Edsel Ford Barn Project: FOHRA Signage In Place

This last weekend at one of the regular 2nd and 4th Sunday FOHRA work sessions, a new sign advertising FOHRA work days was installed on the front of the Edsel Ford Barn inside the Highland Recreation Area. The sign was assembled on the ground and installed using a lift.

Great progress has been achieved throughout the spring and into this summer on the green salvage project of the debris field in back of the damaged Edsel Ford Barn. The barn's animal quarters, comprising nearly 3/4 of it's total length, was severely damaged during a June 2008 storm.

As can be seen above, the huge concrete pad beneath the barn is being exposed nicely. Team members expect full clearing of the pad in upcoming weeks. FOHRA members, community volunteers, Oakland Community College students and professors, and WWAM work crews, plus many more folks, have all contributed to the hours worked to save the barn's resources for the rebuild.

Come on out and join us to help finish up the salvaging of the barn's materials - check the FOHRA website at www.fohra.org for details! Below... a conceptual drawing of the future plan for the barn's rise!

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area are a 501(c)(3) organization.

FOHRA Receives Official 501(c)(3) Status!

As of June 25, 2009 the Friends of Highland Recreation Area are now an official IRS-approved Public Charity under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. The status is actually retroactive, to our incorporation date within the State of Michigan of March 28, 2008. It took several months and a lot of effort, and now we have achieved a status that will permit us to seek and receive tax-free funds to support our efforts on behalf of the Highland Recreation Area. Your charitable donations to FOHRA are now tax deductible. Receipt of the our approval letter from the Internal Revenue Service was the culmination of a lengthy and detailed application process. The government has stepped-up the intensity of the application process to help eliminate approvals of fraudulent "charitable" organizations.

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area (FOHRA) are committed to help support the Highland Recreation Area State Park by assisting and promoting interpretive, scientific, historical and educational visitor services.

Another Special Part of History Saved on May 31st Work Day!

The last May 2009 FOHRA work day at the Edsel Ford Barn (EFB) netted more salvageable wood, metal, glass, and cedar shingles.  But the special event of the day was definitely the recovery of another of the barn's large roof-top ventilators. These units served to draw a vacuum of air out of the barn's interior to cool and exhaust the huge spaces within.

The unit was carefully carried across the field towards the barn's remaining section (the "Cube") for storage.

FOHRA volunteers used long supports to lift the unit and transport its' bulk.

The ventilator was then put into the EFB "cube" for storage for the upcoming rebuild and re-purposing of the barn. Members of the volunteer effort are salvaging as many components of the damaged barn as possible for re-use during the reconstruction. The barn was hit by a heavy storm in June of 2008 and severely damaged.

Want to help save historic building components by volunteering? Come and join the effort at the upcoming work days of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area at the Highland State Recreation Area on Sunday, June 14 and Sunday, June 28. The effort is ongoing and will continue throughout the summer. Visit the FOHRA website at www.fohra.org for work day updates, a list of needed supplies, and other ways that you can help save the hsitoric structures in the Haven Hill section of the Highland Recreation Area.

FOHRA at Outdoorama at Proud Lake

FOHRA members Pam Sienkiewicz, Tom Slaga, Dick Russel, and Jay Fitzgerald attended the Heavner Canoe Outdoorama at Powers Beach in Proud Lake Recreation Area this last Saturday. The FOHRA display contained the increasingly popular collection of artifacts from the Haven Hill section of the Highland Recreation Area, some nice fund raising jewelry from Pam, and the new addition of some mascot sheep.

The Outdoorama event included canoe rides, picnic food, a rustic camp display, and even Smokey the Bear showed up to great the visitors.

The Milford Police brought a squad car and the siren was turned on for the kids. Ice cream was served from a vintage-style ice cream cart. Smokey the bear was a big hit... although he occasionally needed a break for ice cream from the warm spring weather.

The FOHRA tent was visited by many attendees who were informed of the terrific resource that is Highland Recreation Area.

Members briefed the guests regarding its' amazing history, terrific recreation opportunites like horse back riding, and the beautiful Haven Hill Nation Natural Landmark wilderness.

Highland Recreation Spring Hiking

The butterflies are out on the lilacs...

The pumpkinseed sunfish are on their beds at the dam of Haven Hill lake...

The lilypads are ready to bloom on the water...

And the dogwoods are in bloom on the road sides...

Spring is in full-swing at the Highland Recreation Area! Hike by yourself, or grab a friend, or take your family on a hike today!

Posted by: Jay Fitzgerald is an avid hiker and a member of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area. Visit  www.fohra.org for more information.

Haven Hill Gatehouse Gets Much Needed Highland Recreation Area Friends Group Care

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area spent most of this last Sunday weatherizing and landscaping around the former Gatehouse of the Edsel Ford Haven Hill Estate. Since it's construction in the 1920's, the structure was originally the main entrance for Edsel's sprawling complex which now lies within the Highland Recreation Area. The building had been re-purposed as the park superintendents' home by the Michigan DNR who bought the entire estate in the 1940's.  Since the 1970's the building has been vacant and fallen into disrepair.

Above: The Haven Hill Gatehouse early Sunday morning prior to FOHRA volunteer work.

FOHRA members tarped a large hole in the roof and used heavy equipment donated by Dean Sutton to clean up the grounds and perform much needed landscaping. Years of debris and vandalism refuse was removed from the garage and breezway.

Above: The Edsel Ford Gatehouse after FOHRA and WWAM work this last Sunday, May 17, 2009.

The roof received heavy tarp material to stop rain and snow penetration. The tarp was secured and then clean-up of the structure and grounds-keeping were performed all day.  "It's amazing how much can be accomplished by a group working together in just one day", a FOHRA member said.

Above: The Haven Hill Gatehouse with new roof weatherizing tarps installed by FOHRA.

The Friends group was also supported by a "WWAM Team", a helpful source of skills and labor from Oakland County. The WWAM program benefits the community in many ways and is a truly successful Oakland County program.

Above: A rear view of the historic garage attached to the living quarters by a breeze-way. Walkways (front) were found and exposed from under years of layered sod and soil.

The Gatehouse is one of several structures within the park that are being targeted for revitalization by the Friends of Highland Recreation Area. FOHRA is a non-profit volunteer organization that works in conjunction with the MDNR to support the Recreation Area. Come on out and volunteer... check the FOHRA website at www.fohra.org for information.

Spring Green in Highland Recreation Area

Spring rains bring out the green... foliage and creatures.

I'm a big frog lover and they're all around in spring. Especially after a rainy night.

Watch your step while hiking in Highland Recreation Area after a rain - these little guys are everywhere!

Edsel Ford Barn Efforts Begin a New Green Season

FOHRA members with assistance from an Oakland County WWAM  team (Weekends and Weekday Alternative for Misdemeanants) resumed major sorting and reclamation efforts at the Edsel Ford Barn on March 28th inside the Highland Recreation Area. High winds during a June 8, 2008 storm dropped approximately 3/4 of the barn's rear structure into a large debris pile that FOHRA will now sort and salvage.

FOHRA members organized the material content into sorting locations that included metal, glass, wood, asphalt tiles, etc. The volunteers intend to reuse as much of the original materials as possible for the barn's restoration.

Heavy lifting equipment from volunteer group member Dean Sutton was used to begin dismantling the large debris field. The machinery makes short work of what seems to be an insurmountable task.

FOHRA's efforts within the Highland Recreation Area are guided with intentions to reuse and reclaim as much of the park's historic structure's materials as possible, whenever possible.  Discussion of salvage projects at member meetings, which occur on the 1st Wednesday of every month, is usually filled with "green" ideas for future efforts.

The green efforts are also financially smart. Salvaging valuable raw materials makes good cents (pun intended).

Seen below, even wood that is deemed unusable for now is being sorted and stored for it's final disposition.

Come join the efforts of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area to restore this barn and other historic structures from the era of Edsel Ford's Haven Hill Estate. See our website for membership info.... www.fohra.org.   The next meeting of the group is at the White Lake Township community building on Wednesday, May 6 at 7 pm.

Crown V Ranch Grand Opening

FOHRA members were ranch hands for the day on Saturday, April 18 at the Grand Opening of the Crown V Ranch equestrian facility at Highland Recreation Area.  TJ Sullivan and his wife and family enjoyed a wonderful day for the celebration of the opening of their new proprietorship.

A great time was had by all... it was truly an amazing Spring day with temperatures in the 70's and sunshine.

Members of the MDNR staff, FOHRA members, the Highland Trail Riders, other community organizations, friends, family, business owners, and lot and lots of children attended the event. The Crown V Ranch opened the facility with hay rides, horseback riding, and pony rides for the kids.

FOHRA members staffed an increasingly sophisticated display of the history of Edsel Ford's Haven Hill Estate, membership materials, baked goods for sale, and a cool collection of area finds that everyone really enjoyed.

To say the least, the Grand Opening of the Crown V Ranch at the Highland Recreation Area stables was a terrific event marking a new Spring and Summer season in the great outdoors. Come out and enjoy a horseback ride someday in one of Oakland County and Michigan's best natural resource areas. The Highland Recreation Area!

Learn more about the Crown V Ranch at www.highlandrecridingstable.com and always make sure to stop by the FOHRA Website at www.fohra.org.

Early March Haven Hill FOHRA WWAM!

While reading this posts' title you might ask yourself what's a "FOHRA and a WWAM"? Well FOHRA is the Friends of Highland Recreation Area and WWAM stands for Weekends and Weekdays Alternatives for Misdemeanants. WWAM is an Oakland County program that was created as an alternative for misdemeanor offenders wherein participants not only pay for the option to work, but the work itself is provided free to various community projects... On March 7, 2009 the FOHRA team met 12 to 14 WWAM participants and their Supervisor on Haven Hill inside of Highland Recreation Area. It was a dark and rainy day, but by the end of the work bee the group had transformed the Haven Hill area around the Carriage House back into the park-like setting that it once was years ago.

Above: FOHRA set up a tent for the WWAM crew during the rainy day at the Haven Hill Carriage House. Photo by Tom Slaga.

Years of forest debris had covered the wonderful pathways that surround the Edsel Ford Carriage House and the road leading up to the Haven Hill Lodge Ruins. WWAM support, FOHRA members, and a heavy excavator were used to clear the road and the pathways.

Above: The path to the old parking area before and after the volunteer efforts. Photos by Tom Slaga.

Above: FOHRA member Dean Sutton uses his heavy equipment to clear Haven Hill Road.

FOHRA has scheduled more Spring clean-ups at the Edsel Ford Barn, the Carriage House, the Lodge Ruins, and the Gate House for 2009.

Above: The circle of Haven Hill Road after FOHRA and WWAM clean-up on March 7, 2009. Photo by Tom Slaga.

We would like to sincerely thank the WWAM program organizers and participants for their work.

FOHRA will continue its efforts to improve and maintain the natural settings within the Highland Recreation Area. Look out for more announcements of upcoming events soon! Come and join us!

www.fohra.org