable, Donna Gillette, Mike Boulland, Steve Crockett, Mike Flaugher, Janice Frazier, Chere Bargar, Steve Schmidt, Sam Drake, Woody Collins, Bruce Newhall, Kitty Monahan and Jack Wilson. They oversee and decide what projects to tackle.

Other honorees included Dan DeLuca, who won Volunteer of the Year, Whole Foods Los Gatos, which received the Corporate Volunteer Council Award and Friends of Disc Golf at Helyer Park, which received the Volunteer Group of the Year.

“Silicon Valley is definitely a community where a New York minute lives and yet you choose to give a lot of your time to supporting county parks,” said Killough. “It’s really amazing…You have paid it forward.”

For more information on SCCPR volunteer opportunities, visit www.parkhere.org or call parks volunteer coordinator Heidi McFarland at (408) 355-2254.

The New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association entertains the several hundred attendees of the 13th annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet with humorous stories of volunteering. Photos by Jeanne C. Carbone