• It’s Planning Season: Have Your Say Before Someone Takes It Away

    These are tense and exciting times. Yes, I know, you say, what with the Republican Party taking over the House, and the economy flatlining and the final four… [insert whatever sports thing—PS: the Alert is looking for a sports columnist]. No, no. Forget the national scene. What’s happening right here, right now, that will affect your future in ways you’ve never even thought about? Frankfort is developing its master plan and zoning ordinance right now, and so is Elberta. Public hearing and comment are still in the offing (Frankfort’s next public hearing is November 17 at City Hall), but so… More

  • Keep Turkeys Flying out of Glen’s

    Each year, Community Spirit Food Bank produces 10- to 15-serving Thanksgiving gift packs for area families facing a lean holiday. This year, as may be expected with our continued crap economy, the demand is very high. Melanie Herron, a nurse at Paul Oliver and a Community Spirit volunteer, fielded a total of 70 requests last year; this year she’s already received 35, relatively early in the month. Community Spirit is asking for donations to meet demand. Each meal package costs $30. To donate, you go to Glen’s and ask to fill out a gift certificate for that amount to the… More

  • Why Aren’t the Lights On?

    Elbertians, navigating the array of road construction disruption since June, watching the stimulus-funded beautification of Old M-168 unfold, have been eagerly awaiting one key feature of the improvements: LED lamplight! But with work completed ahead of the October 30 deadline, many have been wondering, Why the heck aren’t the lights on yet? They will be tonight, according to Sharyn Bower, Village clerk, who spoke with Don Zimmerman, the electrician in charge of the hookups. Indeed, some residents may have noticed them being lit this past Friday (though this writer did not); Zimmerman and son turned them on that day. Zimmerman… More

  • Foghorn: Trees on Old M-168

    Why are most of the gorgeous newly planted trees right under the power lines, when the old beauties had to be removed because they were right under the power lines?   Send anonymous or signed rants, gripes, queries, or even kudos to elbert.alert@gmail.com, subject line “Foghorn.” More

  • Don’t Care Where You Get Your Appetite, as Long as You Eat Locally

    The local food movement has made its way to Northern Michigan. You may be asking yourself, “What is the local food movement?” In a nutshell, it is a locally based effort to make food grown and processed locally available for purchase. So instead of your food traveling via container ship from a foreign country 3,000 miles away, you buy food that was grown in your own neighborhood by a local farmer. By purchasing locally, you stimulate the local economy while obtaining food that is often grown organically, without any chemical fertilizers and pesticides. You also reduce the effect of greenhouse… More

  • First Meeting of the Elberta Arts Council

    The Elberta Arts Council met Saturday, November 6, at 1 pm, at the Conundrum Café, to brainstorm ideas for community arts projects and programs. Elbertians and Elberta fans are encouraged to submit ideas to the new Elberta Arts wiki, located at www.elbertaarts.wikispaces.com. To add content, simply join the wiki with your own username and password. Attendees at this first meeting were Michele Cannaert of Conundrum Café, Arthur Melendez, Christine Walsons, and Emily Votruba. To receive notice of future meetings or to send comments and suggestions, write to Michele Cannaert at mcannaert@conundrumcafe.com or write to elbertaarts@gmail.com. More