Open Season: Parks & Rec Power-Up
The 5-Year Plan is ready to view, and it's party time.
Opening day of rifle hunting (aka blaze orange season to the fashionable human) was November 15, and I practically jumped outta my coveralls while filing water payments at the Village Office when the guns went off in the swamp. I have added the rifle season dates to the community calendar, since they’re a regular thing. A reminder that guns may not be discharged within Village limits, but other forms of hunting are allowed (in their season) in EDNA.
Read and Submit Comments on the P&R Plan!
The draft Village of Elberta Parks & Recreation 5-Year Plan is ready to view and download.
Public comment is open for 30 days (those days began with the commission’s approval of the draft at their November 14 meeting). A public hearing will be held at 7pm on December 19, 2024, before the regular Elberta Village Council meeting at the Community Building to accept verbal comments before the plan is presented to Council for adoption.
You can get a printed copy of the plan the Village Office by request. Mail written comments to Village of Elberta, PO Box 8, Elberta, MI 49628, or email to clerk@villageofelberta.com, subject line “Park Plan.”
The comments made by the 32 survey responders are included in the draft plan, and they are fun to read. One idea that commission member Bree McGregor mentioned at the 11/14 meeting was to install “You Are Here” maps in each of the parks that also show all the other parks. Don’t you want to know where you are?
Thanksgiving Leftovers Party
It’s social (ahem) season for deer, and also for people.
So at the November 14 meeting, I asked Parks & Rec to “sponsor” a Thanksgiving Leftovers Party on Thanksgiving Sunday (12/1) at the Life Saving Station, taking advantage of a new policy Council passed this year, whereby if a Village Commission is sponsoring an event, a venue may be rented at a cheaper rate (in this case $75!). Such events must be open to the public, not involve any sales, have no admission fee, and not serve alcohol. So that’s what this is:
Maybe some of you remember past events, such as one where Andy Bolander gave a great talk about Marconi’s historic radio emissions from our own bluff. It’s a fun, relaxed way to get one more hit of tryptophan before you go back to work or school. If you’d like to help with the coffee situation, decorating (I have a simple concept but we can discuss), cleanup, or have questions, gimme a shout at emilyvotruba@yahoo.com.
Parks and Rec also voted to host “Winter Fridays/Cabin Fever Reliever” events starting in January. As a Parks & Rec event, it will cost the commission $50 per time to cover building and employee expenses, which the steering committee would like to match with donations at the door. So far the idea is to do at least two Fridays a month from 6 to 9 at night, or possibly 5 to 8. BINGO with non-money prizes and other games will be featured (so at least 9 of us will be happy!). We’ll keep it somewhat informal and see what sorts of activities and ideas people find the most fun to chase the winter blues away (amateur lectures? karaoke? crafts? euchre?). If you’d like to be on the steering committee for Winter Fridays or help out in any way, same deal, email me, and I will set you up on the mailing list/group chat.
Also discussed at the meeting were some festive lights on the big 40-foot tree in the center of Waterfront Park. More on that soon.
Don’t Forget Ken Holmes’s Birthday Party Saturday
