It’s Been a Busy 2015-2016
Well…it’s been an exciting year of projects, excitement and fun here in the Forest Hill Park Community. Here’s a recap of some of the projects completed and some serious fun that was had in 2016.
First , The Board would like to thank all members of the community that have taken time out of their busy schedules to volunteer for projects and that have lent a hand to help make our neighborhood and Lake Community one of the best in West Milford. There is no way we can do it without your help!
We also would like to welcome several new families that moved into the neighborhood along with a new baby joining the FHP gang (MJ). We would like to welcome the following families: Hilpert (Peach), Twerdak (Peach), Veloso (Cross Oak), Vinogradov (Cross Oak) and Albrecht (Berry). We look forward to meeting all of you! Hopefully you all enjoyed the welcome basket that was delivered by members of the Social Committee (this was something new put in place this year for new families joining the neighborhood).
Let’s review and start with some of the fun the Social Committee put together for 2016
We started the year with our Annual BYOB Crawl in January, where we visited several houses; enjoyed each other’s company, specialty drinks, fabulous foods, and the infamous “ski”. We ended our last stop at Gabby and John’s where many stayed late into the night (you never want to be the last house…so, thank you), as you can imagine that’s all I can say about the Crawl. What happens at The Crawl stays at The Crawl…
Next, in April the Easter Bunny not only hopped into Forest Hill Park to deliver baskets to the kids, but he also hopped to Skyland’s Skating Rink. The kids searched for eggs, filled their bellies with pizza and candy, and skated around the rink. This was the first year we used Skyland’s to hold our community Easter festivities. It was a great time for everyone that attended.
The summer came quickly…which is why many moved to this Lake Community. The beach and Lake (which has been noted by several outsiders as one of the nicest and cleanest in West Milford) were rocking all summer long. Many neighbors, family and friends strolled down to our beautiful lake and enjoyed our newly renovated and landscaped picnic area where we swam, barbequed, kayaked, played soccer/football, dove off the high dive, relaxed on the dock, took rides down the slide, boated, fished…or maybe just sat in a chair on the waters dipping toes in and basking in the sun soaking up the rays. One day, several kids got lucky…as the fire department was conducting training drills…shooting water from their fire hoses sky high into the lake. The kids raced out to the middle of the lake in their Kayaks and were able to play in the huge sprays of water, which was really cool! Also throughout the summer, several brunches were held by a few families down at the fishing dock and many families also hosted larger parties and get-togethers at the beach with family and friends. (requests to hold larger gatherings can be made on the website)
In June, we held our Annual Fishing Derby, where the kids enjoyed fishing from the land or by boat…. Medals were awarded to all of the kids following the Derby. Somehow some kids won the all contests although they personally didn’t catch a fish…lol After the Derby, we barbequed and had a great time on into the night where we finished with a bon fire and, as you can imagine, there were plenty of “fish” stories told that evening.
The ladies also enjoyed a night by themselves in June at a Paint/Wine party hosted by Evelyn. The boys crashed it later that night.
Also, this summer we held our FHP BYOB Annual Picnic, which was well attended. There was plenty of food, spirits, laughs and, as always, John Grygus made his special “Jauuuuicea”. The kids thrilled in scavenger hunts, swimming, kayaking, paddle boating and games all day, which were set up by Alice (Thank you Alice!) Once it got dark, there were fireworks to enjoy as the reflections of the lights off the lake made for a really cool sight…although one of the “new” neighbors had too much “Jauuuuicea” and his significant other put the kibosh on setting off his fireworks …which was a good call in the long run. Fair warning…the new folks may want to watch how much “Jauuuuicea” they drink. Once again, we hung out into the night and sat around the camp fire telling stories and laughing all night.
One thing that also happened this summer…some would say was a blessing in disguise, was the washout of our beach after that major rainstorm and the flooding that hit us. The beach had to be repaired as it was almost completely washed away and too dangerous to walk on. Some would say the good part to come out of it was… that we needed replace it anyway with some well-needed new sand. The material that was spread is pretty close to real Jersey Shore beach sand through which you can revel in sifting your feet and toes. Thanks to all who came to help spread the sand, because if you didn’t, the large piles would still be there!
The summer wrapped up more quickly than we would have liked, but that brought us to our Oktoberfest where there was German music cranking, beer flowing, and food to be indulged by all (Some Polish food, too…and of course, plenty of “Jauuuuicea”)
For Halloween, the kids all dressed up in their costumes and marched around the clubhouse area for the biggest, most well-attended, “Trunk or Treat” festivities ever held at FHP. The trunks were decorated to the max along with food, candy and cider, all of which was served out of them.
That brought us to the holidays where Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the children for the Annual Cookie Decorating Night. (A special thanks to Alice for leading this). Santa and Mrs. Claus gave out gifts to the children and when they dashed away on their sled the kids watched a holiday movie while the adults enjoyed some holiday cheer in our newly renovated clubhouse.
The Annual Crawl kicked off 2017 with a bang…stay tuned for next year’s recap to hear about it. It was a good one!
If I was a kid …I sure would enjoy growing up here and making memories of a lifetime! (It’s not bad as an adult either!)
For updates, fliers are circulated and you can continue to check the website for events. If you would like to get involved, please contact the Social Committee or the Board.
A special thanks to the Social Committee for making this such a fun and inclusive year for all! (Gabby, Leeann, Nikki, Karrie, Trish, Pat, Ronnie, Alice, Karra, Evelyn, Jackie and Jen.
Now Here’s Recap of Projects Completed in 2015-2016
There were several projects completed this year based on need and to give the park a much-needed facelift.
The one that stands out most is the renovated clubhouse and bathroom. Hopefully you all have had a chance to stop by and check it out. We now have beautiful usable bathrooms that people will actually feel comfortable using, along with a updated clubhouse/meeting area with a cozy kitchen. Small functions can be, and have been held here such as the Cookie Making Night, Movie Night, Ladies Paint Night, Monday Night Football or maybe even a wine party hosted by Nikki.
There are so many people to thank for volunteering and that helped with this project from the start; planning, designs, demolition (this was brutal), building/framing, electrical, cleanup, painting, masonry, meeting with contractors, etc. It was a big group effort to get it accomplished but, A BIG THANK YOU goes to Frank Redl who was the General Contractor and donated a ton his own time and materials to the project. Because Frank took this on we saved a lot of $$$ and we wouldn’t have been able to do what needed to be done without him. Now that the parking lot is paved…and striped and once the handicapped ramp and railings are installed it will be ready for full use. We also plan on doing a little landscaping to give it some curb appeal and love. Any suggestions you may have for the clubhouse and bathrooms are welcome. If anyone wants to lend a hand, there are some small jobs left such as painting, cleanup, etc. John Grygus also needs a mention as he donated a lot of time, manpower and materials to help with the projects. Bob Mueller, as the Asst. GC, took on a lot of work, too. Many community members came out to help in and one way or another. A BIG THANK YOU goes out to those who did. Thanks to all who donated their time in some way or another during this project! Although it was a lot of work, it was nice to see folks come out and lend a hand along with getting to know people better, too. If we could name all of the people that helped out in some sort of way I would…but I know some would be forgotten
One project that the Board was asked to undertake by several community members was the eyesore that is the leaf/grass dump area, which turned into a garbage dump. This was excavated and cleaned up, and the garbage was hauled away. Grass was planted and a berm was built with evergreens to block any future compost materials. Different signs for compost and clippings will be placed around in order to keep the area clean. Many have commented on how nice it now looks when coming around that turn. The same contractor was also able to dispose of some of the reeds along the DAM wall and down beach, making the beach area larger to accommodate all of the kayaks and boats that are now used at the lake.
Other than the new Beach Sand for the lake, several enhancements have taken place in regard to treatments and water movement to keep the lake swimmable and beautiful. The old ropes were also replaced with updated new roping, which make a big difference when looking at the lake, giving it a sharper image. The dock stairs were also repaired, and the beach wall and railings painted, along with the purchase of some new picnic tables and beach chairs. Between the picnic area renovation and the enhancements made, several community members and even outsiders have said we live in one of the most beautiful lake communities in the area. We continue to evaluate the treatment companies and other ways to move the water around to keep it beautiful and nice to swim in.
Some projects under consideration for this year are:
- One that everyone has asked for: changes to the work weekend policies to be more flexible. The Board is working on this now and it may go under a one year trial
- Finishing the small things at the clubhouse (paint, decorate, landscape, etc.)
- Implementing water movement options. Experts that have evaluated the lake have said the compressor and aerators we have are too small. We need to look at these recommendations and opinions to decide what will work best for our lake
- Adding an outdoor rinse-off shower.
- Fire pit, for – we already have some materials, which were left over from the office renovation.
- The swim-out dock is greatly in need of repair as well.
2016 was a fun year in FHP as many were involved in both work and play. We worked hard but also played hard, and we hope we can do the same and even get more people involved in 2017.