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THE MICHIGAN CITIZEN JUNE 7 -13, 1987
7
Questions and SOME answers
By
Ouzir, Hi
Forum
IOHLAND PARK-Our
time � . the speed of
lightening we perform the
endless that stir our in-
ter d move us to ction.
Our community is fascinat­
ing and at times, frustrating,
and always exciting. Every day
brings new diseoveri and
ne ma1leoges.
Our column this ee will
contain a a number of ques­
tions and some answers. Ex­
ampe:
p KaDlidn.
What is it? � is it? Why
is it important to the citizens of
Hit/daM PtuIc? Who owns it?
In addressing some of these
questions, would call your
attentin to some of the traces
of past glory that still remain
in our city --- the city that
helped to initiate the in.
dustrial revolution and put the
world 0 motorized wheels.
Highland Park is a city
ere all the alleys are paved
and every chool in this city
has a swimming pool
Is it any nder that l the
1920's this city bad two camps
fo Highland Park children,
o for boys and one for gir
The Rotary Oub sponsored
the first camp on the property
of Herman Heffner at Lake
Orion for boys.
1WOCAMPS
The Reaeation Depart­
ment rented property near
Honor, Michigan on Platte
Lake. Camp Wallace for
boys and Camp Wasaguam for
gir
In the summer of 1927, the
city purchased the camp site
for S30cm from B. G.
Peck the owner.
As affluent as Highland
Par . had I share of
poo people, so that in 1920,
the city council, by ordinance
342, created the commission
of charities and appointed
uperintendent without salary.
Highland
receives
HIGHlAND PARK-A
igland Par teen who is in
the U nited States with his
family from Ethiopia has
received a Certificate for Ar­
tistic Excellence from Con­
gressman John Conyer Jr.
. Henoch ehtzun, 15, a
fr hman a Highland Par
Community High School,
received the certificate at
Comerica Bank headquarters
in Detroit, ay 18.
Th award, for his nature
painting in Detroit Public
Schools exhibition at the
Detroit Institute of Arts, was
The comm1S$1OD of
charities was the forerunner of
the lfare department
Many of the poor in the
city could Dot afford to send
their children to the camps.
Consequently, Mrs. Antonie
Rankin, the volunteer head of
the Community Center, sub­
mitted in 1925 a plan to coun­
cil for a community-owned
camp.
In 1928 the community cen­
ter purchased 20 acres of land
on Lake Huron, four miles
north of Lexington, Michigan,
in Sanalac County.
COMMUNITY CENTE
We have talked about the
three camps and the commis-
ion of charities and the city
council -- where does the
Community Center enter the
story?
The Highland Park Com­
munity Center was established
by the commission of
charities, a volunteer organiza­
tion.
The Highland Par Com­
munity Center was a new,
building at 25 LaBelle. The
center funded by S14,OOO
from the commission of
charities fund and $20,000
from the citys general fund
WHOSE IS IT?
Based on our research and
investigation, we feel that
there i little doubt as to who
the rightful owners of Camp
Rankin are, for these reasons:
-The Highland Park Com­
munity Center was created by
the commission of charities
which was created by city or­
dinanee 342 passed in 1920.
There was $20,000 from the
city's general fund to build
and fund the Community
Center.
When the Highland Park
Community Center purchased
Camp Rankin, named for the
first superintendent of the
commission of charities, An­
tonic Rankin, and then almost
Park student
art· award
"in recognition of outstanding
personal participation in the
1987 Congressional Arts com­
petition."
ehtzun, his parents, and
two younger brothers are
residing with his grandparents,
Mr. and Mrs. James Oden of
Highland Park.
His father, Mehtzun Tedla,
is an architect on leave from a
university in Addis Ababa,
Ethipia's capital
His mother, Ernestine
Oden Mehtzun, went to
Ethiopia as a pioneer for the
Baha'i faith 17 years ago.
I the camp in 1934, city
funds were used each time.
-Siace all known members
of the Highland Park Com­
munity Center are long since
deceased, who· trying to sell
the 20 acres of lake front
property in Sanalac County?
SWE AVAILABLE
All the information in­
cluded in this article is avail-
able to every citizen at
McGregor Library, located
just eight blocb from city hall
H we can find it and don't
wor for the city, why can't
the council, Mayor or the
legal department?
We said at the beginning
that this column would con­
tain a number of questions
and some answers.
!
We seem to have more
questions than answers. But,
as the Black preacher said
while addressing his congrega-
. tion on Sunday morning:
"Brothers and Siste we
ain't where we otta be.
"We ain't where we wanna
be.
'VIe ain't where e gonna
be.
"But thank God, e ain't
where we was,"
ER SEMESTE REGISTRA TIO
JUNE 4TH, 5TH 6TH.
CLASSES BEG. JU E 8TH
Th
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for all p opl
Highland
Coil fI •
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a priority af
Community
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Serving Metropoliten Detroit Since 1918
Glendale at Third • Highland Par Mich. 48203
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