South County’s finest took a breather from fighting fires and
catching bad guys to recognize their department’s most exemplary
employees.
South County’s finest took a breather from fighting fires and catching bad guys to recognize their department’s most exemplary employees.
Ten civil servants received awards for going above and beyond the call of duty at an annual lunch held by the Exchange Club of Gilroy. Each Blue and Gold awardee received a plaque and recognition from their peers and superiors.
The awards followed a buffet lunch at the IFDES Portuguese Lodge provided by Mama Mia’s Restaurant. About 60 people attended the ceremony to honor their colleagues, husbands, fathers and friends. After the South Valley Suzuki String Academy performed the National Anthem, the Gilroy Exchange Club bestowed The Book of Golden Deeds Award upon their instructor, Lori Franke. Overcome with emotion, Franke accepted the award – given to Gilroy’s “unsung heroes” – at the beginning of the luncheon so her students could return to class. Past recipients include City Hall Recreation Supervisor John Garcia, Gilroy High School Choral Instructor Phil Robb and Mama Mia’s owner Majid Bahriny.
The awards celebrated the outstanding acts of bravery and commitment of people at South County’s law enforcement agencies and fire departments.
Chief Dale Foster of the Gilroy Fire Department recognized Fire Engineer Randy Wong for his service as a trainer for the community emergency response team.
“I see him as one of our future leaders,” Foster said.
Santa Clara County Firefighter John Becker, who has 26 years of experience under his belt, accepted his award from Battalion Chief Ron Vega and Fire Chief Ken Waldvogel on “behalf of the working men and women of Battalion 12.”
The South County face of CalFire, Fire Prevention Specialist II Chris Morgan, has been with CalFire for decades and runs the department’s volunteer and Smokey Bear programs. He also plays the “good cop” to Captain Bryan Giambrone’s “bad cop” during annual home fire inspections, Giambrone said.
“Without Chris, I couldn’t do my job as well as I do,” he said.
Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming said he was “tickled pink” to honor Sgt. Jerry Neumayer’s service to Morgan Hill.
“We put up with a lot of guff in our job but occasionally we like to be thanked,” Cumming said before handing Neumayer a plaque of recognition.
A family man first, Neumayer thanked his wife of 17 years and his fellow officers.
“The only reason I got this was because of my team,” Neumayer said. “If not for them making me look good, I wouldn’t have got this.”
When Sheriff’s Office Captain Chris Forrester took to the podium to honor Sheriff’s Deputies Kenneth Owens, Vibol Thong and Mark Sousa, he joked that “no matter what they did and how heroic they were, they couldn’t top the Suzuki violinists.”
But when the three deputies responded to an incident where a 3-year-old had been kicked in the head by a horse, heroism described their actions, Forrester said.
“They went the extra mile,” the father of the young boy told the deputies’ supervisor.
Gilroy’s own Police Chief Denise Turner accepted an award on behalf of Officer Royce Heath who couldn’t make the luncheon because of an injury he received in the line of duty when he stepped up to take a struggling suspect into custody.
“They answer those calls and put themselves out there every single day to protect us from the bad guys,” Turner said.
The last recipient of the afternoon was Gilroy Police Department Officer Michael Bolton who plays an integral role in solving many of Gilroy’s violent crimes, Turner said.
With an increase in gang activity, Bolton is a member of the department’s gang unit, and “like a dog to a bone,” Bolton zeroed in on the men police believe are responsible for a drive by shooting on Monterey Street last year. Because of his contacts and “terrific police work … he knew right where to go to look for those guys,” Turner said.
Bolton took the opportunity to thank his wife for putting up with the confidential informants calling on his cell phone during family vacations and providing a shoulder to cry on. He also reminded the audience how important it is to keep Gilroy’s gang problems under control.
“It’s bad enough as it is now,” Bolton said. “We need to keep it together.”
The only agency on the program that couldn’t make the luncheon was the California Highway Patrol, said Emcee Mayor Al Pinheiro who joked that they were banned after giving his wife a ticket. The CHP chose officer Toby Adrianse as the recipient of this year’s Blue and Gold award.
