Happy New Year...
As we start this new year still heavily in a pandemic grasp, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. With the vaccines starting to roll out; hopefully, we can get some stability back in our lives this year.
Some good news: I would like to welcome the over 93 new families who moved into the village in 2020. You may have met your new neighbors or are waiting for COVID to subside before you introduce yourself. Either way, it is great to see new young families either starting a new life in Spring Grove or returning home after college or jobs elsewhere. We also issued 8 new residential housing permits.
2020 was also a year of infrastructure improvements. The downtown revitalization project was a highlight, with new parking, lighting, sidewalks and bridge. Thanks for your patience during the construction. This revitalization will help support and grow our businesses in the town square.
With the heavy rains, we had many issues with flooding and undermining of our roads and ditches cropped up. We did our best to provide improvements in those areas and will continue to address them in the future. Some saw much needed road resurfacing in their neighborhood. This is one of our biggest issues moving forward and our solution to improve the roads program will be discussed soon.
Some of you may not know this, but our commercial corridor on Route 12 is serviced with sewer. We have a small package plant that provides the economic engine we need to attract and support these businesses. The plant was struggling and we had to invest considerable amount of money this year to keep it running. Infrastructure will be a priority moving forward in 2021.
COVID-19 was hard on many in our community; some lost love ones and friends, some were adapting to the new norm of home schooling, working from home, and all the other regulations.
This was the first time in 35 years that my wife Brenda and I stayed home for Christmas. I can only hope by this time next year we are once again enjoying the company of family and friends.
Stay Safe,
Mark Eisenberg, Village President
|
|
|
|
Nature's Feed Nail Clipping Event |
Nature's Feed is hosting a pet nail trimming event this Saturday, January 9 from 11:00 - 2:00. Donations are requested to benefit Helping Paws Animal Shelter. Located at 2440 Westward Drive. Call 815-675-2008 or visit Nature's Feed here.
|
|
Little Free Library Charter #88530 |
Girl Scout Troop 1888 started working on Think Like A Citizen Scientist badges as Daisies in 2018. They wanted to give to the community something that would be enjoyed while learning about community service. They attended village meetings to get approval for a Little Free Library, built & painted it. On December 23, the library was installed as a gift to the community in the town square on the corner of Main & Blivin. Donations of children and adult books, DVDs, CDs, audio books and magazines in good condition will be graciously accepted. Please contact Frances Mai-ling for more info. Visit the Facebook page.
|
|
Did you know that when you recycle, if you put everything in a plastic bag before putting it into the recycling bin, when it arrives at the recycling center it is treated as garbage? Plastic bags clog up the sorters and should never be put into the recycling bin. So if you use a garbage bag to collect your recycling at home, please empty it out into the recycling bin. Plastic bags can be thrown out or recycled at the grocery store. View more helpful tips here.
|
|
Parks, Snowmobiles & more |
Please make sure to clean up after yourself when using the parks. There have been some complaints about garbage left behind after gatherings. Also, please use the dedicated snowmobile trails and respect the property of others when driving to the trails that are marked and maintained by local clubs. The operation of snowmobiles is prohibited between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and midnight to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. |
|
|
|
|
Christmas trees may be placed out on your garbage collection day for pickup by Flood Bros. during the month of January. You can also recycle your tree by bringing it to Glacial Park in Ringwood (off Harts Road & Route 31). The trees are processed into mulch so all decorations must be removed. Branches of your tree can also be used as winter mulch by laying them over your gardens. |
|
Horse Fair Park Reservations |
Residents can reserve Horse Fair Park starting Wednesday, January 20. Amenities include the indoor/outdoor pavilion with a refrigerator, freezer, oven, microwave, bar, picnic tables and an outdoor grill, port-a-potty, and volleyball & basketball courts with equipment. Non-residents can reserve the Park starting Monday, February 18. Rental fees are $200 for residents, businesses and organizations, and $380 for non-Spring Grove residents, businesses and organizations. View more info...
|
|
Groot Yard Waste Sticker Refunds & Refuse Toter Pick-ups |
The Village is extending the date for you to receive refunds on any left over yard waste stickers to Friday, January 15. Refunds are issued at the Village Municipal Center, located at 7401 Meyer Road.
Groot will continue to pick up their refuse and recycling bins today. Any that were not able to be picked up today will be picked up on Monday, so please leave your Groot cans out at the curb. The village will not be issuing citations for having your cans out until they can be picked up.
|
|
Photo of the Week
A calm, peaceful sky reflected in the window of All-Rite Spring Company on Spring Ridge Drive. Submitted by owner John Bilik. If you have a photo of Spring Grove you would like to share, email it here.
|
|
ComEd Contact Numbers & Outage Map |
If you need to report an outage, have a general inquiry, need to call JULIE or need payment assistance, view a list of ComEd phone numbers here.
ComEd has made enhancements to its online interactive outage map to provide you with more helpful information during storm and power outages. You can find information on the location and size of outages and get estimated power restoration times. Also available as a mobile app. To download the app, visit ComEd.com/App.
|
|
Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for Adopt-a-Highway volunteers! All of our roads are now adopted and we have started a waiting list. |
|
MCRide Dial a Ride Program Update |
MCRide now serves all of McHenry County, from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., seven days a week. All other program policies, including fare rates, remain the same. MCRide is a great way to get around McHenry County providing an affordable and flexible way to travel! MCRide service is "on-demand" and vehicles do not travel in a fixed route each day. Riders schedule their trips in advance and the vehicle provides curb-to-curb service. MCRide is a shared-ride service, so vehicles may make stops for other passengers. View the new brochure here.
|
|
Alkaline battery recycling |
The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) will be accepting single-use alkaline batteries for recycling from Dec. 28. to Jan. 29 at its Woodstock location. Battery sizes AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt from residential sources will be accepted at no cost. Only single-use, non-rechargeable batteries will be accepted. Drop off batteries Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 667 Ware Road, Suite 110, in Woodstock. View more information here.
|
|
Recycle old holiday lights at the Municipal Centre located at 7401 Meyer Road, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. all year round. Click here to see which kinds of lights and cords are accepted.
|
|
|
To receive notifications about McHenry County's vaccine rollout and the process for the general public to register for the vaccine, sign up at Health Department's website and choose "Sign up for MCDH e-notifications".
The Illinois Department of Health has FAQs regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. View information about getting tested here.
Keep practicing the 3 Ws: Watch your distance, wear a mask properly (covering your mouth AND nose) and wash your hands frequently.
A map and information of the status of every Illinois county can be found on the IDPH website here. View a map of the United States and other countries to view potential risks associated with traveling. Areas with increased risk of COVID-19 are based on case rates.
If you have health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 800-889-3931 or email questions here.
|
|
Blast from the Past - Cole Family |
|
Franklin Cole House and Sally Bixby Cole Headstone in Cole Cemetery on Wilmot Road |
|
1898 letter from Miles Harmon Cole |
Colemar Country Club c. 1927 |
|
This home may look familiar to you. Located at the NW corner of Main and Wilmot Road, the house has gone through some changes through the years, but still stands. The first sketch is from the 1892 Standard Atlas of McHenry County.
Miles Cole, (1785-1859), came to Burton Township in 1838 at the age of 53, purchased the land, then went back to New Hampshire to fetch his wife, Sally Bixby, and six children. They came via Chicago in a covered wagon drawn by six horses and two oxen, "Duke and Golden", a trip which took six weeks. Chicago was a small, muddy place at the time, but Sally predicted the future city and thought they should go no further. She looked back upon leaving Chicago and said to Miles, "Every step you drive away from here, you are making a mistake!" But they continued the journey and the family, in fact , prospered as farmers and cattle owners. Their two daughters, Mandana and Martha, and four sons, Miles Harm (known as Harm), Ransome, John & Franklin all were well-known and their descendants lived in the area for many years.
No doubt they started out in a log cabin, and son Franklin, who stayed on the homestead built this home later. The Cole sons bred sheep, cattle, hogs, and fowl. In 1897, Harm Cole wrote a letter to his friend, Dwight Lincoln in Ohio, about the long drought they were experiencing in Spring Grove. With no rain in over two months, the grass was was all dried up but they had a good yield of potatoes. He said, "I am breeding 190 ewes this fall so that will keep me out of mischief, in March & April anyway."
In 1927, the Cole Estate was turned into the Colemar Country Club which included an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and facilities for bathing and fishing. The Cole home was rebuilt into a "modern, completely equipped club house." Later it was turned back into a residence.
The Cole Cemetery on Wilmot Road was part of the original homestead and many of the family and neighbors are buried there. More later about the descendants of Miles & Sally.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
