Caughtcha being Good!

Ken & Deb Hicks

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Courtesy photo
Coaches wear many hats and teaching the sport is just one aspect of what they really do on so many levels. Ken and Deb Hicks are the coaches for ERHS bowling team and they most certainly are role models who promote life lessons and lead by example according to the family of a team member. While attending the Division 3 Regionals recently in Cheboygan, the family noted a young man from another school who was struggling and tired and looked like he was ready to quit. “Coach Ken recognized it and talked with him one-on-one and gave him some instruction and this young man stuck with it and had quite a few strikes and spares afterward.” They were so moved to see that Coach Ken coached someone from the opposing team. Coach Deb Hicks was sitting at the coaches’ table for games 5 and 6 where this young man was finishing his competition for the day and cheered him on as well and celebrated every pin with him! But even more inspiring to all the bowlers and spectators that same day was that prior to game 5, Coach Ken sprung into action with his experience as a medic and tended to a spectator who had suffered a seizure. “It’s easy to see why everyone in the community knows who ‘The Hicks’ are. Both Ken and Debbie are creating an amazing legacy and will be impossible to replace.” Thank you, Coach Ken and Debbie, for teaching us all about what really matters in life

CORRECTION: ​

In last week’s Village Council column the salary range for the village manager position was incorrect. It should be $100,000-$125,000 (per year). We apologize for the error – Editor

ELK RAPIDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Chamber welcomes new business

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Steffanie Priest, Rosemary Hazelett, Robin Chick (massage therapist), Janet Bixel, Doug Swartz, Ashley Wheeler (owner), Dustin Wheeler, Briggs Wheeler, Joe Fischer, Landon Wheeler, Chris Bueby, and Seth LaPointe. Courtesy photo
The Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on March 10 to celebrate the grand opening of Nadora Esthetics and Wellness located at 95 Lake Street in Elk Rapids. Visit the website nadoraesthetics.com to see the services offered or call 231-409-5620 to make an appointment. 

MILTON TOWNSHIP
Atkinson announces resignation from board

By Douglas P. Marsh, Contributing Writer

The board of trustees for Milton Township decided to close the old township hall for the month of April, approved the purchase of new office chairs for the township hall and accepted the resignation of Liz Atkinson from the board in a regular meeting held on March 13 at the township hall.

“She has put in a resignation for the position of Milton Township Treasurer effective 9/1 of ‘23,” said Chris Weinzapfel, township supervisor. Atkinson has served as treasurer since 2004.

“I planned on retiring sooner, but our trustee, Tom Cole announced his retirement, then our Supervisor [Lon Bargy] retired, so I was sidelined by both of those, which was ok,” said Atkinson in an email. “My husband has been retired for almost three years and he’s been patiently waiting for me, so it’s basically time for less work and more time to enjoy life.”

Atkinson said she will remain a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, library board of trustees and will continue to be involved in various community projects.

“I’ve enjoyed my time serving Milton Township and will miss many aspects of it, but I’m ready for a little less structure,” she said.
At the meeting, the trustees discussed the shopping procedure for new office chairs and concluded by approving the purchase of 10 new chairs with a total retail value of $7,736. The township will pay a discounted amount through MiDEAL, an extended purchasing program through the state of Michigan.

The old township hall will be closed through April owing to concerns about buildup of ice and snow around the entrance and exits. Township clerk Sandra Ball said no events had been scheduled for any dates in April in the facility.

The Planning Commission for Milton Township is reviewing ordinances involving wineries, steep slopes and solar utilities, reported Bill Hefferan, chair of the commission. He also advised that those wishing to attend the Planning Commission’s next meeting should call the township offices ahead of time to confirm the date, as it is likely to be rescheduled.

During the supervisor’s report, a representative from the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy provided information on what is now being called a proposed kayak park east of Lake Maplehurst. Properties owned by the township, county, and a private individual are to be combined into an all-natural, low-maintenance public park with access to Torch Lake. The park will be owned and maintained by the township under the current proposal, which will be the subject of a public hearing to be held at 6 p.m. on March 23 at the township hall.
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The next regular meeting of the board of trustees for Milton Township is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, April 10 at the township hall at 7023 Cherry Avenue.

ERHS Robo Herd competes in FIRST Robotics 

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ERHS’s Robo Herd team at FIRST Robotics Competition in St. Joseph. Courtesy photo
On March 10-11, 18 members of the Elk Rapids Robotics Team #5110, Robo Herd, competed against 38 other teams in a FIRST Robotics event in St. Joseph, Michigan. Teams across the world design and build robots from scratch in only six weeks to compete in FIRST events. At the same time, they work out strategies to earn the most points stacking game pieces and ending matches with robots balanced on an elevated platform. Each 2-1/2-minute match starts with 15 seconds of pre-programmed autonomous movement. Following that, robots zoom into action directed by two drivers and assisted by a human player who provides pieces to the robots from outside of the field. The matches reward creativity, programming, and engineering as well as teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship.
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The ERHS Robo Herd had a great first day, ranking 14th out of 39 teams after Friday’s matches in spite of some technical difficulties. Expecting to do better on Saturday with their problems resolved, they had some tough matches and did not make the afternoon playoffs. They plan to strengthen their robot and hope for a better showing March 17-18 at Traverse City Central High School. Spectators are welcome all day long on both days and can watch many other northern Michigan teams including Suttons Bay, Charlevoix, Boyne City, Gaylord, and Cadillac.

Elk Rapids District
​Library Happenings

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Keep your eyes and ears open for information on our upcoming Plant and Seed Swap happening in April! ERDL will be hosting a plant and seed swap. Seeds, houseplants, cuttings… bring it and swap it! Talk to like-minded, green-thumbed folks and leave with something new! Date and time will be announced soon!

Wonder Wednesdays After School Program: March 22 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. Drop in anytime between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m. to eat a snack and play with our stem kits. This program is for school-age kids, if your child is under age 8 an adult should be present please.

Our usual programs continue:
•    Tech Help with Aaron on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
•    Busy-Bodies Story Time takes place on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and Sensory-Friendly Story Time on Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS
Marketing, grants, upcoming workshops occupy DDA

By Douglas P. Marsh, Contributing Writer

The Downtown Development Authority held a regular meeting on March 8 at the Government Center to discuss marketing and board development strategies. They discussed and, in some cases, approved funds for advertising with the Traverse City Horse Show, through search engine optimization and web development, in publications produced by the Chamber of Commerce, and with email newsletters.

Board members shared thoughts on the Ames Street project, facade grants, and a job description for a potential staff position. Several DDA members also agreed to attend the March 14 workshop session of the Elk Rapids Village Council, which will cover some capital improvement decisions. The meeting is expected to impact several of the DDA’s ongoing projects.

“We would really appreciate those of you that have the time to be a part of that discussion and be here and hear what’s going on because it affects all of us,” said interim Village Manager Richard Lewis. “It affects the downtown; it affects the DDA district; it affects everything.”
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The next regular meeting of the Downtown Development Authority is scheduled for 6 p.m. on April 12 at the Government Center, 315 Bridge Street.

ELK RAPIDS TOWNSHIP
Elk Rapids Township Update

By Mark McAlpine, Contributing Writer

The Elk Rapids Township Board met for a public hearing for the 2023/2024 fiscal year budget and their regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 13. All trustees were present for the meeting. There was no public comment prior to the agenda items for this meeting.
 
The board approved adjustments to the $1,389,313 fiscal year budget. The budget includes $513,380 for the General Fund, $548,490 for Fire and Ambulance, $121,000 for Sewer O&M, $1,380 for Bass Lake Weed Control, $158,500 for the Road Fund and $46,563 for the Maple Harbor Special Assessment.

Antrim County Sheriff Daniel Bean presented his monthly report. According to Bean, all category of calls were up slightly in February over one year ago. Two cadets are in training and will be available for road patrol by August following field training. Two new police vehicles are on order and will be available in early summer. Bill Hefferan, County Commissioner, provided a brief update on several ongoing projects with the county.

Fire Department Chief Williamson provided the February instance report. The department expects to lose a couple of fire fighters but have several prospective new applicants and are planning training this fall. The department is moving forward with a replacement for a tanker truck. Munson medical health will now be providing annual health physicals for the department.  

Ray Easton, representing the Mattes Drive HOA, provided an update on a Joint Maintenance Agreement (JMA) under consideration with the Orchard View Condominium. Easton reported that progress had been made in finalizing a plan. According to Easton, both parties hope to have signed agreements from the HOA and Orchard View by the April Township meeting. A motion was made and approved to table the issue again for 30 days until the next meeting.  

A long presentation and discussion was held with Greg Burroughs of Peterson McGregor Insurance, a Traverse City-based independent agency with six locations in Northwest Michigan and an expertise in commercial and municipal coverage. According to Dorrance Amos, township supervisor, the existing insurance package has been under review to identify areas of need and adjustment for coverage.

Burroughs identified cyber liability as one immediate area of need for coverage. Also under discussion was the need to adjust coverage to reflect increases in property and equipment replacement costs. A schedule of coverage was presented for the complete list of township assets including buildings and vehicles. A motion was made and approved to move forward with the package as proposed with the understanding that building and property values be adjusted if needed.

Township sewer construction February bills totaling $72,038.25 were reviewed. Progress has been made to hook up residents to the main line with only 20 residents remaining on the list for service connections. Memorial Day was given as a target for the completion of the project. A motion was made and approved to pay the February bills.

A motion was made and approved to establish the second Monday of each month at 9 a.m. for the monthly township board meetings with the exception of October. The meeting that month will be held on Tuesday, October 10, due to the Monday Columbus Day holiday. Elk Rapids News was chosen as the newspaper of record by way of motion and vote. All public notices for the township will be published in the Elk Rapids News. 

Motions for resolutions 2023-2 through 2023-7 were presented and approved for fiscal year 2023/2024 board and staff salaries. All salaries were set at 2022 levels with no increase. The supervisor and treasurer salary was approved at $24,000 plus a health stipend of $4,800. The township clerk salary was set for $27,000 plus health stipend and trustee salaries set for $3,000 annually.

A motion was made and approved to form a committee with Mike Syzmanski and Richard Hults to review applicants for the township treasurer position and set up interviews with the full board for two finalists for the position. The position is open due to the planned May retirement of Syzmanski.

ELK RAPIDS SCHOOLS
Vice president of school board resigns

By Douglas P. Marsh, Contributing Writer

The board of education for Elk Rapids schools held a brief special meeting on March 10 to accept the resignation of Holly Spencer, the board’s vice president, and to discuss first steps in the district’s search for a new superintendent.

Spencer stepped down from the vice president role effective immediately and set an effective date of April 15 for her exit from the board. Board member Derek Morton was appointed to replace her as VP. Fellow board members and community residents attending the meeting offered words of gratitude and support for Spencer.
“I’ve never worked with a board president that has been more prepared and available,” said board member Darryl Antcliff. “Thank you very much for what you’ve done.”

The board has 30 days to replace Spencer before the Intermediate School District would intervene and appoint a replacement, said Jennifer Brown, board president. The board discussed posting a notice for the vacancy and possible dates to interview candidates, penciling in April 6 and 10 at 6 p.m., location to be determined.
Concerning the search for a new superintendent, the board agreed to bring in staffing companies to give presentations. They also agreed to prepare to place an interim superintendent, in case no permanent replacement is chosen in time. Current superintendent Julie Brown’s contract will expire at the end of June.

The next regular meeting of the board of education for Elk Rapids schools is scheduled for April 3.

WHAT TO DO WHEN A W-2 OR 1099 IS MISSING OR INCORRECT

What should you do if you did not receive either a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement or Form 1099 or if a form received contains incorrect information?  Forms W-2 and most types of Form 1099 are required to be available to employees or recipients by January 31.  Examples of common Forms 1099 are listed below: 
1.    Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income
2.    Form 1099-INT, Interest Income
3.    Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation
4.    Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc.
5.    Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments

If you have not received your Form W-2 or Form 1099 by January 31, or the form has incorrect information on it, contact your employer, former employer, or payer, and ask for a copy of the missing form or a corrected form.  Make sure they have your current address.  After you have reached out to your employer or payer and you still have not received a copy of your missing or corrected form by the end of February, you may call IRS at 1-800-829-1040.  When you call, please be prepared to provide the following information: 
1.    Your name, address, Social Security number and telephone number.  
2.    Your employer or payer’s name, address, and telephone number.  
3.    The dates you worked for the employer.  
4.    An estimate of your wages or earnings, and the federal income tax withheld during the previous year. This information should be located on your final paycheck stub.  

IRS will contact your employer or payer on your behalf and request the missing or corrected forms.  IRS will also send you a Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement or Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, Etc.  This form will also include a letter containing instructions.  It is important to note that this form can only be completed for a missing Form W-2 and Form 1099-R.  If you are missing a different type of Form 1099, do not use this form as a substitute.  If you do not receive your missing forms in time to file your income tax return, you may file Form 4852 to estimate your wages and earnings.  You will then need to attach the form to your tax return when you file.  Additionally, if you do not have enough time to fill out Form 4852 before the April 18th deadline, you can also file for an extension using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.  Form 4868 covers your MI Individual Income Tax return automatically and gives you until October 15th to file both your U.S. and MI Individual Tax Return.  However, payment for any tax due will not be extended and will still be due by the April 18th deadline.  

If the incorrect Form 1099 is for unemployment benefits received in the previous year, you should contact the issuing state agency and request the form be corrected.  If you are unable to receive the corrected 1099 in time to timely file your tax return, you should still file a correct tax return and report the actual income that you received.  

You may need to correct your income tax return if you receive the missing or corrected form information after you have already filed your tax return.  If you receive the missing or corrected Form W-2 or Form 1099 and the information differs from your previous estimate, you must file Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.  You will also need to file an Amended MI Individual Tax Return by filing Form MI-1040, Individual Income Tax Return and checking the amended return box at the top of page one.  

For more information on missing or incorrect W-2s and 1099s, please visit WWW.IRS.GOV and search missing or incorrect W-2 and 1099, several options will appear.  
– Submitted by Char Kirchner, CPA, MSA and Rex Rudolph, CPA