Elk Rapids News and Features | Elk Rapids, Michigan

CAUGHTCHA BEING GOOD!

Kathy Squires and
Brenda Boals

Mira Dake and Roger Wilson. Photo by Lauren Dake

The Pretz family was heartbroken. Their dog Molly had run off while they were on vacation in Elk Rapids. She had already been missing for 30 days when the family had to return home to Virginia. Meanwhile Brenda Boals and Kathy Squires had volunteered to help look for the Australian Shepherd/Chow mix.

In early August Molly was spotted on Angell Road picking at a dead possum. Kathy sat by the side of the road with her car door open for several hours to see if Molly would come to her but would retreat when approached. Later in the afternoon, Brenda also saw Molly on Angell Road picking at the possum again. She and Kathy put a plan together to catch her. Setting a camouflaged trap, Molly was finally caught. That evening the Pretz family got the call that they had been hoping for – Molly was safely home! The family left the next morning and were reunited with Molly the next day. A big shout out of gratitude from the Pretz Family to Brenda and Kathy as well as to “the Elk Rapids and Grand Traverse community for being incredibly blessed to have such wonderful and selfless people.”

Journey Through Time
with Jackie Weber

Franklin J. Howe, Elk Rapids night policeman

Franklin J. Howe was an Elk Rapids night policeman. Before he entered law enforcement Howe worked for the Elk Rapids Iron Company as a cook on floating boarding houses that traveled throughout the Chain of Lakes. Howe took great care of the men who chopped down the trees and loaded the lumber on scows.

Franklin was born November 21, 1854 in Hillsdale County, Michigan and moved to the area in which he lived for over 40 years. He was known for his kindness to others and was a safe guardian to the village according to his obituary printed March 11, 1915 in the Elk Rapids Progress. Photo courtesy of the Elk Rapids Area Historical Society.

Sandie's Galley
with Sandie Parker

With Labor Day just around the corner, yes, I know, so soon? Anyway, many of us have picnics, family and or friend’s gatherings to celebrate. Whether you are hosting, or you are invited to a party, Sloppy Joes are perfect for a bunch of adults and even the kids. Love meals that can be whipped up within 15 minutes, and then just let it gel until ready to serve. If you find the meat sauce is done before you are ready to serve it, just turn it to warm. I have three crock pots, all sizes and only one of them has a “warm” setting. I highly recommend one that does, it comes in so handy, so many times. If yours doesn’t, just turn it off for a bit and back on if needed for about 20 minutes. I gotta tell you, I have never had a better tasting sloppy joe. Please try these, not only for parties but anytime. Email me at sandiesgalley@gmail.com and enjoy.

Sloppy Joes
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 sandwich buns, split

Crumble the ground beef into a fry pan, add onions, scramble the burger and cook until browned. Drain and pour into crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours. Serves 8.

Elk Rapids District
Library Corner

Upcoming Events:
The E.R. Scrabble Society: B.Y.O.Board. Mondays, 1:30 p.m. Play a game with your fellow wordsmiths.

Drop In Knitting with Kate. Thursdays, from 6:30 to 8. Need help turning a heel? Not sure where you are in a pattern? Kate can help.

Plan Ahead! The Library will be closed on Saturday, August 31st, and Sunday and Monday, Septembe r 1st and 2nd, for the Labor Day Weekend. Enjoy the Holiday!

“It Takes a Village” Gala. Thursday, September 12, 6 pm at the HERTH. Get your tickets to this event to support the expansion and renovation of the Library. The special evening includes gourmet food stations, live music, two drinks inspired by great literature, live and silent auctions featuring art, literature, and exclusive experiences, and a special presentation by Dr. Michael Stephens. It is sure to be a festive affair!

A Performance After Hours. Friday, September 13, 6:30 pm at the Library. Raymond Goodwin returns with another original one man play you won’t want to miss.

Please call the library at
231-264-9979 for more information

Wolfington awarded ERYC Dock Attendant Scholarship

ERYC Vice Commodore Tony Krug, Alex Wolfington, ERYC Commodore Matt Feenstra. Courtesy photo

At an Elk Rapids Yacht Club event held this past weekend, the ERYC along with Albert and Cheryl Werth proudly awarded the 2019 ERYC Dock Attendant Scholarship of $1,000 to Alex Wolfington, a 2018 graduate of Elk Rapids High School. Alex is the son of Bill and Laura Wolfington and will be entering his sophomore year at Ferris State University majoring in Radiography.

In 2013, the ERYC established an annual $500 scholarship to honor Cheryl Werth upon her retirement as Harbormaster of Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor. Graciously, Cheryl and her husband, Albert, offered to contribute to the scholarship and again this year matched the ERYC contribution. Dock attendants, who must maintain employment for a complete season at the harbor and be attending, or have been accepted to an accredited college, vocational school, trade school or community college, are eligible to submit their name for the scholarship. The selection process for the scholarship is random and conducted by the ERYC Officers and the Harbormaster. Congratulations Alex and best wishes for continued success in your studies at FSU.

Village of Elk Rapids
Village Council Update

The Village Council met on Monday for a very abbreviated meeting, due to the loss of Jim Janisse’s wife, Mardy. Barbara Mullaly chaired the meeting.

The Consent Calendar, including the minutes of the previous Village Council meeting and the Harbor Commission, as well as the approval of bills paid, was passed.

A representative of Gabridge & Co. gave an audit report of the village’s fiscal year 2018-2019. Generally speaking, the report was positive. Those interested can read the audit on the Village’s website. There were some questions from the Council. The audit was accepted by the Council.

Three people spoke to the Council concerning the sewer issue and the letter sent out to those affected by the issue. The Council suggested there will be more research and a meeting will be scheduled before a vote is taken.

The remainder of the agenda will be addressed at the next regular Council meeting. The meeting was then adjourned. – Submitted by Dolores Hibbard, Contributing Writer

Graham named Mill Creek Elementary principal

Elk Rapids Public Schools is excited to introduce Mr. Brett Graham as the new principal at Mill Creek Elementary. Mr. Graham was selected by a committee of administrators, staff and parents and was one of 17 candidates who applied for the position.

Mr. Graham is a 1990 graduate of Elk Rapids High School. Brett studied at Alma College, majoring in Elementary Education and went on to finish his Administration Masters at Grand Valley State University in 2003. He spent 10 years teaching elementary/middle school in Kalkaska and 14 years teaching middle school at West Middle School in Traverse City.

Mr. Graham and his family reside in Kewadin. His wife, Erin, is a speech pathologist at TBAISD. His son, Cole, is going into 5th grade at Lakeland Elementary and his daughter, Abby, is going into 4th grade at Lakeland Elementary.

Although Brett and his family are not new to our community, please offer a warm welcome.

IRS GOES AFTER VIRTUAL CURRENCY OWNERS

Virtual Currency (sometimes referred to as Bitcoin) is a completely digital monetary payment system. Bitcoin, the first and best-known, is now just one of many virtual currencies, but its name has become a common generic term for this digital payment network. Any reference to Bitcoin in this article will be generic.

This decentralized digital payment network is powered by its users with no governing authority or middleman (for example, a bank or a credit card company such as Visa or American Express). From a user perspective, Bitcoin is much like cash for the Internet. Bitcoins have value because they are a useful form of money. The value comes only and directly from people willing to accept them as payment.

For many reasons, Bitcoins have become widely used in internet-based commerce, but there are a growing number of land-based businesses and individuals using virtual currencies, such as restaurants, retail shops, and law firms. Bitcoin is a relatively new phenomenon and it is growing fast. Millions of dollars are exchanged daily, which is of course, an area of interest to IRS.

Last year IRS announced a Virtual Currency Compliance campaign to address tax noncompliance related to the use of virtual currency through outreach and examinations of taxpayers. IRS is focused on enforcing the law through increased use of data analytics and helping taxpayers fully understand and meet their obligations. IRS started sending educational letters in July to businesses and individuals with virtual currency transactions who may have reported them on their income tax return incorrectly or failed to report them altogether. By the end of August, more than 10,000 taxpayers will have received letters. The names of these taxpayers were obtained through various ongoing IRS compliance efforts. Taxpayers should take these letters very seriously by reviewing their tax filings and where appropriate, amending past returns and making payments of back taxes, interest and penalties if applicable.

For taxpayers receiving an educational letter, there are three variations (Letter 6173, Letter 6174 or Letter 6174-A), which address a variety of circumstances. All three versions are aimed at helping taxpayers understand their tax and filing obligations, and providing instructions on how to correct past errors.

IRS will remain actively engaged in addressing non-compliance related to virtual currency transactions through a variety of efforts, ranging from taxpayer education to audits to criminal investigations. Taxpayers who do not properly report the income and pay associated taxes for virtual currency transactions will be held liable for past-due tax, penalties and interest. In some cases, taxpayers could be subject to criminal prosecution.

Virtual currency is an ongoing focus area for the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. IRS states that virtual currency is property for federal income tax purposes and provides guidance on how general federal tax principles apply to virtual currency transactions. Compliance efforts follow these general tax principles. IRS will continue to consider and solicit taxpayer and practitioner feedback in education efforts and future guidance.

For more information go to WWW.IRS.GOV, and in the search box type VIRTUAL CURRENCY.

– Submitted by Char Kirchner, CPA, MSA and Rex Rudolph, CPA

Norte to host 4th annual Adventurama event

The 4th annual Adventurama will be held Saturday, September 7 bringing adventurers from across the Grand Traverse Region to participate in a game of strategy played atop bicycles on the neighborhood streets and trails of Traverse City. Pedaling squads of 3-5 adventurers will compete against each other in a not so serious way by exploring Traverse City, discovering treasure, completing challenges and solving riddles. In addition to the regular Open Division (middle/high school kids, adults), Norte added a Family Division (must have at least two kids 10 and under) which will be perfect for our youngest adventurers (elementary kids) and their families. The event will be held at The Workshop Brewing Company beginning at 12 noon with the course opening at 1 p.m. Cost is $50 donation/squad. Registration and more information can be found here: https://elgruponorte.org/adventurama/

Pickleball is taking over Elk Rapids Area!

Courtesy photo

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America and has had a 650% increase in participation over the last six years according to USA Pickleball Association (USAPA).

This is evident in our area as you can see the courts filled Monday through Friday at the park in Kewadin. There are large numbers of regular players that rotate days and playing time and have now approached the Milton Township Parks /Recreation committee to look into increasing the number of the courts to accommodate rising demand.

Many consider Pickleball to be a senior sport, but younger and middle-aged people are getting hooked on this fast-paced sport that involves a court, net, paddle and a plastic ball. The sport just keeps gathering fans.

The Kewadin Pickleball Club will be hosting their first annual Round Robin Challenge at the courts in Kewadin on August 28 next to the Township Hall.

How wonderful to see so many active residents and guests in our area! If interested in more information, please contact Milton Township Parks and Recreation Dept. at 231-264-6612 or email De De etpickleball@gmail.com

Local P.E.O. chapter holds annual summer luncheon

The P.E.O. Chapter EB held their annual summer luncheon in July at the Elk Rapids Golf Club. Themed “Lilacs and Lavender,” 46 members and friends attended. Guest speaker Sierra Bigham from Bear Earth Herbals gave an informative talk about infusing various plant leaves in vinegar. P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization that supports women’s education. For more information see www.peointernational.org.