Volume 18, Issue 01 Spring 2014

Chairpersons Chatter
Welcome to a great new year at Holly Recreation Area from all of us with the Friends of Holly. Last year was a really great year for the Friends of Holly. We raised lots of funds through events and donations. I cant wait to get started on the next season of toasty campfires on cool nights and fun activities on warm days! There are a lot of activities already planned for this year and I know there will be even more as the season gets into full swing. Please visit our new website
www.HollyFriends.org,

By Carriann Birchmeier

and to see all of the fun things we have coming up. The DNR also has some great activities planned with the Recreation 101 program to hone your skills, or maybe to learn something new! What would you like to see in your Holly Recreation Area? The Friends meetings are informal and usually held on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 10am. In the summer we meet in the pavilion shelter between the Oak and Trillium loops in the campground and in the winter months we meet at the Holly Rec. Area HQ on Grange Hall Rd. Everyone is wel-

come! Check our calendar and come and join us. We are eager to hear your new ideas and get feedback. I would like to thank all of the staff and especially the VOLUNTEERS that make all of these events such a huge success year after year and to the folks who come out to attend them for making them so much FUN. We are definitely looking for anyone who would like to volunteer for any of our activities or just would like to be a part of all the good times we seem to have. We dont require a lot of time, or talent or money commitments, just the desire to have fun and help us make great Holly Rec. memories!

NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF HOLLY RECREATION AREA

Camper Quarterly

the Michigan DNR site www.michigan.gov, or take a look at our Campground Host board on Lot 73, for all of the latest updates

Events
June 28: Patriots Day ~ Don your stars and stripes and get to the bike parade! August 16: Summer Fest ~ Have you practiced your 3-legged racing skills lately? September 13: Road Clean Up ~ Time to give back to the park that gives us so much. October 6: Haunted House Build ~ We will build it so they will come! October 10-12: Hollyween Weekend 1 ~ Doughnut on a string, anyone? October 17-19: Hollyween Weekend 2 ~ Car-free trick-or-treating, bingo, games and prizes! December 12: Christmas Dinner ~ Celebrate another successful year and our friendship

Upcoming Meetings: *April 19, 10AM @ the Concession Stand. Bring your painting clothes! *May 17, 10AM@ the FOH Pavilion Bring gloves for the park clean up! *Save the Dates: 6/14, 7/12, 8/16, 9/13, 11/8

About the Park

By Shawn Speaker, Park Supervisor

After a long, cold winter, I think we are all excited for warmer weather filled with camping and outdoor fun. Last year the day use and campground roads were impacted by regular construction, but the occasional inconveniences were well worth it. We have all new entry roads, an expanded sanitation station and 2 of the 4 main camping loops were completely repaved, pads and all. We also converted 5 of the existing campsites into ADA accessible campsites, to better accommodate campers with special mobility needs. This year, we are getting new shower/ toilet buildings installed in

both the east and west comment cards go straight sides of the to Lansing and allow you campground. Im sure any an opportunity to make of you who camp with us your voice heard right at regularly will know that rethe top. Make sure you placing these old buildings pick up a copy of the 2014 will be a huge improveEvents and Activities broment and is chure as there long overare some new We have all new entry roads, an events this year due. The new buildings will be expanded sanitation station, and you might want similar in size 2 ...loops...repaved, pads and all. to take adand in the vantage of. The same location Friends of Holly as the old buildings. Many Recreation Area make other smaller projects are many of the events in this in the works for this season park possible, including the that will improve the apHollyween Harvest Festival pearance and operations weekends, Patriots Day of the park in many and Summerfest and your ways. As always, if you continual support of their have suggestions, compliefforts is greatly appreciatments (we like) or comed by everyone who visits plaints (we listen), rememthis park. Have a safe and ber to take a few minutes fun season this year and to fill out a comment thank you for supporting card, available at the the Friends of Holly and campground office and Michigan State Parks. park headquarters. These

Help Frankie Fox Land his Disc!

Want to have some real discing fun?

Check out the parks own disc golf course, Holly Woods!
Page 2 CAMPER QUARTERLY

Excerpts from the Minutes

Treasurer's Report: Total

learned about grants.

FOH will now fund/profit

funds now are $5,996.68.

The State is working to

fix the weekday price issues in the new online registration system.
C. Birchmeier and M.

from disc golf supply sales though the park will continue to manage them.
M. LaLonde donated

an electric sign for the concession stand. An A frame sign for the parking lot was suggested.
There will be a new ex-

plorer ranger this year, though much of the other staff are returning.
The old garden area at

Jagel attended the Michigan Friends Groups Summit and

the turn of the West loops is being changed into a picnic area!
Share your park experience with us! Have an article for the newsletter, pictures for the website, an amendment to the minutes, or a great idea for our group? Please contact us at the appropriate e-mail to the left. We would love to here from you!

Officers
Chairman: Carriann Birchmeier FriendsofHolly@hotmail.com Vice Chair: Mary Jagel Treasurer: Chris Mays Secretary: John Whitesidejohn11wh@icloud.com Trustees: Dave Brown, Lynnmarie Johnson, Samantha Meyers, Michelle Mulliniks Webmaster: John Whiteside IIjwhiteside2@me.com Historian: Kelly Whiteside Newsletter: Samantha MeyersFriendsofHolly@hotmail.com

Friends reported 80 volunteer hours in 2 months!

With Fond Memories...

...we celebrate the life of Roger Duval, founding member of FOH, who passed away in May of 2013. In addition to lending his CPA skills to us by serving as treasurer for many years, Roger often maintained trails, planted and serviced the wildflower gardens, and enjoyed mountain biking throughout the park. We will miss you, Roger!

There are some who bring a light so great into this world that even after they have gone, the light remains. ~author unknown
VOLUME 18, ISSUE 01 Page 3

Greetings from your May/June Campground Hosts

yes to the recreation passport when renewing their license plate tabs. Last year saw only 26% participation and this number is less than needed to continue funding our great park system. Lets get that number up this year!!! As the campground hosts, we can hardly wait to get another season of camping going here at Holly. We enjoy meeting many new campers as well as returning camper friends we have made over the past years. Please feel free to stop by Site 73, which is the host site located in the Oak Loop. We are always willing to talk with you and provide you with any information you need. Coffee and donuts are offered on Saturday mornings at the host site at 9AM and a craft project at the Friends Shelter at 11 am. That shelter is located across from the host site. There is also a white board that is updated with valuable infor-

By John and Kelly Whiteside

WOW, what a winter. It was way too long, cold and snowy!! It was winter for the record books. With that behind us we are looking forward to another great season of camping at Holly Recreation Area. There are many exciting things happening at Holly. The old bath houses have been torn down and new ones should be in place by the opening of camping season. The campground will open later this year than normal do to the construction of these new buildings. The park is expected to be open by May 16 or sooner. Also, the Friends of Holly are conducting a fundraiser project for a new playscape at the beach area. This will provide the a much needed improvement. The goal is to have the funds and possible grant dollars in place by the 2015 season projected install. Please encourage your friends and family to say
Page 4

mation at the host site, along with horseshoes, footballs, and basketballs available to use at no charge. Pop can donations are no longer at the wishing well at the host site. The park has decided to move donation location for cans and bottles to the recycling bins at the entrance to the Oak loop and across from the bathhouse between the Trillium
Please encourage your friends and family to say yes to the recreation passport

and Hickory loops. However, feel free to drop off bags for donation at the host site if you like. Please stop by and say hello to my wife Kelly or me. We both look forward to enjoying the many stories from campers. We will hear your complaints, if any, and your positive comments as well. We will forward all comments, good or bad to the park staff or manager. Happy camping See you soon!!!!!!
CAMPER QUARTERLY

New Bathrooms on the Way!

Both the east and west toilet buildings have been removed. The site is being prepared for the new bathhouses. The propane tanks also were removed for this work. Some trees had to be removed, about 10 trees at the west building site and only 2 at the east. The new buildings have been built and will be trucked from Texas to the Holly location to be placed in position.

Founders Thoughts
It is nice that the weather has finally broken into sunshine and warm days. We are looking forward to another year of camping with all of our family and friends. It seems impossible that we started camping there almost 37 or 38 years ago when our kids were so young and that we now have grand children joining us there. That was before they moved the campground from the other side next to the lake. The park has been a beautiful spot to sit around a campfire or to go walking. The Halloween festivals with haunted trails, and finally the haunted house and so many other activities bring more fun for extended
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

By Ronald G. Douglas and Sharon Douglas, FOH Founding Members

families to enjoy with us. Although we retired seven years ago, the park is still a great place where we can celebrate those good times with family with the newly paved roads and the easy sites for backing up our fifth-wheel. The flowers and decorations on both sides of the park are still so nice to enjoy on a walk or just for a ride around the park if we feel lazy. The pavilion is a nice place to meet family with all of the tables and for all of the summer festivals, especially with the popcorn popper keeping busy. It may seem simple, but even the Saturday morning cof-

fee gettogether is a nice way to start our day. This is just a simple thank you for all of those people who have spent so much time and effort to make the Holly Recreation Area such a nice place for all of the generations of a family. You have made our world a better and a healthier place where we can enjoy getting together with our family and friends. We hope that the new bathrooms are completed soon so that we can get out and enjoy our time camping again.
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F R I E N D S O F H O L LY
8100 Grange Hall Road Holly, MI 48442 http://www.hollyfriends.org/
Phone: 248-634-8811 TTY/TDD711 (Michigan Relay Center) E-mail: friendsofholly@hotmail.com https://www.facebook.com/thefriendsofholly

Place address sticker here.

RECREATION AREA

CAMPERS QUARTERLY

Spring? Its Time to Renew your Membership! Friends of Holly Recreation Area Membership Renewal Form
{ } Individual/Family ~ $15 per year { } Friends of Holly DVD ~ $10 { } Lifetime Membership ~ $100 { } Tax-Deductible Contribution ~ $__________

Were saving up to put in a new playground by the beach, as well as to maintain the wildflower garden, and host many family-fun events . Thank you for your help!

To renew, join, and/or give a contribution, just fill out this form, detach it from the newsletter, and mail it with payment to Friends of Holly Recreation Area, 8100 Grange Hall Road, Holly, MI 48442. You may also drop your membership off at the park office or host site 73. Please make checks payable to Friends of Holly Recreation Area. Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________ State: __________ Zip ____________

Phone: ___(__________)___________-_____________________ E-Mail: ____________________________________________________________________________