News from City of Alma

City of Alma E-Newsletter

News That's Important for You!

May 2012

Alma Spring Fling Weekend!

Don't forget about all the fun activities coming up the weekend of May 4-6, 2012.

Enjoy the Kid's Carnival Friday, Saturday & Sunday, the Child Advocacy 5K Event 2012 Saturday morning and the Golf Outing & Bourbon Tasting on Saturday afternoon. Hope to see you there!

Follow this link for information on the events and a coupon for $3 off carnival rides.

"Above the Influence"

Also on tap for Friday, May 4 from 5-7 p.m. will be the opening night of "Above the Influence" at Art Ventures, 107 E. Superior Street. Artwork on display is from students of Gratiot County and is a visual expression of their personal influences. Please join the Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition in supporting these young people in Gratiot County who are choosing to stay "Above the Influence". The artwork will be on display throughout the month of May at Art Ventures. Check out their website for more information.

Household Hazardous

Waste Collection

hazardous waste

The Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection will take place May 1, 2 & 3, 2012. Call 463-8339 to schedule your appointment. Follow the link for detailed information.

Highland Festival & Games

The 45th Alma Highland Festival and Games will take place May 25, 26 & 27 on the Alma College Campus. This year's festival is sure to be a great time! On the schedule are the Saturday morning parade, U.S. Open Pipe Band Championship, Piping & Drumming, Great Lakes Open & Closed Reginal Highland Dancing Competitions, Choreography Dance Competitions, Athletic Events, Country Dancing, Entertainment Tent, Border Collie Exhibition, 5K Road Run, 8 Mile Run, Kids Fun Run, Arts & Crafts Show, Clan Tents, Ceilidh, Scottish Dinner & the 78th Fraser Concert.

The vending area provides visitors with the opportunity to buy a kilt, bagpipes and just about anything Scottish. The food vendors will be located outside the festival gates as well as the Arts & Crafts Fair. To get the most up to date information on the Festival including rain plan locations, follow the link to the Highland Festival website.

Road Race

The Alma Highland Festival Road Race is getting bigger each year, with this year's event expecting over 800 runners! Please note that the race course will include Superior St., the Fred Meijer Trail, and N. State Street. These streets will be closed to traffic beginning at approximately 8:30 Saturday morning. Check out the Highland Festival website for more information.

Train Ride

Saturday - May 26, 1:00p

All Aboard! Take an hour - long train ride from the Alma Highland Festival with the Steam Railroad Institute through Michigan Countryside. A great way to take a brief moment to relax from the festivities of the Festival! Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children. Train leaves the festival at 1pm and 3pm. You may purchase tickets online at the Steam Railroad Institute or by calling at 989-399-7589. Tickets will also be available Saturday, near the RR Tracks on Superior Street just east of Grant Ave.

Highland Festival Road Closures

Check out the attached map to help you find the best route for all the activies on Saturday. Various roads will be closed Saturday morning due to the parade and road races.

Alma Police Department

Now a Permanent Prescription Drop Site

Community members can now bring in unused, unwanted, or outdated prescription medication to the police department for proper disposal during regular business hours (Monday -Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.). For additional info, call 463-8317.

DO........... Bring medications in the original packaging from the pharmacy. You may bring in any medication in pill or capsule form from a licensed pharmacist, including controlled substances.

DON'T....... Bring in illicit drugs (ex. marijuana, cocaine, etc.) to the take back site. If this happens law enforcement will invesitgate each incident.

Medications/items not accepted: SHARP objects/needles, radioacitve materials, biohazardous material, glass thermometers or medical devices, liquid medications, other household waste.

Sharps only (syringes with needles, lancets, etc.) may be taken to the Gratiot Community Mental Health office 608 Wright Ave. (the north entrance of the building). All sharps must be in a leak-proof and puncture proof container, such as a coffee can or liquid laundry detergent bottle. Liquids, bandages (including band aids), dressings, miscellaneous trash, pills, or other medications are NOT accepted. For more information or questions, please call Gratiot Community Mental Health and (989)463-4971.

Alma Police Department PAL

The Alma Police Athletic League 2012-13 Memberships will be available starting mid-May. Information on the memberships as well as summer sports camps and fall football sign up is being finalized. Keep an eye on our website for more info.

Contact the Police Athletic League at almapdpal@yahoo.com to be put on our email list to receive up to date information.

Mechanic Street Construction

Construction of the sanitary sewer project on Mechanic Street is underway and progressing well. The street is closed to through traffic with W. Center Street as the detour route. Construction is expected to wrap up around mid-July.

Storm Water Diversion Program Home Inspections

The City of Alma Engineering Department is conducting home inspections as part of the Storm Water Diversion Program. Property owners will be contacted and asked to set up an appointment for an inspection of their home. The evaluation will determine if any footing, downspout or other storm water drains are connected to the sanitary sewer; identify possible locations for sump pump installation; evaluate site drainage options; and evaluate options for installation of sump discharge lead (piping) to an approved discharge location. If corrections are needed, property owners will choose from a list of pre-qualified contractors, obtain estimates and arrange a contract. The City of Alma pays for the repairs and any restoration required.

Property owners may choose not to participate in the program however, not participating will result in a surcharge of $100 per month added to the City utility bill. At that point, the property owner will no longer be eligible for funding to correct the disconnect work the home may require. For additional information, please call 463-8346.

Free Compost and wood chips are available for self loading, free of charge, outside the yardwaste gates on Washington St., north of the Public Works Garage. Help yourself!

Garage & Yard Sale Rules & Regulations

Peddlers & Solicitors must be registered with the City in order to solicit door to door. Call 463-8336 with questions.

Dog Rules to Remember: All dog owners walking their dog within the city limits must cleanup any dog feces left by their dogs. Dogs may not be allowed to run at large. Dogs may not howl or bark to the annoyance of others in the neighborhood.

Spring Downtown Flower Planting Day is May 19th. Meet the KAB (Keep Alma Beautiful committee) at the Alma Chamber of Commerce building at 10:00 a.m.

Yard waste will be collected on your regular trash collection day and must be in paper bags, cardboard boxes and/or trash containers marked "yard waste". Tree limbs should be placed in piles, not bundled, with all stems lying in the same direction. To get the complete info on the yard waste program, follow this link.

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Issue: 38

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