CAUGHTCHA BEING GOOD!Brenda Leitow
Photo by KLW
Brenda Leitow was awakened from a deep sleep in the early morning last week by a strange flickering light behind her blinds. “That’s an odd color for the sunrise,” thought the Noble Pines resident. Investigating further outside, she was horrified to see that the area housing the dumpster was on fire. Flames had engulfed the dumpster, the fence surrounding it and were already all the way up into the rafters of the building. She pulled the fire alarm, grabbed her phone, called 911 and immediately began knocking on all the residents’ doors. Brenda was able to rouse all 22 residents and get them out of their apartments just as the fire department was arriving. “My neighbors needed me,” said Brenda. “As the fire chief said, we dodged a bullet!” Many, many thanks, Brenda, for averting what could have been a terrible tragedy.
Elk Rapids Community Cupboard Food Pantry is OPEN during COVID-19The Elk Rapids Community Cupboard is open during the COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency. The Director, Pam Coleman, has reduced the number of volunteers packing groceries to a bare minimum to maintain social distancing. Additionally, volunteers are wearing protective equipment while packing groceries and restocking shelves.
Prior to the emergency, clients would visit the cupboard to pick up their groceries. Now, there is a group of volunteers who will deliver groceries to each client. These deliveries will occur every other Tuesday starting March 31 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and every other Friday starting April 3 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. There will be enough food to help each family until the next delivery. Serving the Elk Rapids Schools area, anyone in need of food assistance may call Pam at 847-445-8239. Available assistance will be provided to receive what they need. They will then be placed into the normal Tuesday or Friday rotation. Donations are also accepted. The items the cupboard is most in need of include cereal, tuna fish, juice, jam, canned fruit, canned vegetables, powdered milk, sanitary products and toilet paper. Donations can be dropped off at First Presbyterian Church at 404 Spruce St, Elk Rapids. ELK RAPIDS SCHOOLS
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Contact: Village Manager William Cooper or
Assistant Village Manager Caroline Kennedy FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Elk Rapids, MI March 24, 2020 Village Operations During Executive Order 2020-21 Executive Order 2020-21 to “Stay Home, Stay Safe” in effect through April 13, is intended to reduce the spread of the virus, buying time to ramp-up testing and hospital services. Reducing the number of new patients helps hospitals meet the demand for treating the critically ill. Any extension of the executive order is dependent on the following decision points: virus testing, medical equipment, hospital capacity and economic indicators. The April 6 council meeting is cancelled, due to no time sensitive agenda items. Staff has evaluated options for electronic meetings and will implement if/when necessary. Currently the April 20 council meeting remains scheduled. Essential village services are uninterrupted. Village staff are currently observing the following schedule: • The Police Department schedule remains the same. • The Department of Public Works staff is reduced with priority responsibilities for water, wastewater, trash pick-up and other necessary functions. All personnel are on-call in case of emergency. • Compactor hours remain Wednesdays 11 am-7 pm, Saturdays 9:30 am-5 pm • The Government Center is closed to the public with reduced staffing/hours for handling utility billing, accounts payable and other essential responsibilities. Other administrative staff will stagger working from home and office, depending on the demands of the day. • The Government Center voicemail system is operational and checked daily. If you do not reach a staff member directly, please leave a voicemail for the appropriate person. (231) 264-9274. • Enjoy our parks with physical distancing of 6+ feet and be aware that park equipment is not sanitized. The village utilizes official resources for all state and federal announcements, will remain in compliance and will share current information pertinent to village operations. Please check our official website homepage at www.elkrapids.org under News & Announcements, as well as our official village Facebook page. Modified store hours due to COVID-19River Pharmacy will deliver within 5-mile radius. 231-264-8265
Corner Drug – Charge for home delivery and free outside pick-up @ store parking lot. 231-264-8033 Elk Rapids Primary Care – Monday thru Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Fridays. 231-264-0399 Elk Rapids Community Cupboard – For those of you in the Elk Rapids School District: Elk Rapids Community Cupboard (Food Pantry) is open during this time. If you need help or have questions, please contact Pam Coleman at 847-445-8239. Village Markets – Elk Rapids: 231-264-5629 Rapid City: 231-331-6111 Central Lake: 231-544-3300 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. with 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. exclusively for seniors, pregnant women and immune deficient cutomers. Tentatively beginning March 30th there will be curbside service only from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. This is subject to change depending on how the virus moves through our area. Cellar 152 – 11:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. 5 days a week. Food delivery. Closed Sunday and Monday. 231-264-9000 Chang Express – Monday thru Friday 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Saturday 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Closed Sunday. 231-264-9140 Chef Charles – Tuesday thru Saturday noon until 6 p.m. 231-264-8901 Cone Corral & Pizzeria – Elk Rapids location only delivery beginning Friday, March 20, Monday thru Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 3-9 p.m. Closed Sunday. Rapids City walk-up window open for takeout. Thursday thru Sunday 3-9 p.m. 231-264-6880 General Store – 11:30 a.m. -7:00 p.m. 5 days a week. Food, liquor, beer, wine delivery. Closed Sunday and Monday. 231-264-9266 Pearls – 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Regular menu. Limited delivery to Elk Rapids locations only. 231-264-0530 Siren Hall – Pick-up food orders Tuesday thru Thursday, 12:00 noon-6 p.m. Friday & Saturday, noon-8 p.m. 231-264-6062 T.J. Charlie’s – Carry-out 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Delivery to Elk Rapids area. 231-264-8819 The Flour Pot – Friday 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Saturday 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Pick-up only, please use front pass through window. 231-264-9732 Torch Lake Café – Take-out 12 noon- 7 p.m. 7 days a week. Lunch and pizza menu only. 231-599-1111 Covid-19 informational update from Elk Rapids Primary CareAs concerns about Coronavirus (Covid-19) circulate throughout our country, let it be known that we at Elk Rapids Primary Care are here for you. These are unprecedented times for patients but also the healthcare industry. We have done everything we can to comply with the CDC recommendations on COVID-19, while still trying to provide basic health care and not let people feel abandoned. If you have any questions, please call our office first so we can appropriately screen patients to help prevent the spread of this virus. We will either refer you for testing, monitor you at home or schedule you for a phone visit. If you have a need to be seen, please contact our office first as we are trying to space out our visits.
Currently our hours for the next three weeks are Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and closed on Friday. This is temporary and we will update you when we resume regular hours. If you feel you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, (cough, runny nose, fevers, shortness of breath), please take the following precautions: ● Limit your interactions with others ● Do not go to your doctor’s office, Urgent Care or Emergency Room ● Call your primary care doctor for further direction ● Call us at Elk Rapids Primary Care: 231-264-0399 Prevention ● Avoid sick people ● Wash your hands often ● Avoid contact with others ● Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze ● Disinfect frequently ● Do not go into public places unless necessary ● Social distancing (6 feet) There is a lot of uncertainty with this virus and bad advice is everywhere. We as a community and country will get through this. The hardships we are facing will end, but what we do now will determine how quickly. We are here for you to answer your questions and help you wade through these confusing times. Let’s flatten the curve. Sincerely, The Staff of Elk Rapids Primary Care How to beat boredomMany of us are now confined to home either by choice or by necessity. The first week may breeze by seemingly like a much-needed mini vacation. But now into the second week not everything seems so rosy. Tempers begin to flare and boredom sets in.
So, what can you do? As it turns out... a lot! Museums have closed to the public but don’t let that stop you! Most of the big museums around the world are offering free virtual tours. Just type the name of the museum with the phrase “free virtual tour” and see what comes up. Many zoos and aquariums are doing the same thing. Monterey Aquarium posts live interactive videos every day and the Cincinnati Zoo does a “Home Safari Facebook Live” each day at 3 p.m. (this one is especially fun if you have kids, as the zoo provides mini lessons each day). What if you don’t have internet or just want to step away from all the online hype? The obvious thing would be to read that book you’ve been hoarding for the past few months, and there are other fun things to do. Pull out some of those old board games you’ve got tucked away and dust them off. What about learning a new game like cribbage or backgammon? Better yet teach someone else and you can play over the phone or video chat. Submitted by Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer Sheep shearing Saturday
Professional sheep shearer, Timothy, shears a sheep. Courtesy photos
A Backyard Bunch 4-H Club members would like to thank Brett Phero of Back Acres Sheep Farm for inviting all Antrim County 4-H’ers to visit the farm on Saturday, March 14. A professional sheep shearer, Timothy, was there to shear all 186 sheep in one day. Timothy could shear a complete coat off the sheep in 1.5 to 2 minutes. Each coat was then loaded into a large bag to go to the mill where each coat was graded.
It was exciting to go into the barn and see all of the sheep in pens that led to a single line for each lamb to be sheared. It was almost like a synchronized dance. The Pharo family and friends were all working hard to make the event run smoothly. Samples were taken of several of the sheep by year born and will be sent to the University of Montana for grading of quality, elasticity, and to follow the genetics of the sheep so that the highest grades can be reached. This was a great learning experience for the kids that attended. – Submitted by Sandra Pyle Family Fun Night at Mill Creek
Students and parents participate in fun activities hosted by GreenER. Photo by Shelly Rybarsyk
Racing cockroaches? Microorganisms in our water? Mission migrations? All these wonders and more were explored at Mill Creek Elementary School on March 5, when Green Elk Rapids hosted Family Fun Night, assisted by over a dozen community groups, volunteers, and representatives. An evening of environmental education and learning fun featured 11 theme rooms, each fostering interest and creativity with activities to easily do as families. These activities ranged from composting with worms, to how to mend a sock, to healthy snacks for lunch. The popular Michigan mammals room included exhibits and footprints of creatures that might actually visit your backyard, and some that you might never see. A felted art exhibit of the Great Lakes promoted care of our waters. All in all, the adults likely learned as much as the students, and there was inspiration enough to start thinking about Family Fun Night again next year. Submitted by Green Elk Rapids.
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Elk Rapids News
212 River Street P.O. Box 176 Elk Rapids, Michigan 49629 231-264-6670 Phone 231-264-6685 Fax |
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