The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission thanks everyone who gives of
their time and energy to support and improve our parks! We would like to especially
recognize the following volunteers who received the 2008 Volunteer Recognition Awards
for outstanding volunteer service.
Last year, volunteers performed 312,000 hours of work, equal to 150 full-time employees. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission thanks everyone who gives of their time and energy to support and improve our parks!
We'd especially like to recognize the following volunteers who received the 2008 Volunteer Recognition Awards for outstanding volunteer service.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement:
Bud and Marilyn Corbin (Jefferson, Ore.) received the Lifetime Achievement Award for their volunteer services at Yakima Sportsman, Sun Lakes, Riverside and Steamboat Rock state parks. “Bud and Marilyn’s customer service has been flawless as they built many lasting friendships within the park community and with visitors and guests,” said Yakima Sportsman Park Manager Mike Thomas. As park hosts, they assisted with grounds and facilities maintenance, opened and closed gates when staff were not available and answered questions from campers and visitors. Mr. Corbin volunteered at Yakima Sportsman up until his passing in October 2008. Together, the Corbin’s donated more than 22,000 hours of volunteer service since 1993.
Lifetime Achievement: Phil and Charlotte Jeter (Bainbridge Island, Wash.)
received the Lifetime Achievement Award for their volunteer services at Palouse Falls and Cape Disappointment state parks. They have returned to serve as campground hosts for the past 11 years, helping with grounds maintenance and working with the public. “Their love for the park is unmatched. They have become part of our family here,” said Palouse Falls Park Ranger Melinda McKeen. “Their candor and warmth is evident in their interaction with the park visitors and staff alike,” adds Cape Disappointment State Park Ranger Ryan Green.
Lifetime Achievement: Valetta Didjurgis, (Port Townsend, Wash.)
received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts in housing and cataloging artifacts and oral histories from the collections at Fort Worden State Park, the Commanding Officer’s Quarters and the Rothschild House, as well as strengthening communication with the park’s Coast Artillery Museum. She started her volunteer service in 1997, polishing and dusting displays at the Commanding Officer’s Quarters, which led to her skills and interests with more detail-oriented tasks associated with cataloging the collections. With some counsel and training, Didjurgis learned and administered PastPerfect, a collection management program for museums. She catalogued countless objects and photographs into the database and provided leadership and education for State Parks volunteer staff involved with this complex software program. “Valetta leaves behind a legacy of what a dedicated volunteer represents,” said State Parks Curator Alicia Woods. “She has my deepest appreciation for her time as a steward of our collective history.”
Host(s) of the Year:
Ken and Karen Bauer (Malaga, Wash.) received the Host of the Year Award for their long-term, dedicated service to the agency, its parks and park visitors. The Bauer’s have served as campground hosts at eight Washington state parks since 2000, donating nearly 11,000 hours of volunteer service. “I believe they are a shining example of the incredible people that take personal pride and ownership in our park system and will do whatever it takes to assure its success,” says Daroga State Park Ranger Dennis Lotts. In 2008, the Bauer’s were instrumental in the development of a recycling program at Daroga, using grant money to build 10 recycling containers out of apple bins. This program is expected to reduce the amount of waste generated by the park and save the park money by reducing the number of trash dumpsters needed.
Host(s) of the Year – Interpretation:
Mike and Pat Brooks (Pensacola, Fla.) received the Interpretive Host of the Year Award for their talents and enthusiasm in interpretation while hosting at Fort Flagler State Park. “Mike and Pat’s organization, attention to detail, friendly demeanor and common sense made them some of the best camp hosts Fort Flagler has had,” said Fort Flagler Assistant Manager Jody Maberry. Initially serving as campground hosts at the 120-campsite park, they soon were able to put their teaching skills and interest in interpretation to work. The Brooks expanded the historic tours of the fort by interviewing local residents and incorporating their stories into their tours. They promoted the tours throughout the campground, and through their efforts, they doubled the number of guided tours offered, added special group tours and doubled the revenue generated by these tours. The Brooks have been returning to host at Fort Flagler since 2007.
Volunteer of the Year:
Ron Greening (Port Hadlock, Wash.) received the Volunteer of the Year Award for his continued dedication of time and spirit of caring for Fort Flagler State Park. Greening has volunteered for Washington State Parks since 2006, donating nearly 4,000 hours of volunteer service. In 2008, Greening installed the vacuum system for the park’s woodshop. Using existing materials, he designed the appropriate duct work and safety gates for the system. He also designed and created wooden display cases for the park store and a custom bike rack. The bike rack is not only functional, but was designed in keeping with the historical feeling of the fort. “Ron is a gifted craftsman and superb handyman, and he is always cognoscente of the budget constraints the park is working under,” says Fort Flagler Assistant Manager Jody Maberry. In addition to these projects, Greening also repainted all parking and traffic striping within the park and installed control speed buttons at four locations.
Volunteer of the Year – Interpretation:
Sally Straathof (Burlington, Wash.) received the Interpretive Volunteer of the Year Award for her work as an interpretive assistant at Fort Casey State Park. Straathof, a counselor and teacher at Concrete High School, used her educational leadership training to enhance and modernize interpretive tours and inspire young visitors participating in Junior Ranger Programs. “The response to having an interpreter at the park just about every weekend during the spring and summer months was outstanding. Numerous positive comments were received,” said Fort Casey State Park Manager Kenneth Hageman. Straathof prepared reports, lead interpretive walks on natural and fort history, conducted beach walks with children, developed interpretive inventories and gave evening slide programs.
Significant Volunteer Achievement:
Ed and Pam Lottero (Seattle, Wash.) received the Significant Volunteer Achievement Award for their interpretive and conservation programs at Dash Point and Saltwater state parks. “There are volunteers who stand out, but every so often there comes along those who push the bar upwards. Such is the case with the Lottero’s,” said SeaTac Area Parks Manager Lem Pratt. The Lottero’s developed and presented weekly amphitheatre programs and beach and trail walks to inner city children and families. Mrs. Lottero developed a self-guided flora and fauna tour through Dash Point by creating signs marking the various plants, shrubs and trees. In addition to their interpretive work, the Lottero’s developed a recycling program for both parks. Through their efforts, the number of garbage stops in the campground went from more than 30 to four. The amount of garbage decreased from 6.35 tons in September 2007 to 2.13 tons in September 2008.
Special Mention:
Jennifer Tobias (Port Orchard, Wash.) received the Special Mention Award for her volunteer services at Blake Island State Park. She formed an Adopt-a-Park group, The Blake Island Crew, which has worked on multiple maintenance projects, including skirting all of the Tillicum Village buildings and organizing and constructing 200 feet of split-rail safety fence. Tobias also took the lead in helping to develop and run the park store. “Jennifer has been the equivalent of another staff person. It would have been difficult to accomplish these projects had it not been for her,” said Blake Island State Parks Ranger Paul Ruppert. Tobias has volunteered at the park since 2000.
Outstanding Contribution:
Gus Tomaras (Port Orchard, Wash.) received the Outstanding Contribution Award for his dedication and versatility in service at Belfair State Park. Tomaras has volunteered his time, skills and effort toward maintaining and improving the park since 2007. He is familiar with the camp host positions and fills in whenever a vacancy occurs or staff is short-handed. “I am impressed by his broad knowledge and skill base and even more so by his kindness and willingness to help,” said Belfair State Park Ranger Steve Baum. After the storm of December 2007, Tomaras and other volunteers worked together to rebuild many campsites that were destroyed by flood waters. “Without their efforts, this park may have not been able to open up for campers on time,” said Baum.
GROUP AWARDS
Group of the Year:
The Mount Spokane Advisory Committee (MSAC) received the Group of the Year Award for their ongoing dedication and support of Mount Spokane State Park. The group (formed in 1995) has improved trails, prepared grant applications to obtain development funds and worked with Inland Empire Paper Company to obtain use agreements for ongoing use of trails on its property. The group helped move the fire lookout at Mt. Spokane to Quartz Mountain, donating more than $5,000 and many hours of time. The fire lookout is now a popular overnight facility. The group also surveyed all the miles of trails in this 14,000-acre park and created a map and plan that trail planners and managers can use over the next 15 to 20 years for park development and planning.
Significant Achievement:
The Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse received the Significant Achievement Award for their ongoing dedication and support at Fort Casey State Park. The Keepers, which started in 1997, are a dues-paying membership group that hosts fund-raising events for the restoration of the lighthouse and development of interpretive exhibits. Over the years, their support has funded projects such as constructing items used by the lighthouse keeper, repainting the interior, replacing crumbling plaster walls and replacing fixtures. Most recently, they had the Fresnel lens of the lighthouse completely restored. This $17,000 project was funded by the Keepers, local organizations and private donors.
Special Mention:
The Peninsula Crew received the Special Mention Award for going above and beyond their duties as campground hosts at Curlew Lake State Park. The Crew consists of three couples: Bob and Sandy Larson (Port Townsend, Wash.), Joe and Retha Larson (Port Townsend, Wash.), and Robert and Fran Benson (Sequim, Wash.). In the fall of 2008, the park manager went on medical leave, and this left one temporary employee to operate the park. The Peninsula Crew stepped in and handled the daily park operations such as greeting the public, registering guests, general repair work, grounds maintenance, interpretive shows, bank deposits and cleaning restrooms. They also split firewood for next season’s wood sales. “They went out of their way to help visitors and myself, and for that I will always be grateful,” said Curlew Lake State Park Manager Ric Sanders.
Outstanding Contribution:
The Friends of Fort Flagler received the Outstanding Contribution Award for their ongoing volunteer efforts and contributions to Fort Flagler State Park. Since starting in 1999, the Friends have given countless historic tours, cleaned and cleared miles of trails and added signage, and restored various historic pieces, including a 120mm gun transferred from the Snohomish Armory. The Friends receive monetary donations from their tours and most recently, by sponsoring musical venues during the summer months. Through donations made to the Friends, the group was able to make several purchases for the park including a generator to operate various electronics during summer concerts. In 2008, they provided a new interpretive display consisting of a marine camel, torpedo and anti-motor boat nets and provided the funds to build a fence around the camel to protect it from vandalism. Currently, the Friends are working on renovating the first floor of the 1905 Army hospital.