Category: Breaking
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Guest Column: Electric Skateboard Debate Ramps Up
Please help stop Frankfort City Council’s ongoing effort to create an ordinance banning electric skateboards citywide. By Carolyn Thayer July 14, 2017 I’m asking for your help to spread the news about the Frankfort City Council’s ongoing effort to create an ordinance banning electric skateboards citywide based on the potential for a public safety…
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And a-One and a-Two: Village Weighs Proceeding with Restroom Project with Partial Grant Funding
By Emily Votruba, Parks & Rec Secretary At the February Parks and Rec meeting this year, Elberta Farmers’ Market master Sue Oseland presented a proposal to apply for a $70K USDA grant for permanent, piped restroom facilities at the Penfold/Farmers’ Market park. The restroom would be 10×20 with two separate…
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Special Meeting on DEP Tonight
Special Meeting of the Elberta Village Council Monday October 27, 2014 Community Building 401 First Street 7:00 P.M. The Village of Elberta will conduct a Special Meeting on Monday October 27, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. to consider the financial status of the Village including the 2013 – 2014 audit, the…
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Preliminary DEQ Report on Cold Creek Spill
DRAFT Preliminary DEQ Report on Cold Creek Spill Audio of April 10 regular Beulah Village meeting.
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DPW’s Advice to Prevent Frozen Pipes Today
Thanks, Ken Bonney, for dropping off this notice today!
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Council Votes to Reinstate Sharyn Bower to Temporary Clerk Position
December 10, 2013 Full audio of meeting Village Community Building—In a four to three vote during a special meeting tonight, the Village Council decided to hire recently retired Village clerk Sharyn Bower back to the clerk’s position at two days a week, minus the benefits she requested in her application…
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Treasury Report on the Village’s Internal Controls
This report was given to me by two Village officials (on separate occasions). The officials asked not to be named. One of them said I should publish it on the Alert site and Facebook page, the other asked that I wait to do that until after the council meeting tonight,…
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Benzie General Election Results
November 6, 2013 Hey, everyone. Well, last night was fun. With the help of social media, roving volunteer poll reporters, friendly poll workers, and our tech-savvy friend Aubrey Ann Parker, we were able to bring you election results for several districts in real time over Facebook. Next time we hope to…
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Little Free Library Comes to Elberta
A new “Little Free Library” has opened for business in Elberta. It’s located on the front porch of the Conundrum Café at 603 Frankfort Avenue. Books are available 24-7. If your inner book worm is turning and you feel the need (the need to read) “check out” one of the…
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Free Treats at Conundrum Café Halloween Night
Conundrum Cafe will be open to Trick or Treaters of all ages on October 31 from 6 pm to 8 pm. It’s their way of saying “thanks” to the community! Free treats for all. Ain’t that sweet?
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New Business: Eco-Building Products Open House!
Next Wednesday! Delicious free food, beer and music at Eco-Building Products’ open house beginning at 7 pm. Come and meet our new business neighbors in the old Elberta Beach Market building: owner Jim Barnes and staff Greg Kindig and Lisa Richter. We kind of feel like we should be the…
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Council Tables Deficit Elimination Plan, Treasurer to Phone State Tomorrow
Brief update on tonight’s meeting: Council voted to table the topic of the deficit reduction plan until they receive further guidance from the state, preferably in writing. The only documentation of the state’s interest in seeing a deficit reduction plan cited a report the state is supposedly preparing, to be…
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Village Deficit Crisis: Brief, Important Update
By Emily Votruba According to Reggie and Laura Manville, the state expects to see a plan that might realistically eliminate our $558K+ deficit within the next 5 years.* If the Village does not come up with an acceptable plan by October 17, it’s very likely, again according to Reggie Manville, that…
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Special Meeting to Discuss Village Deficit, Possible Asset Sales
By Emily Votruba UPDATED 10/10/13 Look around you, in our green (and now red and orange and golden) Village. What do you see? Trees, bluffs, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, parkland, and a few small but important business concerns. If you’re a longtime resident, you can’t…
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The State Visits the Village: Are Personnel Changes Possible?
By Emily Votruba The following article is an editorial. I have tried to present the facts as I know them in as unbiased a manner possible, but I do have a bias, as you will discover below. Please weigh in with your comments! An auditor from the State of Michigan…
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Issy Stapleton Responsive, Expected to Recover
Good news from Eileen Stapleton, Matt Stapleton’s mother, via Janet Buck: Issy seems to be “about 95% OK” and is continuing to make progress toward a full recovery. She was unresponsive for three days and today “came out of it.” The possible brain damage that was reported earlier, found in…
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A Message from Matt Stapleton
Friends, Family, Colleagues, and Community members: By now, many of you have heard the swirling rumors or stories about the recent news involving my wife Kelli and daughter Isabelle. I would like to give you all a brief update to our situation. Two nights ago, my wife and daughter were…
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Putney Appeal Hearing to Continue September 4
Tonight the Zoning Board of Appeals, with new members Holly O’Dwyer and and Mark Held, after hearing public comment and a statement from Loy Putney’s attorney, Brad Putney, decided to continue the hearing on September 4 to give ZBA members more time to review the appeal exhibits, some of which…
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Special Meeting Monday to Discuss Millage for Sheriff Department
UPDATE: County clerk Dawn Olney sent an email today, August 26, at about noon with an agenda attached for either a continued or rescheduled meeting on the Sheriff millage issue, to be held tomorrow (Aug. 27) at 1 pm, same place. 8 am, County Commissioners Room, Benzie County Government Center, 448…
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Putney Appeals Square Footage per Person Requirement
Sometime between the afternoon of August 20 and 12:30 pm on August 21, Sharyn Bower posted this notice. Loy Putney is appealing the stipulation of council that he house no more than 1 person per 165 sq ft at the Bay Valley worker housing apartments. Since Putney had already completed…
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Council Contemplates Selling Old Library…And Much, Much More
It was another nearly three hour meeting, with lots of decisions made and some deferred. President Reggie Manville was back, after a three-meeting absence. Employee benefits were discussed and a vote was taken on Linda Manville’s proposal that employees begin contributing 20% toward their health-care premiums. This motion was voted…
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Ann Arbor Railroad Retirees Convene Again August 4
Hey everyone, the Ann Arbor Railroad Retirees gather again, for the 28th year in a row, at the Blaine Township Hall on White Owl Road August 4, to celebrate their years of service in Elberta’s unique industry. All are welcome (bring food!), and the Alert encourages younger and non-railroad/car ferry…
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Lakeside Shakespeare: The Show Goes On!
Tonight, July 29, at 7 pm, enjoy the rescheduled performance of The Comedy of Errors on Tank Hill. CoE was rained out on Friday the 26th. Rain also moved Sunday night’s performance of CoE from Tank Hill to the Oliver Art Center. Fortunately, everyone seems to have kept their sense of humor……
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JR’s 2nd Annual Fireworks
A free fireworks display comes once again to the Village, brought to us by J. R. Duncan, when night falls this Saturday, June 29. All are welcome. Duncan said last year the fireworks could be seen from River Road, but you might want to get a better view. Duncan suggests…
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Signs Installed to Mark Beach Road
With authorization from Council, Ken Bonney today installed stakes and signage to demarcate the Village’s platted road, known as Lakeside Boulevard. Over the years, the undeveloped stretch has become by turns rutted and covered over with soft sand, and several byways have been cut through use. The long-standing issue of…
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Elberta Dunes South Parking Lot Completed
With the help of a $5,000 grant written by Village clerk Sharyn Bower, one phase in the management plan for the Elberta Dunes South natural area was begun and completed today, June 27. Kerby’s won the bid to grade and gravel a portion of the property. The parking area will…
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County Recycling Coordinator Caught Up in Driver Responsibility Act Mess
By Emily Votruba County Recycling Coordinator Mike Fiebing was pulled over in his personal vehicle on Wednesday June 5 for having a cracked windshield—a routine traffic stop, according to Sheriff Ted Schendel. Schendel told the Alert that when the officer ran Fiebing’s license record the license was found to have…
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Proposed Free WiFi Area
The Alert obtained this printout of the proposed free WiFi coverage area from Frankfort City Council member Richard Haan. This is just a preliminary plan, not final; if you’re interested in this issue, contact a Frankfort City Council member or attend one of their regular meetings, on the third Tuesday…
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New Sleeping Bear Birding Trail Is First in State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (from Douglas Cook, president, Benzie Audubon Club) April 2013 MICHIGAN’S SLEEPING BEAR BIRDING TRAIL CONNECTS THE DOTS Michigan’s coastline and habitat diversity have long been a draw to bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. Birders and eco-tourists spend millions each year in the enjoyment of their pursuits. Now,…
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Stop Work, Evacuation Order Issued on Putney’s Elberta School Apartments
By Emily Votruba April 25, 2013—This morning a stop work and evacuation order was issued to Loy Putney by Zoning Administrator Ken Bonney for the proposed Elberta School Apartments. The families who moved in over the weekend of April 20 need to move out by Monday, April 29, Bonney said.…
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Putney Begins Moving Workers in to Elberta School Apartments; Zoning Still up in the Air
By Emily Votruba Three days after the Planning Commission’s inconclusive hearing on Loy Putney’s special permit application to put apartments in the old Bay Valley Inn Property, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development approved and licensed three of the completed units, and workers will begin to move in.…
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Tree Cutting Along Grace Road Will Not Include Historic Trees, Says Road Commission
UPDATE (5/6/13): The Road Commission said today that the project is expected to be completed before the end of June. The stretch of Grace between Forrester and M-22 will be closed until then. By Emily Votruba Photographs by Jennifer Wilkins We got a call from a concerned citizen…
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New Post Office Hours
At long last, the new post office hours have been announced. Starting May 4 (prom day), the weekday hours are 9 am to 1 pm. Saturdays remain same, from 8:30 to 10:30 am. PO box mail will be available for pickup by 10 am Monday through Saturday.
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Commissioners Confronted on IPMC, Deputies
By Bob Kenison and Emily Votruba March 26, 2013 BENZIE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER—More than one hundred Benzie County citizens overflowed the commissioners’ chambers, spilling into the hallway at the regular meeting this past Tuesday. The people were clearly unhappy with the commissioners’ enactment of the new property maintenance code. Some…
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International Property Maintenance Code Rescinded (Audio)
BENZIE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER—The county commission voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance rescinding their adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code at this morning’s regular county commissioners meeting. Members of the media were there (Record–Patriot, TV 9&10, and others), and more than 120 members of the general public. A show…
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Strict Construction: The New County Property Maintenance Code
By Emily Votruba At the February 19 County Commissioners meeting, the commissioners voted 6 to 1 to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code (see link below). The vote occurred during the department head reports portion of the meeting and was not on the agenda. After a presentation by Robert Theobald…
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New County Property Maintenance Rules Are Intensely Detailed, Possibly Unconstitutional
Thanks to the Joyfield Residents group on Facebook for making the pdf of the new county property maintenance code available. We haven’t actually read it yet, but you can! We’ve heard it’s pretty strict, which should please lovers of neatly trimmed grass, but cause some headaches (and pocketbook aches) for…
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Elberta Post Office Will Go to Four-Hour Schedule
Post Office public meeting results: within just over a month (approximately 37 days), our post office will go to a four-hour-a-day schedule, two hours on Saturdays. Exact hours are yet to be determined, but it will likely be 11 am to about 3 pm weekdays, 8:30 am to 10:30 am…
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Panthers Wring Out the Glen Lake Lakers 42-41
Reporting by Kelli Stapleton January 24, 2013—Frankfort–Elberta Men’s Basketball, state ranked for the first time since the ’70s, under the coachmanship of Elberta mayor Reg Manville, faced the Glen Lake Lakers, who were 9-1 coming into the game. According to coach Manville, who asked Pete Sandman, the Panthers’ now 10-0…
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Near Beer: Stormcloud Brewing
The official announcement finally came today, January 15, 2013, over Facebook: This summer a little light industry rolls in to 303 Main Street in Frankfort. The Alert spoke with Stormcloud Brewing Company owner-operators Brian Confer and Rick Schmitt about their project, which will occupy the former site of the Caddy…
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Pride of BC: Let’s Talk about Bullying in Schools
An anti-bullying group for parents holds its first meeting tomorrow at Benzie High School’s SEEDS room at 6:30 pm. The group is a spinoff of the kids’ anti-bullying Pride group that formed earlier this year. All are welcome to come out and discuss how we can be nicer to each…
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What’s Eating the Local Food Movement?
By Emily Votruba EVENT Tuesday, December 4. The Northern Michigan Culinary Arts Community invites the public to a talk by Patty Cantrell, “Local Food: A Prescription for National Healing.” With free, locally sourced appetizers made by SEEDS kids and some of our area’s most talented chefs. 7 pm to 8:30…
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Gov Watch: Bills to Take the Public Out of Michigan Education?
By Emily Votruba State legislators may soon vote on a set of bills that would make sweeping “emergency manager”–style changes to state public education, while making it easier to establish private and charter schools. The Benzie Democrats and Frankfort–Elberta Schools superintendent Tom Stobie have voiced their concern, as has Bloomfield…
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Election Results 2012
Our turnout was about 73%, down from 2004 (79.2%) and 2008 (77.9%). 478 ballots were cast, including 5 from overseas. Thank you to election workers Carole Anne Lee, Pat Appleton, Cathleen Christie, Nancy Wing, and Charlie Hendershott, with great assistance from Sharyn Bower. Poll watchers were Karen Roberts and Mike…
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Sheriff Race 2012: Indy Candidate Carland
By Bob Kenison and Emily Votruba Back in July of this year, the Alert’s Morgan Feger interviewed the candidates for Benzie County sheriff—three Republicans. Ted Schendel won the August primary and would have been unopposed in the general election. But in July, Coury Carland announced he was running for the…
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New District Draws Fierce Battle Lines
By Eric Pyne The redistricting of May 2011 split representation for Elberta and Frankfort and created a larger District 7, which will now include the Village of Elberta; Gilmore, Joyfield, Weldon, and Blaine Townships; and part of Thompsonville. Don Tanner (D), the current District 7 rep and county commission chair,…
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District VII Candidate Forum Canceled
Attention, attention! The League of Women Voters Candidate Forum scheduled for tonight (Tuesday), which was to feature county commission candidates Don Tanner and Adrian Poulisse, has been canceled. There will still be a law & order candidate forum on Wednesday, tomorrow, however, featuring sheriff candidates Ted Schendel and Coury Carland,…
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Betsie River Meeting with Ray Franz
A quick update: About 40 people showed up at City Hall for the hastily called meeting with Josh Mills, State rep Ray Franz, and the DNR’s Frank Foster. They assembled discussed possible reasons for the problem we’re experiencing with low water (including the dredging of the St. Clair River) as well…
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Officials to Meet about Betsie River
According to Josh Mills: “There will be a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday (tomorrow), October 17, 2012 ,at 2:30 regarding the status of the Betsie Bay river mouth. The meeting will be facilitated by State Representative Ray Franz and State Representative and MDNR Committee Chair Frank Foster. There is…
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Post Office Public Meeting Postponed
The public hearing on the future of the Elberta Post Office, which was supposed to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon, has been postponed indefinitely. Sharyn Bower just stopped by the Alert offices to let us know the word had come down from a post office muckety-muck that the public…
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Future of the Elberta Post Office
Postmaster Tim Flynn will be taking his early retirement “option” at the end of this month. On October 16, a public hearing will be held on the future of our Elberta post office, at 12 noon in the Community Building on First Street. Come out and make your voice heard. Options…
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DNR Officer from TC Arrives at Betsie Salmon Scene, Shoos Away Diggers
Story by Emily Votruba Photos by Chip Marks Sergeant Robert Torres of the Traverse City DNR enforcement office arrived at the mouth of the Betsie River this evening at about 5:30. He had been called to the scene by reports of the efforts of citizens to save the fish as…
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Sandbagging the Bay
Since the word began to get out last Thursday about the potential salmon spawn crisis, a number of ideas have emerged to deal with the problem. The DNR has already been inundated with phone calls from concerned fishermen and business owners. As the Alert reported Friday, Fisheries Management is issuing…
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Partial Fishing Ban, Dredging Considered to Save 2012 Salmon Spawn
Per an email received today from Dennis Holcombe, chair of the Gilmore Township planning commission: “I talked to the DNR this morning. They had just returned from a site visit here in Elberta, they walked the area. Their analysis is that the level of Lake Michigan is the lowest it…
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“We Won’t Be Back in 2015”: Fishermen Urge Action on Low-Water Threat to Salmon Run
By Emily Votruba A group of concerned fishermen are mounting a campaign to avert what they feel might be a failure in this year’s salmon run. Thousands of fish are dead and dying in the low water of the Betsie Bay trying to make it up into the Betsie River…
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Sheriff’s Dept. Investigating Platte Valley Auto Sales Fraud Allegations
Sheriff Rory Heckman said this morning that the Sheriff’s Department is in the middle of its investigation of alleged fraud perpetrated by Platte Valley Auto Sales owner Dave Purchase and his sister Brenda Purchase. Asked if any arrests were planned, Heckman said, “We are right in the middle of an…
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Beach Cleanup, Tuesday September 4
8 am! Meet at the Elberta Beach parking lot. BYO gloves. Bags are provided. Sponsored by Friends of Betsie Bay.
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Free Movies in Elberta: They’re Baaaaaack
Come one, come all! to free movies Monday (August 20), Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the Elberta Waterfront Amphitheater. It’s the first annual Mushy Peach Festival, featuring films generously supplied by local auteur and Benzie booster Rich Brauer. All the films were shot locally and with local themes. Monday it’s…
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Candidates for 2012 Village Election
The deadline for submitting a minimum of 6 signatures on a candidate petition was today at 4 pm. Here are the candidates: Trustee Candidates (3 open slots): Joyce Gatrell, Ken Holmes, Bill Soper, Dave Bower, Jennifer Wilkins Treasurer Candidate: Laura Manville
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Primary Results 2012
Gilmore Township polls closed at 8 pm, and at 8:15 the results were in: 257 votes cast (Nonpartisan, 10. Republican, 144. Democrat, 103) PROPOSAL Restore and renew millage for Council on Aging, .6600 mill for 5 years YES 187; NO 43 CONGRESSIONAL: United States Senator R Clark Durant 36 R Gary Glenn…
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Reflections by the Bay at Benzie Shores Library, Wednesday, July 18
A very awesome Reflections by the Bay tomorrow: Shipwrecks of Sleeping Bear Dunes! a talk by Ross Richardson, who should know. 7 pm at Benzie Shores District Library. Explore a treasure trove of history without having to squeeze into a diving suit.
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Zoning Board of Appeals Upholds Putney Land Use Permit Denial
The Zoning Board of Appeals, minus recused members Reg Manville and Ken Holmes, voted unanimously to uphold zoning administrator Carl Noffsinger’s initial denial of a land-use permit to Loy Putney, who back in December 2011 petitioned to use the former Bay Valley Inn property as worker housing. The three-plus hour…
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Next Wednesday…
To learn more about this project of the Elberta Historic Preservation Committee, go to the Apron Savers Facebook page, and check out the Ann Arbor Car Ferry Memories page while you’re there.
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Memorial Day Saturday Kidstravaganza!
Getting excited for this Saturday, when the Solstice Committee puts on a bunch of awesome fun for kids, to raise money for more awesome fun at the kids’ tent at Solstice Fest. Check it out: Starting at noon at the Waterfront Park, it’s relay games, a dunk tank, a cake…
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Spring Cleanup!
The Village will hold Spring Cleanup again this year, on Saturday, May 12, from 9 am to 2 pm. You may bring as much of your cr*p as you like, at a rate of $20 per full-pickup-truck load; no tires or hazardous waste, please. Ken Bonney and crew will be…
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Public Hearing on Putney Land Use Denial Postponed
About 55 people turned out on Wednesday night, April 25, as the Village Council, sitting as the zoning board of appeals (ZBA), attempted to hold a public hearing on the land-use permit denial issued by zoning administrator Carl Noffsinger for Loy Putney. Putney has purchased the former Bay Valley Inn…
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Hidden Easter Eggs Found in Waterfront Park
ELBERTA WATERFRONT PARK—Joanne Bartley said it was the largest turnout for an Easter egg hunt she’d ever seen in her five years running the Chamber of Commerce event. The Waterfront Park lot was full, and cars spilled over to the shoulders of 168 on this bright, mild-for-April morning shortly after…
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Putney Sues Village over Bay Valley Inn Property
UPDATES * The office of Plunkett Cooney confirmed yesterday (4/9) that Gretchen Olsen is representing the Village and its agents in the Putney litigation. ** Channel 7&4 reported on the case yesterday (4/9) evening. The video may be viewed here. Note that because of the ongoing litigation, the news reporter…
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Water Main Break Getting Fixed
DPW Ken Bonney says the water pipe rupture on the corner of Sheridan and Frankfort Avenue just outside Mix’s Barbershop probably occurred on Friday—he’ll know when he checks the water meter. Because of the holiday and the need for Miss Dig’s involvement the leak could not be repaired until today.…
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Park and Rec Xmas Tree Sale, on Now!
Come one, come all, and get the best tree deal in the county. Save money on gas and know that what you do spend is going to support Elberta’s beautification and recreation initiatives. Park and Rec is selling Fraser firs and Scotch pine trees between the post office and Lane…
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Note of Clarification on the Management of This Publication!
By Emily Votruba My friend Andrea Claire Maio was interviewed for an IPR segment that aired today, about her TV show project, Back to Your Senses, for which she is seeking funding through a new crowdsource fund-raising site called Mobcaster. My personal view is that Andrea’s project is really exciting,…
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Early Morning Fire Claims Three on Pautz Road
A fire completely destroyed the home of Chris Luedtke and his wife, Linda, this morning, beginning with an explosion at 7:30 a.m., according to Brian McGillivary writing on the Record-Eagle website. The Luedtkes and their 17-year-old son are confirmed dead. Update: As of Tuesday, November 22, the Benzie County Sheriff’s…