CAUGHTCHA BEING GOOD!

Eva & Adrian Orduna

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Photo by KLW
Eva and Adrian Orduna work pretty much nonstop every day of the week at their landscaping and maintenance business. But they still find time to help people in need. In fact, it seems that their “whole mission in life is to help others,” said one admiring fan. 

“It just snowballed. We found that there are people in our community that we simply need to help,” said Eva. One day it might be moving furniture or chopping wood for those who need to heat their homes, the next day it is installing a deck or a roof, or helping to roust racoons that have taken up residence in someone’s garage ceiling. Recently they donned Santa and Grinch costumes to deliver meals and goody bags to the elderly during the holiday. “There are so many people who are isolated from their families right now because of COVID, Eva continued. “We check on them to make sure they are doing ok.” 
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Caughtcha being GOOD, Eva and Adrian, everyone you have helped thinks the world of you. Thank you for all you do!!

VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS
Downtown Development Authority 

By Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer

 The DDA met Wednesday, January 13 at 6:30 p.m. Newest member Doug VanCura was introduced and gave some background on himself. He thanked everyone for the opportunity to be on the board.

A full discussion on OPA and the power boat races concluded with a vote to support having the power boat races in the DDA’s recommendation to the Village Council.

The last part of the meeting was primarily going over the Engagement Plan and tweaking wording as well as making plans for the near future. One such event is a Special Presentation from the DDA to be held via Zoom on January 27. More details will be given online when available. The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m.

WHAT IS A TRUST AND  DO I NEED ONE

There are two basic types of trusts:  living trusts and testamentary trusts.  A living trust, or inter-vivos trust, is set up during a person’s lifetime.  A testamentary trust is set up in a will and established only after the person’s death when the will goes into effect.  Living trusts can be either revocable or irrevocable.  Revocable trusts allow you to retain control of all the assets in the trust, and you are free to revoke or change the terms of the trust at any time.  You personally pay income taxes on any income earned by the assets in the trust until your death.  After your death, a new tax paying entity is created and this entity pays taxes on any income earned by the assets in the trust, such as an investment account earning dividends and interest income.  In an irrevocable trust, the assets transferred to the trust are no longer yours, and typically you cannot make changes without the consent of the beneficiary.  Most trusts are revocable.

There are many more complicated types of trusts, such as credit shelter trusts, generation-skipping trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts and qualified terminable interest property trusts. Each type has advantages and disadvantages, which you should discuss thoroughly with your estate-planning attorney before setting one up.  This article will explain revocable living trusts.

A trust is a legal entity that allows you to place conditions on how certain assets are distributed upon your death. A trust does not replace a will. A trust deals with specific assets, such as real estate or an investment account, while a will deals with personal property such as a car, furniture, jewelry, etc.  For example, a will designates who gets your assets, such as your car, with no conditions attached. A trust, on the other hand, designates who gets your assets when, and how much over time, if specified.  For example, a will could designate that your son Joe gets your investment savings of $2,000,000.  However, a trust can designate that your son Joe will get your investment savings of $2,000,000 but only $10,000 per year until age 50, at which time the entire balance of the savings can be distributed to Joe in full.  The undistributed assets remain in the trust until the trust document indicates that they can be distributed and to whom.  

Many people question whether they need a trust.  If you have a net worth of at least $100,000 and have a substantial amount of assets in real estate, or you have very specific instructions on how and when you want your estate to be distributed among your heirs after you die, then a trust could be a good choice for you.  Legal fees to establish a basic trust vary, starting at around $1,500 to $3,000, but a more complex trust will cost more.  Such a plan should include establishment of the trust, a will and a health care directive.  If deemed necessary, a durable power of attorney may also be recommended.  Your trust should be reviewed annually to determine if you need to make changes, such as adding the birth of a child or grandchild.  

Assets you want protected by the trust must be retitled in the name of the trust to avoid probate.  Anything that is not titled in the name of the trust when you die may have to go through probate. To retitle an asset in the name of the trust is not complicated.  If you have an investment or bank account, you need to provide them with a certificate of trust and request they retitle the account in the name of the trust. Real estate is not as easy.  Your attorney should prepare legal paperwork that instructs the township where the property is located, to retitle the real estate in the name of the trust.

A trust can also be used as a planning tool in case you become incapacitated.  Individuals usually designate themselves as the trustee of their trust.  A successor trustee is designated, who can access the trust assets if you become incapacitated.  If you are in a nursing home, the successor trustee can pay your bills and manage your assets.  Without a trust, your family may have to go to court to have a conservator appointed to oversee your assets.

Consult an estate planning attorney if you want to set up a trust.  Many state and federal laws will apply, and it is important to use the advice and services of an expert.  An attorney can guide you through the various types of trusts and help you decide what best suits your assets and goals and make sure it is legal.    

​For more information, on the internet search trusts and you will find an abundance of information. – Submitted by Char Kirchner, CPA, MSA and Rex Rudolph, CPA

Elk Rapids District
Library Corner

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Lobby Service. In the lobby there is a laptop computer where you can do your online business and print documents; you can register for a new library card or renew your existing card; pick up a Take & Make craft bag for kids and teens/adults (scan the QR code on the bag and go immediately to the YouTube video instructions); pick up your previously reserved and checked out items; help yourself to some free daily newspapers and magazines; knock on the inner door and we will be happy to make copies or scan something for you, and we will even bring you some titles to browse if you aren’t sure which book you want. We will do our best to provide the services our patrons need while the building remains closed to the public.

STEM Kits. The binder of available STEM Kits is now in the lobby so you can choose the one you want and we will check it out for you. Cold winter days are perfect for playing inside while learning science, technology and math concepts. We have 22 different kits to choose from for all kinds of educational fun, including coding, the human body, rocks and minerals, circuits, and much more. Check one out today!

Library Cards. Beginning February 1 we will no longer take applications for new cards online. We will continue to renew existing cards through an online request. To apply for a new card, you will need to come to the lobby and we will bring you a form to fill out. Please have your driver’s license and proof of address with 

VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS
Village Council Update

The Elk Rapids Village Council met on Tuesday, January 19 on Zoom. Prior to the meeting the council heard a report concerning the Covid vaccine situation in Antrim County. Leslie Meyers reported on how many shots had been given and to what groups – medical personnel, firemen, police, EMS, and people over 86. But the main issue remains a shortness of vaccines. The Health Department has not received the amount expected, and planning is difficult due to the non-availability of vaccines. If anyone is interested in volunteering to help at distribution sites, they can reach Leslie Meyers at 231-533-6569 or by email at meyersl@antrimcounty.org.

The Consent Calendar was passed. Three citizens gave comments, all concerning the lawsuit about the Bed and Breakfast at 106 Oak Street. Unfinished Business began with Proposed Ordinance #495 about Ethical Conduct, which will have a public hearing and second reading scheduled for February 1, 2021. Next involved the Electric Vehicle Charging Station. Kevin Kartel, the representative from the company, came to answer questions from the council members. As a result, the issue will be discussed, and a decision will be made at the next meeting. The Power Home Solar is talking with the local schools to see if they want to participate in the project. The Village Council is waiting for their decision. The B&B at 106 Oak Street is involved in a lawsuit, so no update was given. There was no decision for the proposed boat races.

New Business began with a discussion of rumors about plans for harbor expansion. Village President James Janisse declared the rumors absolute fiction. Following was a discussion of the police union contract. The council accepted the three-year contract with a vote of 7/0. 

The remainder of the meeting consisted of commission/committee reports. Doug Bronkema reported the Harbor Commission had voted no on the proposed boat races, as did the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Downtown Development Authority voted for the boat races. They also saw the need to listen to their members and will conduct a community survey. The district library board proposed to work as a group and “to speak as one voice,” which was later withdrawn. There was some discussion concerning the lease of the property from the village. A committee was set up the look at the lease. The township board also wants further information about the lease of the library property from the Village Council. The township also made taxpayers disputes acceptable in writing and email, in addition to appearing in person at the township offices. The township is looking for someone interested in maintaining the cemetery. Lastly, GreenER has been successful in getting high school students involved in environmental activities, and there are plans for a Super Recycling Day in the spring.

The council then went into closed session to discuss the 106 Oak Street issue. The next regular meeting will be February 1, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. There are two budget workshops scheduled for January 20 and 25, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. – Submitted by Dolores Hibbard, Contributing Writer

MILTON TOWNSHIP
RV park special use permit sent back to subcommittee 

By Steve Yencich, Contributing Writer

The continuation of last July’s Planning Commission hearing on the special use permit for the Torch Lake RV Park took place on the evening of Friday, January 15. With the exception of Bob Kingon, all commissioners were present, as were developer Jim Brewer, and attorneys representing Brewer, the Planning Commission and members of affected lake associations. Additional correspondence from 172 concerned residents was also entered into the record.

Planning Commission Chairman Bill Hefferan refocused board members and attendees on the task at hand by reading part of the township ordinance governing the Planning Commission’s reaction to special use permits.  “Planning decisions are not popularity contests made on the basis of public support or opposition. They must be based on whether the proposal meets the requirements of the plans, regulations, and standards of review specified in the zoning ordinance.” Hefferan said the ordinance requires the commission to approve the permit if it meets those standards, and mandates denial of the permit, if it does not. He said that if approved, the park would become the largest development, placed in the most seasonally congested area of the township.  

Numerous questions were raised by commission members, including lighting, off-season boat storage, road grade and slopes, and use of golf carts. Questions were raised about the undeveloped acreage in the parcel. PC member Tom Cole said, “the acreage is open to any other public uses allowed by current zoning rules.” Board members were asked to stipulate the reasons for not acting on the permit at this time. Those included complexity of plan, environmental concerns for runoff, river and watershed, and groundwater contamination. Concerns were also raised for traffic congestion and the need for traffic and public safety studies, and the ability of police, fire and ambulance to respond at peak season, as well. So many unanswered questions were raised that the RV park special use permit was unanimously sent back to committee for further review.
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Developer attorney Andy Blodgett said that sending the permit back to subcommittee would be a continuation of deliberations, and that the board should come up with very specific questions, and after all experts had been heard from, either accept or reject the application. Matt Vermetten, the attorney representing the Planning Commission stated the commission was charged with granting, disapproving or requiring additional changes to the plan. He advised the commission to reject input solely from those in support or opposition to the permit, but rather look to the interests of all Milton Township residents. The first meeting of the subcommittee will tentatively take place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 26, subject to official announcement on the township’s website.

Terri's Take-Aways 
with Terri Glenn, FNP-BC

“Just eat the food and lose the weight” 

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Oh, if only it was that simple! Have you had enough of the weight loss ads we have come to expect every January? We had a brief break from the annoying political ads and now every other commercial wants to send you food to offset the holiday weight gain! 2021 is a target rich environment. For many this year it wasn’t isolated to the usual 7-8-pound gain of the holidays. We have spent the year finding comfort in baking, eating and take-out food all while living in a new environment that restricts sports, exercise and movement in general. It has been the year where I hear every day the frustration, anger, anxiety, sadness and self-recriminations over the loss of control we feel with our weight, our country and lives. I hear it and I see the health implications of it. My top ten: elevated blood pressures, weight gain or loss, insomnia (inability to sleep), headaches, muscle and body aches, gastrointestinal changes, anxiety and depression. We have a saying posted in our office, “Food is medicine and weight loss is health care.” If you know you’d feel better if you lost weight but are too overwhelmed with life to address it, you are not alone. Cardiologist Dr. Jack Wolfson professes that nobody sets out to be sick, unhealthy and overweight. These are things that happen when you don’t have goals and don’t act on a plan. The food we eat isn’t as simple as taking in calories to live. It is also the fabric of our social, entertainment, love language and reward system. For those of you that have never struggled with weight, count your blessings and please do not judge! 

Take aways​: So what to do? Begin with writing down your reasons for wanting to lose weight and put them on the bathroom mirror. Don’t beat yourself if you slip or have gained back weight lost in the past. The important thing is to just start! If you are due for an appointment with a health care provider don’t put it off until you feel comfortable stepping on scales. Find a provider that you are comfortable with and share your frustrations. Get your blood work done and be sure you aren’t fighting a losing battle due to an underlying health condition. Get moving! I mean physically. Your goal in losing weight should be to lose fat not muscle. Muscle drives the “furnace” of our metabolism. How do you get your body to burn fat? Limit carbohydrate intake. Anytime our bodies have carbohydrates like sugar or, yes, even a healthy apple to burn, it will not break down or burn fat for energy. An apple won’t make you fat, but it can keep you from losing weight. Adequate protein is key. There is a plethora of information out there, but if overwhelmed find a buddy, coach, or mentor in your journey. Planning is a key to success, in weight loss and life. Keep goals reasonable and not self-defeating. Plan your meals for the week. Prepping ahead and preparing in advance for special events is key. No, it isn’t easy, but the rewards are great in health and life. 

For me and much of my family this is the part of our healthcare we can never ignore or give up on. A 2021 motivation for me was I felt so much of life was out of our hands; where we can go, what we have to wear, how we must work and so on. One thing I could control was what I ate, how I felt and how much I exercised (my nemesis). Use the COVID restrictions right now to your advantage. You are not alone, and you can do this! – Terri Glenn, FNP-BC is a nurse practitioner at the Elk Rapids Medical Clinic with Dr. Ann Kuenker, DO, who has offered a successful weight loss program for over ten years.