Love of his community and preserving history propels Michael Brookman forward .

By Kelly Barbazette

Born in San Jose , Brookman grew up in Saratoga . A theater arts major in college , Brookman played the French horn and minored in music . He graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor ’ s degree in industrial education . After working in the computer and electronics industries , Brookman chose public safety as his career .

He moved to Morgan Hill in 1985 when there were six traffic lights after working as an officer for the Santa Clara County Transportation Authority . He said he patrolled much of the county and liked Morgan Hill the best . “ It ’ s a community . We all own it . I love it . That ’ s why I moved here ,” Brookman said . A police corporal with the Morgan Hill Police Department , Brookman says he enjoys interfacing with the community . The police department is also in charge of animal control , and as a result , Brookman has adopted geese , ducks , cats and his dog , Yo-Yo .

A graduate of Leadership Morgan Hill , Brookman has served as president of the nonprofit group ’ s board for five years . He continues to volunteer for the group and Henry Coe State Park , where he was a docent from 1989-2009 .

He is also a collector of cars and antique postcards . The first hobby includes racing vintage automobiles and tinkering with his eight cars ; amongst them are a few MG ’ s and a 1943 Volkswagen .

The latter hobby he stumbled upon serendipitously when he came across a postcard from Edenvale – currently part of South San Jose - from his cousin while sifting through postcards at a Morgan Hill antique shop .

Brookman said the postcards tell a fascinating story about what people value and enjoy over the years . He began collecting postcards from Gilroy and Morgan Hill and soon after began writing a book about them . Along with writer Ian Sanders , he authored “ More Views of Morgan Hill ,” which highlights Morgan Hill ’ s history through postcards .

They ’ ve recently completed their second book , titled “ A Hundred Years of Gilroy Hot Springs , 1860 ’ s - 1960 ’ s . A Visual History of Gilroy Hot Springs and ‘ Magic ’ Springs .” It is due to be released this month .

Brookman ’ s interest in the springs developed after he learned that his mother ’ s parents shared a first date at the then-popular resort .

Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs , a California Historical Landmark and on the list of National Register of Historical Places , is a property near Gilroy famed for its mineral hot springs . It was a social hot spot in the 1920s drawing hundreds of people daily for parties , dances and local service club socials . The property changed hands many times and most recently was purchased by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and added to the Henry W . Coe State Park .

“ It ’ s a huge part of the South County history ,” Brookman said . “ There ’ s not one book written about it . We got together with our postcards co-author and wrote a book .”

Brookman said writing about events past gives him a sense of purpose and ownership of his community .

“ It explains why are people here , why do people stop here why do people stay here ,” he said .

This curiosity has driven Brookman to travel to Spain four times and Mexico twice – each trip lasting a month – after completing a Spanish immersion program from Gavilan College . He recently completed a tour director school to become a tour guide . “ I love to travel so much I ’ m looking to do that for retirement ,” he said . Brookman says he plans to retire from the Morgan Hill Police Department in

June , adding , “ It ’ s time to step back ” after more than 30 years of being a patrol officer .

South America , parts of Japan , Australia , and New Zealand top his bucket list of destinations . Brookman said he hopes to lead local tours , do event planning , and coordinate “ meet and greets ” with the Chambers of Commerce for Gilroy and Morgan Hill , eventually offering statewide and European tours .

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