Updated October 1, 2024
Because of the 9/17 resignation of Clerk-Treasurer Katherine Ralston and some prescheduled family obligations for other officials, the office will be open by appointment only until further notice. Please call the office for an appointment: 231-352-7201
In the meantime, the hunt for a new Clerk-Treasurer has begun!
The Planning Commission approved and adopted the final 2024 Master Plan at its meeting on September 4. View and download the plan here and on the Planning Commission page. Copies are also available at the Village Office.
Three seats are up for election for four-year terms on the Village Board of Trustees (Village Council) in November. They are the seats currently held by Ryan Fiebing, Ken Holmes, and Brett McGregor. Fiebing and McGregor are on the ballot, and Holmes will be filing as a write-in candidate. In order to appear as an official write-in candidate for Village Trustee on the ballot for the November 5 election, you must submit the form below to Gilmore Township Clerk Dave Bissell by 4 pm, Friday, October 25. Your name will not appear on the ballot, but you can urge your supporters to write in your name (which must be spelled the way it is on the form). Village Trustee positions are NONPARTISAN, so do *not* add a party affiliation. If you do, your form may be rejected. Anyone who is registered and eligible to vote in Village of Elberta elections may run for Village Council. —Emily Votruba
The Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail invites the public to participate in their first Trail Discovery Day on Sunday, September 22. [Autumn Equinox!]
“We put the event together to provide a venue where we can engage with the public,” said Heidi Bolger, Board President of the Friends. “We have lots of great news to share about the Trail. There are several trail improvement projects that have been completed, will take place soon, and are planned for near future – and beyond.”
Trail Discovery Day will take place at several locations along the Betsie Valley Trail. In Thompsonville, North Mitten Events’ Betsie Valley Trail Walk/Run will kick off at 8 AM. From 9 to 11 AM free bike checks will be provided at Coastline Cycles, 1100 Main Street in Frankfort. At 10 A.M. Yoga on Beulah Beach will be lead by Jean Weishaar of Life is Bliss Yoga.
Beginning at 11 A.M. at the pavilion in Beulah Village Park, the Friends will host a light lunch from East Shore Market. The Friends are also introducing new design tech bike shirts that will be available at the event for a special minimum donation of $15 (normally $25 minimum donation). “We wanted to do something different than the usual t-shirts,” said Jan Fiola, one of the event organizers. “We worked with Field Crafts to select and design a fluorescent tech bike shirt trail riders and supporters would really like to wear out on the trail.”
At 11:30 AM there will be a presentation about all that’s happening with the Betsie Valley Trail. More details about the event can be found on the Friends website.
Do you want the Betsie Valley Trail to connect to the Elberta waterfront and Elberta Beach someday? You can help us make that happen. Our excellent Trail Management Committee representative, Jon Ottinger, has stepped down due to a work conflict, so we are looking for someone to attend and report on meetings of the Betsie Valley Trail authority. These meetings tend to be monthly in the spring through fall and go on hiatus in the winter. Please contact the Village Office, County Commissioner Gary Sauer, or President Wilkins (jwilkins@villageofelberta.com) if you’re interested.
This Saturday, June 29, the Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail (the trail’s booster organization), will be holding its 2nd annual Brew-to-Brew Trail Day fundraising event.
Per a press release from Jim Gribble, the event is a self-guided, go-as-you-like ride, walk, or run, up to a full 20-mile loop between Stormcloud Brewery in Frankfort and Five Shores in Beulah. For those who want to ride just one way, Benzie Bus will be running a complementary shuttle service (with bike racks) back to your car. The $50 donation/registration fee entitles participants to a free Brew-to-Brew t-shirt and vouchers for a beer at Stormcloud Brewery and a beer at Five Shores Brewery. The vouchers
are valid for one week following the event.
On the day of the event, registrants can pick up their t-shirts and vouchers at either the
trailhead building in the Village of Beulah or the Stormcloud pub in downtown Frankfort
between 10am and 2pm.
To register for the event, go to the Friends website betsievalleytrail.org/brew-to-brew or simply show up at either of the locations on the day.
About the Betsie Valley Trail and the Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail
The Betsie Valley Trail is 22 miles long and extends from Frankfort through Elberta and
Beulah to Thompsonville in Benzie County Michigan. The Trail is owned by the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and is operated and maintained by Benzie
County through the Betsie Valley Trailway Management Council.
The Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail (FBVT) is a Michigan 501(c)3 non-profit corporation
formed in 1993 whose mission is the continued development and accessibility of the
Betsie Valley Trail. This is accomplished by creating awareness, raising funds, and
coordinating efforts of individuals, civic groups, local businesses, and government
entities. The Friends support the efforts of the DNR and County and intends to see that
the Trail is maintained and enjoyed. To achieve its mission, the FBVT relies solely on
generous contributions from individuals, families, businesses and organizations – no
county tax dollars are received.
The project area remains confined to the south end of Lincoln and the west end of Bigley.
Our apologies for any disruption or inconvenience these early sounds may cause!
Per Justin Towle, DPW, Elmer’s will start milling the east side of Lincoln Avenue tomorrow, June 5, from Sherman to Sheridan. Traffic may be impeded during working hours, but homeowners should not have trouble accessing their domiciles. Work will occur on one side of the street only.
The blacked-out areas on the Fleis and VandenBrink map above show the entire project area (consisting of two sections). The white outlined gray area in the Google maps screenshot below shows the area where work begins tomorrow.
Work is expected to be completed this summer. Water shutoffs and boil orders will be announced as soon as possible/known.
Thursday, May 30, 9 a.m.
The usual spring cleanup in a new location, with a twist: Bring items to exchange with your neighbors and then dump in the dumpster if you want!
