Elk Rapids News and Features | Elk Rapids, Michigan

Caughtcha being Good!

Betty Russell

Don Michie and Betty Russell. Photo by KLW

It started off being a nice day for Don Michie and his 14-year-old dog Mello. Just like they have done for many years, he and Mello were going for their daily walk near the water’s edge at the southeast side of Torch Lake. They were on Best Road when Mello abruptly crossed in front of Don, tripping and sending him flying. Don went down hard, hitting his head. Luckily for him, Betty Russell was just leaving her friend’s home when she saw him fall. She rushed over to see if he was ok. He was shaken up and thought that he had broken his nose. Betty asked if he wanted to call an ambulance and when he said no, she insisted on taking him to a clinic in Bellaire. After they dropped off Mello at home, they headed to Belaire only to find that the clinic was closed. Betty then took Don to Kalkaska Memorial Hospital where he was examined and tested to make sure that he didn’t have a concussion or a broken nose. Betty stayed with Don the entire time he was there. When he was finally released, she took him home but not before making sure he had something to eat.

Don was overwhelmed by her calm, relaxed demeanor and her sheer kindness in going above and beyond to help him in his hour of need. “I just want everyone to know what an angel she is.”

Later, Betty, who does volunteer work in assisted living homes and at area hospitals, said, “I’m so glad that I was there, there was no one else around. Don was all by himself. If it were a loved one of mine, I hope that someone would help them too.” Caughtcha being BETTER than good, Betty! And thank you very much!

Memorial Day guest speaker Donald D. Pond

Courtesy photo

Don D. Pond is the retired owner of Triangle Industrial Sales in Southfield, Michigan. He grew up in Elyria, Ohio, attended Kent State University, and served in the US Army as a helicopter pilot. He now spends time in both Elk Rapids, Michigan and Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

Don has been married to Louise for 45 years, has two children, Emily and Daniel and two grandchildren, Lola and Wynn. He is active in two golf communities and enjoys fishing and hunting.

Aside from his tour of duty in Vietnam, Don has traveled extensively in Europe and Asia, visiting many countries. He flew over 2000 hours of combat aviation time in two tours in Vietnam, 1969 and 1970 with the 92nd Assault Helicopter Company.

Don was awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal for Valor, 11 Air Medals, Vietnam Service Medal with Silver Star and Bronze Star, Gallantry Cross, Gallantry Cross with Gold Star and NDSM.

He continued flying helicopters for Army Guard units in Ohio and Michigan until 1985 and left as a Master Aviator, Chief Warrant Officer 4.

He is a member of the following organizations: Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, VFW, MOAA, AMVETS, AVMS, Northern Michigan Angels and Elk Rapids Rotary.

Governance training

Governance training at the Elk Rapids Government Center on May 18. Courtesy photo

On May 18, 2022 Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) led a training for village council trustees, appointed board and commission members, staff, and citizens. The purpose of this training was to familiarize village officials and community members with the basics of good governance practices.

Over 40 board and commission members participated in the two-hour session that focused on roles of government official and staff, best practices, and public meeting etiquette.

The Elk Rapids Village Council hopes to continue offering training sessions for individual boards and commissions on subjects such as parliamentary procedure, as well as offering training as a large group for all officials on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training (DEI) within the next year.

“The governance training is part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality of our volunteer boards and the Village Council,” said Jim Janisse, Village President. “Elk Rapids deserves well trained public servants.”

The next time all village officials will gather is Saturday October 1, 2022 for annual reports and listening session at the Elk Rapids Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor Pavilion at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend.

Elk Rapids Community Cupboard

Prices are continuing to climb, especially for essentials such as gas, utilities, toiletries and most importantly, food. The Elk Rapids Community Cupboard was established in the mid 1980s to help people living in the Elk Rapids Schools district. Accepting food from the Community Cupboard means that your precious dollars are available for other essentials items.

The Elk Rapids Community Cupboard (Food Pantry) is open, accepting new clients and ready to assist singles, couples and families.

The pantry provides groceries every two weeks on Tuesday evening from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Friday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Items provided include chicken or beef, milk, eggs, tuna fish, hot dogs, fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, canned tomatoes and sauces, cereal, margarine, eggs, juice, toiletries, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and other items.

To qualify for assistance, a client family must meet Federal Poverty Guidelines as published annually. The guidelines can be found at https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/ files/documents/4b515876c4674466423975826ac57583/Guidelines-2022.pdf. Our pantry uses 200% of the Federal poverty level as a qualifier.

Eligibility is based on the financial situation of all members in a household. Everyone who lives together and purchases and prepares food together is considered a member of the same household.

If you, or someone you know, could use some help call Pam Coleman at 847-445-8239. Food donations or toiletries may be delivered to the Elk Rapids News or dropped in the brown donation box outside the Community Cupboard entrance at the corner of Chippewa and Spruce Streets. (Opposite side of the First Presbyterian Church entrance 404 Spruce St, Elk Rapids). Monetary donations may be sent to Elk Rapids Community Cupboard, Box 572, Elk Rapids, MI. 49629.

Day Park cleanup

Antrim County Parks Director and Rotarian James Hunter, left, cuts up one of several Day Park downed trees with the help of Rotarian Tom Baird during Saturday’s cleanup. Photos by Tom Vranich

Elk Rapids Rotarians and Friends, along with Antrim County Day Park Ranger Bob Jones and Park Director James Hunter, cleared downed trees, branches, and blew leaves out of the parking area at the Elk Rapids Day Park on Saturday morning in preparation for this summer’s activities. New toilets and sinks have also been installed in the park restroom for visitors. A second work detail in June will work to remove leaves along park trails.

Albino robin

Photo by Coreen Reed

An albino robin has been making its home near by Huntington Bank in Elk Rapids for the last two years. Albinism and partial albinism have been recorded in robins more than any other wild bird species. One study found that 8.22% of all albino wild birds found in North America were robins. But only about one robin in 30,000 is an albino or partial albino. Source: journeynorth.org.

Garden Club welcomes spring!

Members of the Elk Rapids Garden Club are happy to say goodbye to winter and hello to a long-awaited spring with several ambitious projects already underway. In conjunction with Green ER activities the club has requested essays from ERHS students that outline how village residents can “invest in the earth.” Three winners will be chosen, and awards will be presented at the May club meeting. The club will be planting sunflowers in all 10 of the club’s community gardens this year. The flowers are being donated by Pine Hill Nursery. And stay tuned for highlights of a very special project underway at the Zupin-Anderson Memorial Garden that will use QR codes to identify plants along with their planting specifics. More to come. The club will be participating in the Green ER Nature Fest on June 18 at Veterans Memorial Park. Stop by the table near the new butterfly mural located by the tennis courts. Club members will be on hand to answer your questions regarding pollinators and native plants. The club will be meeting on May 24 at the Elk Rapids Harbor Pavilion beginning at 12:30 p.m. Hear from Cindy Roach, curator of the GT Butterfly House and Bug Zoo in Williamsburg, about the annual monarch butterfly migration and the importance to the environment. The club always welcomes new members, so join us! For further information contact elkrapidsgardenclub@gmail.com.

Job Fair @ Railroad Square

Local employers and community organizations will be featured at a community event Wednesday, June 8 in downtown Kalkaska. The Job Fair @ Railroad Square will take place at the pavilion and open space at Railroad Square, 107 S. Elm St. and will give attendees the opportunity to meet with employers and community organizations from Kalkaska, Antrim, Crawford, Grand Traverse, and Wexford counties. The event will run from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and is being hosted by the Kalkaska Downtown Development Authority and Northwest Michigan Works! Businesses participating in the event include Dean Transportation, Grand Traverse Plastics, ITW Coding Products, Kalkaska Screw Products, and more.

The Job Fair @ Railroad Square is open to the public and there is no cost to participate. Job seekers are encouraged to register in advance for this in-person event, but registration is not required. Employers and community organizations will need to register in advance and should bring their own tables, chairs, canopy and any other items they will need at the event. Registration is available at nwm.org/JobFairRailroadSquare. Registration closes Thursday, June 2 at the end of day.

For more information, please contact Northwest Michigan Works! at 231-922-3700.

AMVETS Post 114 officer installation ceremony

On May 22, AMVETS Post 114 held an officer installation ceremony.

Tim Young, Judge Advocate, performing installation; Chuck Perry, Trustee; Jerry Hubbell, Trustee; Drew Davenport, Trustee; Tom Brown, Provost Marshall; Craig Huber, Finance Officer; Gerg Movsesian, Adjutant; Pat Muoio, 3rd Vice Commander; Jim Braun, 2nd Vice Commander; Brian Lark, 1st Vice Commander; Jack Moran, Commander, AMVETS Post 114. Courtesy photo

VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS
Planning Commission Update

By Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer

The Planning Commission met Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. David Lein was out sick. Under Public Comment Bill Hefferan introduced himself as he is running for the county commissioner seat. Another villager asked about more information regarding the inn and what was happening with the plans. Planning and Zoning Administrator Kerri Janisse said that she had nothing that she could share at that time as she still needed to discuss matters with the ZBA. Information can be found online at the inn’s website.

Unfinished Business saw the third and final draft of proposed ordinance 2022-02 voted to be sent to the Village Council for review. After much discussion it was decided the commission would team with Parks and Rec to work toward a Master Plan and share resources. Chairperson Royce Ragland would get together with Parks and Rec Chairperson James Dake to discuss details, including preparing both a mission statement as well as a vision statement. The Planning Commission will also be requesting possible collaboration with the Township Board to see if they would be interested in working together regarding the Master Plan.

A rough draft of the amendment to ordinance 2022-3 section H regarding signs in “R” districts was okayed and will be presented at the June meeting. Reports from the ZBA shared that two variance requests had been approved as well as the election of officers. There will be a work session for the ZBA on June 2 before the meeting on June 16 regarding the inn. Councilwoman Barb Mullaly reminded everyone about Coffee with Council on June 1 at 6 p.m. at the Harbor Pavilion.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, June 28 at 7 p.m.

ELK RAPIDS SCHOOLS
From the Superintendent’s Desk

Dear Families and Community Members:

Did you hear the news? At the regional track meet this spring, the high school girls’ 4 x 200 relay team (Nevada Molby, Paige Fosdick, Aleah Manley, and Hunter Shellenbarger) broke the school record that stood for 43 years! Molby (100 meters), Shellenbarger (200 meters), and Sarah Zamaites (400 meters) each placed first in their respective events and are individual regional champions! And, the Elk Rapids High School tennis team, ranked 7th in the state, claimed the school’s first ever regional title, winning six of eight flight championships! These last few weeks of the 2021-2022 school year, the tradition of excellence in our student-athletes on the field continues with the softball team earning honorable mention at the state level, and the soccer team heading into the playoff season as the 5th ranked team in the state.

Moving inside of the walls of Elk Rapids High school, the excellence shines bright with the class of 2022. The senior class has taken their final walk through the high school halls. Senior honors night has passed. We now gear up for graduation on June 5th at New Hope Community Church, celebrating the newest alumni before they begin the next chapter.

While the incredible events of the high school student body are in the spotlight in these final days of the school year, the work it takes to stand tall at graduation, turning the mortar board tassel from the right to the left, begins many years earlier in the elementary and middle schools. Throughout the Elk Rapids School district, as each class moves closer to the finish line, another successful year is being celebrated.

After two long years of fighting the pandemic and working to keep lives as normal as possible for our staff, students, and families, how refreshing it has been to see students and families throughout the district engage in the traditional end of year events. Kudos to our fine arts programs for the fantastic in-person concerts, performances, and art displays we enjoyed this spring. The all-school picnic held at Lakeland Elementary, newly formed Mill Creek Garden Club, and Cherryland Middle School 5K Color Fun Run are events that brought our community and schools together!

Lakeland and Mill Creek Elementary schools have held kindergarten round-up, and we anticipate another strong year of enrollment, continuing the need for four sections of kindergarten next fall. Fifth grade and eighth grade students are working through transition programs in preparation for their moves to the next level in their educational journey.

And did you hear? The girls’ middle school 4 x 200 relay team (Ava Smith, Leighton Smith, Ava Canning, Nora Wnek) took first place at the Lake Michigan Conference Middle School Championships this spring! Great things are happening all through Elk Rapids Schools – the future looks bright! – Julie Stolowski-Brown

All Things Clearwater

As scheduled, the Clearwater Township Constable Committee met earlier in the month to discuss the failed .5 millage vote, one of only two township proposals in the entire state that failed to pass, the other being in Oceana County, specifically Shelby Township, which was proposing to allow marijuana related businesses to operate, a decision Clearwater voters are likely to decide in this fall’s election, or perhaps the August primary.

While the committee continued to discuss options and receive input from attendees at the meeting, it was clear that there were still some concerns that the current approach to policing the community was inadequate, citing a host of issues and situations that need attention. Additionally, the committee assumed responsibility for not fully informing the public of what the proposed authority would ultimately cost the township, citing the unavailability of meeting minutes on the township website, and the duties, responsibilities, and risk of liability was not completely explored, a discrepancy the group seeks to correct in the future.

In hopes of discussing the topic of policing our township more, the all-volunteer committee voted to continue to meet again at 7:00 p.m. June 14 in the gymnasium of the Township Hall where they encourage Clearwater citizens to attend. Get involved in Clearwater at: www.clearwatertwp.com. – Submitted by Jim Leffew

REPRESENTATIONAL, ATTRIBUTIONAL OR “CLICK-THROUGH” SALES AND USE TAX RULES FOR OUT-OF-STATE SELLERS

Our previous article covered part of the Michigan Department of Treasury’s Revenue Administrative Bulletin 2021-21 to explain the three ways out-of-state sellers establish sales and use tax nexus in the State of Michigan (MI). To recap, the term nexus is used to describe a tax connection between an individual or entity and a taxing authority, for example, MI. The previous article discussed the first way an out-of-state seller establishes sales and use tax nexus through physical presence. This article will discuss the second way nexus can be established, through Representational, Attributional or “Click-Through” Nexus. The third article will discuss economic nexus as the last way an out-of-state-seller can establish sales and use tax nexus in MI.

Representational, Attributional or “Click-Through” Nexus is based on an out-of-state seller’s relationship with other entities doing business in MI or residents of MI. An out-of-state seller or representative of the seller would need to engage in any of the following to establish nexus for sales and use tax:

Sell similar products as the seller and does so under the same or a similar business name as the seller. However, this activity will not create nexus if the representative activities are not significantly associated with the out-of-state seller’s ability to keep customers in MI.

Uses its employees, representatives, or independent contractors in MI to promote or facilitate sales by the seller to customers in MI.

Maintains, occupies, or uses an office, distribution facility, other place of business in MI to facilitate the delivery or sale of tangible personal property sold by the seller to customers in MI.

Uses, with the seller’s consent or knowledge, trademarks, service marks, or trade names in MI that are the same or substantially like those used by the seller.

Delivers, installs, assembles, or performs maintenance services for the seller’s customers in MI.

Facilitates sales by allowing MI customers to pick up or return tangible personal property sold by the out-of-state seller to a place of business maintained in MI by an unrelated entity.

Shares management, business systems, business practices, or employees with the seller, or in the case of an affiliated person, engages in intercompany transactions related to the activities occurring with the seller to create or keep customers in MI.

Conducts any other activities in MI that are significantly associated with the seller’s ability to create and keep customers in MI for the seller’s sales of tangible personal property to customers in MI.

Advertising alone will not create nexus. This exception does not apply when advertising is paid for by commissions or other consideration based on completed sales. Additionally, out-of-state sellers will be presumed to be engaged in making sales in MI if the seller has entered into an agreement with one or more MI residents where the resident refers potential customers and receives commissions or other consideration based on sales if the following apply:

Gross sales from all referred sales to customers in MI are greater than $10,000 during the immediately preceding 12 calendar months, and

Gross sales to customers in MI exceed $50,000 during the immediately preceding 12 calendar months.

For more information on MI sales and use tax nexus for out-of-state sellers go to WWW.MICHIGAN.GOV. Click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner of the screen. Your cursor will jump to the W at What are you looking for? Type over the top, Revenue Administrative Bulletin 2021-21. Several options will appear.

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

Elks win back-to-back state championship in Stock market game

Elk Rapids Stock Market class won the Stock Market Game State Championship this spring. Courtesy photo

Congratulations to the Spring Semester Stock Market Class at ERHS. The class competed in the Michigan Stock Market Game for 10 weeks and finished as the State Champion. Also, Marin Richards and Harper Deigh took home the individual team state championship, earning more than $80,000 in the game. The stock market students from the fall semester also won the state championship, giving Elk Rapids High School its first back-to-back stock market championships.

Elk Rapids students finished ahead of 2nd place Howell High School and 3rd place East Grand Rapids. The game is funded by a national foundation called SIFMA.

This is the major stock market and investment worker’s professional association. The game is played for 10 weeks as part of the normal high school semester. Students work in pairs during the stock market simulation. Students are given $100,000 to invest in a portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds from the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. The game is played in real time in accordance with the markets; 540 high schools competed in the Stock Market Game this spring in Michigan. The Elk Rapids Class averaged 15% earnings over 10 weeks; 2nd Place Howell High School earned just over 6%. Elk Rapids High School is very proud of these students and appreciates their curiosity and interest as students. Great job, Elks!

Seasonal tick awareness

As more people head outdoors, the risk of incidental human-tick interactions increases. In the summer, not only adult ticks, but tick larvae and nymphs are most active. Tick larvae and nymphs are difficult to spot because they are smaller than a sesame seed. More tick encounters may lead to tick-borne diseases such as Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Babesiosis.

“Northwest Michigan is a recreational wonderland. As our outdoor activities increase, so should our awareness of the possibility of ticks making their way onto ourselves and our pets,” said Dan Thorell, Health Department of Northwest Michigan Interim Health Officer. “The following measures are practical steps to remaining safe. It’s important to note that ticks must be attached for 36 to 48 hours to transmit Lyme disease.”

Take these steps to protect yourself against ticks and the diseases they may carry:
Use repellent that contains 20% or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours. Wear clothing treated with permethrin.

Look for ticks on your body, including on your scalp and behind your ears. If you find one, immediately remove it using tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pull up.
Put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 60 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.

Take a shower as soon as you can after coming indoors.
Questions regarding ticks and other vectors in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties should be directed to the Health Department of Northwest Michigan’s Environmental Health Division at 800-432-4121. Health-related questions should be directed to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at 800-648-6942.