A COMMUNITY VOICE:RETIRED EDUCATOR REVELS IN WORKING SPORTS EVENTS, HELPING OTHERS

Richard Bugarske, retired Healdsburg teacher and school principal, is a natural behind the microphone as the announcer of school sporting events, whether football, basketball, soccer or volleyball.

Gifted with a smooth, radio-friendly voice, a passion for sports and catchy enthusiasm, he also announces for the Healdsburg Prune Packers, who have revived the tradition of small-town, semi-pro baseball in games at Rec Park.

"It takes you back to old times, the fun energy, great energy . .. when I was playing and the young guys who have a dream of still playing," he said of the allure of the league.

His voice crackles over the public address system in timeless fashion: "Now batting for the Prune Packers, number one, left fielder ..."

Bugarske, 64, gives his time to the Prune Packers, including being part of the community effort that restored the historic wooden grandstands.

For 20 years, he's also lent his talents to announcing and coaching for Healdsburg High varsity and junior varsity teams.

"It's all volunteer, just a lot of fun to do all those things," he said of the more than 100 games he does annually. "Kids love to have their names announced. It adds another level of importance to the event."

He also is a tireless promoter of school booster programs and serves on the board of several foundations that benefit youth sports.

In addition, Burgarske has been on the city's Park and Recreation Commission for 31 years and is active in Healdsburg S.O.S., which sends care packages to troops overseas.

For those and other activities, he was recently honored by the Healdsburg City Council as a co-recipient of the annual Marie Sparks Memorial Volunteer Award.

"He's very, very extremely active in the community," said Mayor Gary Plass, a fellow Kiwanis member. "He loves kids."

"Dick is definitely a doer," Plass said. "When you think of volunteer, you think of Dick Bugarske. A lot of people tap him on the shoulder and he rarely says 'no.' "

Bugarske deflects the praise.

"Healdsburg is blessed. It's sort of a volunteer-ethic community. A lot of great people do wonderful things," he said. "It's not too difficult to find yourself volunteering."

Burgarske especially enjoys following the progress of the young athletes, some of whom are children of students he taught in an educational career that spanned about 40 years.

He was a teacher, principal and superintendent at Westside School and assistant and co-principal at Healdsburg High. He taught junior high math, science and history, and in the evenings taught computer science at Santa Rosa Junior College.

On top of that, he coached track, football and basketball, and he especially enjoyed connecting with kids on the court and playing field.

"They may not be academically focused, but they are sports focused," he said of some of his charges.

"As a teacher and coach I believe in healthy mind, healthy body -- the Olympic ideal. You need active kids that are participating. You want them to be strong and healthy. It helps academically and vice versa," he said.

Bugarske was a founding member of the Healdsburg Little League and the Youth Soccer League.

It helped that his own children, two boys and a girl, played sports throughout school, including in college. They now have kids of their own who also are athletic.

"It's a breath of fresh air being around young folks, looking at the world through their eyes and how it's unfolding around them," he said.

Sometimes his volunteerism takes him outside Healdsburg. He'll be behind the microphone at the Kiwanis All-Star football game featuring recently graduated area high school seniors on Saturday at Santa Rosa High.

You an reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@ pressdemocrat.com.