Volunteers keep the course going

Volunteers are the nuts and bolts of most organizations.

It is especially true at Banks Lake Golf Course, now managed by Port District 7.

The Port District took over management of the course two years ago when it was in danger of being closed, and has continued to administer and finance the course’s operation.

This year, in particular, volunteers have been the nuts and bolts that have held the course together.  And surprisingly, according to port authorities, the course has improved in large part because of an army of dedicated volunteers.

That brought the Port District’s newest commissioner, Dennis Lohrman, to provide a list so that volunteers could be recognized.

There’s never enough of that -- recognizing volunteers, at the golf course, or in other organizations.

Here, Sally McDowell stepped in and put a face, so to speak, of volunteers and the critical contribution they made this year at the golf course.

A handful of volunteers have been mowing without pay, with some of them putting in as much as 40 hours a week.  The volunteer mowers include Greg Haag, Tag Grier, Randy Larson,  commissioner Lohman and Jerry Birdwell to name a few.  

A number of volunteers show up for whatever the need is and these included Herb Sherburne, Carl Sheehy, Ron Bjorklund, A.J. Gerard, Bobby Carlson, Dick Brockway ad Billy Desautel.

Lowell and Birdie Hensley repainted all the signs on the tees; Betty Davis and others provided some help with that; and Hellen Olbricht has been picking up the trash from the garbage bags and painting metal cans for placing broken tees in.

Port District commission chair Orville Scharbach is out at the course each morning at 6 a.m., raking the sand traps and doing weed-eating chores.

Jerry Birdwell has done double duty and has kept the irrigation system up and running.

The recent wind storm brought an army of volunteers out to the course with their chain saws and other equipment.

Some of the ladies, Betty Davis, Hellen Olbricht, Donna White, Sandy Sheehy, Kay Johnston, Cathy  Evans, Hazel Johnson, Ann Zaren, Sue Bjorklund and Sally McDowell bought flowers and planted and then weeded them during the season.

Any wonder that commissioner Lohrman wanted to recognize the course’s army of volunteers.