LAKE COUNTY — One by one the senior volunteers stepped up to receive their awards, beaming as they shook hands with California Highway Patrol officer Lt. Dane Hayward.
Crisp white uniforms with arm badges identify their positions: volunteer, California Highway Patrol. Another badge identifies their home base: Konocti 151, out of the Clear Lake Area CHP.
The group of 10 marked the 6th year as an organization, and was honored for the nearly 10,000 collective hours of volunteer service during an early Monday morning awards ceremony at the Kelseyville CHP office. Three women and eight men volunteer time performing administrative, non-law enforcement tasks, freeing officers to tackle daily duties patrolling highways, conducting DUI checkpoints and tracking criminals.
Don Stewart, a retired manufacturing engineer, said he finds enjoyment volunteering at CHP. Some of his duties include representing CHP at the Lake County fair, helping direct traffic during accidents that occur on area highways, conducting bicycle rodeos (safety sessions) for children and helping exchange worn-out CHP patrol cars for new vehicles by traveling to Sacramento and other cities across California.
“It gives me something to do,” the 75-year-old volunteer said. Stewart was the Senior Volunteer Program president since the program was instituted in February 2002 until last year. “I was the very first ?Victor One”,” Stewart said, referring to the CHP code name for volunteers. Stewart has volunteered 2,391 hours at CHP.
Taking up the helm as program president last year is Ed McDonald, a retiree who worked 38 years in the San Francisco parking business. No stranger to safety administration, McDonald originally came to Lake County to his vacation home during the 1970s, helping conduct safety-on-the-water programs with Nor Cal Boat and Ski club.
McDonald enjoys being the CHP mascot, “CHIPper” a chipmunk who accompanies officers to classrooms and Head Start programs to teach safety tips to children.
More volunteers are always needed. Volunteers can join by picking up the phone and calling CHP at 279-0103. After a week-long orientation program learning how to drive a patrol car, operate a radio and learning other administrative duties, participants are set to work in the field and in the office. McDonald volunteers each Friday in the office, having contributed 3,286.5 hours to CHP.
“If you have a feeling in yourself to give back, no matter what it is in the community, any volunteer program whether its police or at the hospital, for a few hours a week you can help the community. It gives you a purpose, helping do something after working all of your years,” McDonald said, adding that it”s a great way to get to know interesting people.
“We would like to get people who are seniors in Lake County involved, they can just call us up if they”re thinking about being a volunteer,” McDonald said.
Plus the experience is fun, Stewart added, “We learned how to drive patrol cars in the Mariani (Packing Company) parking lot (on Bell Hill Road).” Volunteers do not issue citations. “We don”t turn on our lights, unless it”s yellow flashing lights if there”s a traffic hazard. And we can”t speed?we abide by all the rules,” Stewart said, smiling.
Volunteers help alleviate officers” menial duties in the office by answering phones, shredding paper and adding up ticket citations. McDonald said citizens often come in frustrated, only to calm down when they are greeted by a welcoming senior volunteer. “We walk out behind the counter and say ?hi, how are you” and people see we don”t have a gun?we”re able to sort things out and they leave feeling better about their situation,” McDonald said.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
