Excerpt:

SHIP HUMAN WASTE AWAY  FROM THE LAKES

ER Village Sewage Plant Project Plan:  TNN analyzed the 100 page plan and has filed a ‘Public Comment’.

 The Plan requires 40 times more frequent human waste removal from the ER Waste Water Treatment Plant 2 times yearly in the Plan. Versus 1 time in 20 years currently. 

 TNN opposes land disposing this waste in local townships.  Population year-round is 4X higher than the Village; TNN estimates over 15,000* total residents seasonally in 3 local townships 10X Village. 

 COTorch Lake – Milton Township are not the proper location for land disposal. Neither is Elk Rapids Twp. where septic tank waste is land disposed.

 There is evidence that Village human waste disposal sites in Milton and Torch Lake Townships ran-off to ditches, streams, the Bay and down-hill residents along Creswell Lane, Birch View Rd, Joe Marks Trail, Juniper Drive; McKenzie Drive is at risk.

Crisis low Bay water levels trap this run-off from upland farm fields near shore where children play on beaches.

* NWMCOG Northwest Michigan Seasonal Population Model updated to 2010 U.S. Census

Entire Newslater

As part of Green Elk Rapids Days:

Special Village Council meeting, 6 p.m. at HERTHA Hall, 401 River Street. Announcements, essay winners, Trashformation winners.  Guest speaker Pat Lindemann, Ingham County Drain Commissioner, on innovative water projects. – Record-Eagle

TART Trails’ annual Smart Commute Week is part of a regional smart commute challenge with Charlevoix and Emmet Counties.

Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs (Emmet County) will transform their modes of transportation for a week in June to celebrate and encourage smart commuting! Smart Commute Week will be held in each community Monday, June 3rd, through Friday, June 7th. Participate in one of the region’s three Smart Commute Week Challenges and reap the many rewards; including saving money on parking and gas, increased physical activity, free commuter breakfasts and building camaraderie with others in your community. – TART Trails Press Release

Complete Press Release

Green Elk Rapids Days features a Trashformer competition. This year, your vote will help determine the winner in each of several categories. Here’s the link to online voting:

Locations of exhibits are shown below:

OK everyone. Shut off your TVs and get away from it ALL and take a trip to the roaring 20′s to see this amazing production in Elk Rapids Auditorium on Thursday/Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door for $10 ($5 for students). We have unbelievable talent in this fantastic community. Come support us. These kids are so talented and the orchestra led by Dave McKeon really makes it. You’ll feel like a million!

Excerpt:

VILLAGE SEWAGE PLANT – “SHIP HUMAN WASTE AWAY FROM LAKES”

A Sewage Plant Project Plan will have a first reading by ER Village Council April 29. This begins a 30 day public comment period with Project Plan approval to be considered in early June. Sources say the Village will keep land disposing human waste in Torch Lake & Milton Townships on the table. Instead TNN urges Council to direct Gosling-Czubak to develop proposals to ship human waste solids away from the lakes.  Experience shows disposal on upland farms runs-off to beaches.

The project Plan is the next step to bring the Village Sewage Treatment Plant up to standards. Council has already chosen the lowest life cycle cost option to use existing lagoons.  But 4 million gallons of human waste will have to be removed.

Complete NewsletterM

Celebrate Earth Day with Green Elk Rapids

 

Celebrate Earth Day with a Green Elk Rapids Reception & Fundraiser on Sunday, April 21 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Blue Heron Gallery at 131 Ames Street in Elk Rapids. All community members are invited to attend. The gathering will include local beverages, local hors d’oeuvres, and local musical talent along with information about the activities planned for the fifth annual Green Elk Rapids event. The suggested donation for the reception is $10, which will help provide funding for Green ER speakers and expenses.  (Source: Green Elk Rapids Press Release)

Complete Press Release

The Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 2013 Northern Michigan Business Expo and Job Fair, held Thursday, April 18, at the Williamsburg Banquet and Conference Center, 4230 M-72 East, Williamsburg, MI. The event will run from 12:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Scheduled events include a lunch with a panel discussion, exhibitions, and Business After Hours, hourly drawings, and performances by the students of Elk Rapids High School. This state of the art event will provide many excellent opportunities for Elk Rapids and surrounding area businesses to showcase what they have to offer to the public and to network with other businesses.

The lunch will include a panel discussion regarding the expansion of the TART Trail from Acme to Elk Rapids. Scheduled participants are Julie Clark, TART Trail; Kim Pontius, Grand Vision; Dean Branson, Elk Rapids Rotary; Megan Olds, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy; and Amy Jenema, Acme Township Trustee; TV 7 & 4 News Anchor, Marc Schollett will moderate the discussion.  A limited number of tickets will be available to the public.

Space is limited; call today to reserve your space. For information contact the Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce at 231-264-8202 or email Misty Youngson at myoungson@elkrapidschamber.org Source: Chamber email

Net basin supply is runoff and precipitation going into the lake minus evaporation going out of the lake. The net basin supply on Lake Michigan – Lake Huron has been trending lower since 1986.     GLERL/Mark Torregrossa

Dredging has been in the news a lot lately.

Four years ago, funding topped $60 million. This year, it was expected to be about half that and could be slashed further by cuts to the federal budget resulting from the sequester. The total price tag to cover all the commercial dredging needs on the lakes is about $100 million, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the harbors and channels.

To hold even, the lakes need about $40 million in dredging a year, said Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers Association, an Ohio-based trade group representing companies that move 115 million tons of cargo across the Great Lakes every year. Without that, the backlog keeps growing. Committing $60 million a year could clear the backlog in a decade, he said, but that depends on whether water levels continue to drop.    Freep

The List