Elk Rapids News and Features | Elk Rapids, Michigan

CAUGHTCHA BEING GOOD!

Marcia Bingham and Jerry Levesque

Marcia Bingham and Jerry Levesque load up their shopping carts with pet supplies. Courtesy photo

It’s not every day that one can fill up their shopping cart with anything they desire without thought to cost. But that is exactly what happened recently when Marcia Bingham and her husband, Jerry Levesque, were the winners of The Village Market’s annual shopping spree. The couple had two minutes to fill multiple shopping carts with anything from the store. They picked up a few things for themselves, but the majority of their time was spent in the pet aisle where they grabbed cleaning supplies, treats, dog and cat food, all to be donated to Help for My Friends Pet Crisis Center in Bellaire. “We love animals, we have animals, and we rescue animals!” said Marcia. “Kevin, Laura, and the whole staff at Village Market were amazing and made it so fun. It was an experience we’ll never forget.”

In all, $800 worth of pet food and supplies were donated to the center. It was such an act of kindness said one impressed onlooker. Caughtcha being GOOD, Marcia and Jerry. Your kindness is exemplary!

ELK RAPIDS SCHOOLS
Bond Information

Looking to the future of Elk Rapids Schools, the Board of Education is asking the community to consider a bond proposal on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, for district-wide improvements to address identified and ongoing building, facility and site issues.

The bond information tab is now on Elk Rapids Schools website, www.erschools.com. It is on the left-hand side as a BOND INFO link to click on. This tab provides: Bond Proposal Fact Sheet, Bond Proposed Improvement Renderings and Bond Proposal Frequently Asked Questions

Please email bondquestions@erschools.com with any additional questions.

“It’s Chilly” Cook-Off

Congratulations to all who participated in the annual DDA Chili cook off last Saturday! The winners in the food service category: First place - Elk Rapids General Store, Second Place - Elk Rapids Schools (first time participants!).

Other business winners: First place - Nifty Things, Second Place - Elk Rapids District Library. There were so many tasty chilis for chili lovers to sample.

WHAT IS A GIG ECONOMY?

The gig economy, also called the on-demand, sharing or access economy, is an activity where individuals earn income providing on-demand work, services or goods. Individuals involved in the gig economy earn income as a freelancer, independent worker or employee. Often the work is accessed through a digital platform such as an internet based app or website. Digital platforms are businesses that match workers’ services or goods with customers. The following list includes examples of the types of digital platform businesses that provide access to goods and services.

   1.   Ridesharing services
   2.   Delivery services
   3.   Crafts and handmade item marketplaces
   4.   On-demand labor and repair services
   5.   Property and space rentals
   Examples of gig work include the following:
   1.   Drive a car for booked rides or deliveries
   2.   Rent out property, or part of it, such as space in your home or office
   3.   Run errands or complete tasks upon request
   4.   Sell goods online
   5.   Rent equipment
   6.   Provide creative or professional services
   7.   Provide other temporary, on-demand or freelance work

Taxpayers who work in the gig economy need to understand how their work affects their taxes. Income earned through the gig economy is usually taxable, even if the taxpayer providing the service does not receive an information return such as Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income; Form 1099-K, Merchant Card and Third Party Network Payments; or Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. There are tax implications for both the company providing the platform and the individual performing the services or providing the goods.

This income is taxable even if the activity is only part-time, temporary or side work, and the taxpayer is paid in any form, including cash, property, goods, or virtual currency such as Bitcoin. Individuals who earn income through the gig economy are generally required to pay federal and if applicable, state income taxes and Social Security and Medicare tax, including the Additional Medicare Tax, if applicable. Freelancers and independent workers may be able to deduct business expenses, such as for a vehicle or home office. Special rules usually apply to rental property also used as a residence during the tax year.

Workers who do not have taxes withheld from their gig economy income have two ways to pay their taxes in advance. If the worker has another job and their employer withholds taxes from their paycheck, the worker can request the employer withhold additional taxes from their paycheck to cover income from the gig economy. Alternatively, the taxpayer can make quarterly estimated income tax payments.

Taxpayers who work in the gig economy need to understand how their work affects their taxes. A little pre-planning can help make sure gig economy workers are prepared when it’s time to file their income tax returns.

For more information go to WWW.IRS.GOV and search Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business.– Submitted by Char Kirchner, CPA, MSA and Rex Rudolph, CPA

Antrim County Register of Deeds Office working on large-scale document scanning project

The Antrim County Register of Deeds’ Office began the process of converting its oldest records to digital format and has been making significant progress in an attempt to bring the Register of Deeds Office fully online. Documents will be scanned to make digital copies, increasing the safety of those documents and improving the accessibility to them, as well.

Register of Deeds, Patty Niepoth has made great strides in this project with the desire to bring her office into the modern age of recording and indexing. Microfilm and books are scanned to create image files. Those files are then enhanced to provide the highest quality image possible. When the images are finalized, the staff in the Register of Deeds’ Office will begin the process of indexing the records, allowing them to be searched for online.

The contract portion of the project, which involves scanning and enhancing the images, is expected to take one year, all of which is paid through dedicated funds generated by recording fees within the office. No tax dollars are used for this effort.

The microfilm and record books primarily contain real estate transactions between two parties, the date and description of the property. This monumental project will be finalized in the near future as the Antrim County Register of Deeds Office continues to push forward.

Elk Rapids District
Library Corner

Preschool Story Hour with Miss Sue and Jacquie. Wednesdays, 10:30 am, when school is in session.

Sherman the Reading Dog. Saturday, February 22, 11 am – 12 pm. Sherman, a loveable Bernese Mountain dog, loves books! Kids of all ages are invited to stop by the Library and read to Sherman.

Tibetan Singing Bowls with Mark Handler. Friday, February 28, 6 pm on the Library porch. Mark Handler, a singing bowl master who has performed nationally, will perform for us at an after-hours program. Join us for this soothing presentation.

Restorative Justice. Thursday March 5, 6 pm. Restorative practices is rooted in ancient wisdom, using the oral tradition of circles to build relationship and community, solve problems and transform conflict. Join Cindy Garwood for a circle discussion.

Introduction to Drawing. March 10, 17, 24, and 31. 5:30 pm. Inspired by ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’. Join Christine Cook for this four-part series. Learn sighting, perspective, negative space, patterns, contour, and more.

The Giving Year. There is still time to write a friendly note for a home-bound person. We have blank note cards you can use. The Commission on Aging says they can also use shawls or lap blankets.

Glamor, Glitter, and Glitz Don’t forget to donate used jewelry to the friends of the library for their jewelry sale this fall.

Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce
Chamber welcomes new businesses

The Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting last Saturday to celebrate the opening of Harbor Fitness, 115 Ames Street, Elk Rapids.

Renee O’Kane with Louie O’Kane, MaryJane O’Kane, Frannie Klein, Myla O’Kane, Corey O’Kane, Joe Klein, Beth Pryde, John Peterson, Caelan Klein, Scott Pryde, and Kathleen Peterson. Photo by Dre Photography

Harbor Days Button Design Contest

The Harbor Days Button Design Contest is in full swing! Bright colors and creativity are encouraged. Please have all entries submitted by noon on March 20, 2020. Entry forms can be picked up at The Elk Rapids Library and The Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call Sharon at 248-909-3926.

VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS
Village Council Update

The Regular Village Council met on Tuesday, February 18 at 7 p.m. Once Roll Call had been completed the Consent Calendar and Meeting Minutes were accepted, as well as the Approval of Bills once the Christmas Party fund had been explained to Patricia Perlman’s satisfaction. With no Citizen Comments or Manager’s Report (although that there was no definite date for the next zoning meeting) they moved on to Unfinished Business. After some discussion it was agreed that copies of all related exchanges for the Proposed Ordinance #496 relating to ethical conduct would be redistributed so that new member Mike Toscano could be brought up to date and to further clarify other questions. Discussions would continue at the next meeting. The Village Sewer Study is also underway.

Under New Business Village Manager Bill Cooper recommended accepting the business proposal from Chemical Bank. His main reason was a higher interest rate. Alden Bank, the current bank for the village, was given the opportunity to make a counteroffer with the same or similar proposal. Alden Bank did make a counteroffer, but Cooper said that from a purely business viewpoint Chemical Bank would be a better choice. After further discussion a vote was taken to change to Chemical Bank in a 4 to 3 vote. It was also noted that the decision would be revisited in a year to evaluate if Chemical Bank is fulfilling the needs of the village. Karen Simpson was voted to fill the vacant term on the Elk Rapids District Library Board. She will be sworn in at a later date.

Consolidated Monthly Reports included Barb Mullaly reminding voters to learn about the different bonds coming up and to please remember to vote. The Housing Report stated that they had voted to renew the insurance premium and that the new maintenance employee is currently being trained. There was no Beautification Committee Report because there is no meeting until April 2020. The Harbor Commission Report included the Harbormaster’s Report and discussion of the possibility of the ferry to Suttons Bay. The Planning Commission Report was that discussions for the short term rentals are ongoing. The Parks and Rec Report stated that the ice rink is still not useable due to weather not being cold enough. It might be useable in the next few days if the weather remains cold. Melissa West also discussed the after-school skating project. The DDA Report shared that maps are being developed to include the concerns about Ames Street to the Village limits. Green ER discussed some of the events coming up (this will include a cockroach race from the Butterfly House; dates are available online at Green ER) and that the next meeting will be February 26. The Township Committee Report discussed the new fruit names chosen for the cemetery roads.

Under Council Comments it was mentioned that there would be a meeting next week in regard to the proposed trail route through Elk Rapids. Coffee with the Council be on March 21 at 10 a.m. It will be held at The Lighthouse. More details will be placed in the paper.

The next meeting will be Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m. Submitted by Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer

Great ways to get creative await at Twisted Fish Gallery

Acrylic painting by Charles Murphy. Courtesy photo

Struggling with cabin fever yet? We’ve got two great opportunities for you to get out and stir up some creative fun at Twisted Fish Gallery in Elk Rapids.

Master artist, Charles Murphy offers another “Adventures in Acrylics” Workshop on Saturday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Charles offers techniques for the seasoned artist to the “artist-to-be” in order to help you create a completed canvas throughout the day. $150/student includes a full lunch served at the gallery and refreshments. Students must bring their own supplies. Please call the gallery for the supply list prior to attendance.

Gwen Perenchio, of Bella Filato Studio in Williamsburg, offers some of the finest quality, hand-crafted knit wears around. For those interested in trying something different, she now offers her Punch Needle Workshop on Saturday, March 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in our Cottage Gallery. In this short workshop, you’ll learn the basics of the Punch Needle stiches, how to fix mistakes, how to change color and how to choose the right materials for your project. $75 includes all materials provided by Gwen and light refreshments.

Both workshops are kept to a small number of 10 students so as individual attention can be provided. Workshops can be purchased directly through the gallery 231-264-0123 or at mynorthtickets.com. Spaces are filling up. Please call or register online to reserve your spot.

ERHS students participate at Academic Worldquest

Academic Worldquest is an academic competition among teams of students from northern Michigan High Schools. The team that finishes first moves on to a national competition in Washington D.C. In the fall of the school year the teams are presented with ten different topics in which one hundred questions will be taken for the winter competition. This year there were teams from T.C. Central, T.C. West, St. Francis, Charlevoix, Elk Rapids, and other schools.

Elk Rapids entered two teams in the competition. The sophomore team of Emma Macaluso, Caroline Ducharme, Amelia Beatty, and Mallory Potter earned third place medals. Questions for the competition were taken from the following categories: 1. U.S.-Russia Relations 2. Country in Focus: South Korea 3. Preventing Extremism in Fragile States 4. Oceans: The World’s Garbage Dump 5. Great Decisions 6. Brexit and the EU 7. China’s Belt & Road Initiative 8. Germany: 30 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall 9. Qatar and the Future of the Gulf Cooperation Council 10. Current Events.

John Gregorski, Advisor, and third place winners: Mallory Potter, Amelia Beatty, Caroline Ducharme, and Emma Macaluso. Courtesy photo

ERHS boys team placed fourth: Matthew Brown, Cooper Kerkhof, Josh Doctor, and Matthew Baker. Courtesy photo

KUDOS:
Hometown tuba hero

Courtesy photo

Brandon Bruce, a current master’s candidate at Western Michigan University and a 2014 Elk Rapids alumni, has been selected to perform with the Intercollegiate Band through CBDNA representing WMU at DePaul University in Chicago. Bruce is one of five students from WMU to be selected to perform in this elite ensemble among other advanced undergraduate and graduate students from the Midwest region. Bruce anticipates graduating with his Master’s in Music Performance in the spring of 2021 and is graduate teaching assistant with the athletics bands at WMU. Along with his studies at WMU, Brandon is the acting principal tuba player for the Cereal City Concert Band in Battle Creek, and instructor of tuba and euphonium at Mattawan Schools. Brandon is the son of Lois and Stephen Bruce, of Kewadin.