We're getting there - so don't let your guard down!
The light at the end of the tunnel is slowly but surely getting closer. The COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled out to front-line health care workers and senior living residents. Inoculations of staff and residents at Valley Hi Nursing Home is under way, and the McHenry County Department of Health successfully administered the first dose to 166 emergency services personnel at its first vaccination clinic.
There's more good news. Region 9, which consists of Lake and McHenry counties, can return to Tier 2 mitigation this Friday, which means looser restrictions on businesses and social gatherings - but only if we continue to meet the state benchmarks.
That means we still need to follow the common-sense guidelines of wearing a mask in public, maintaining a six-foot distance between people, and frequently washing and sanitizing our hands. Let's work together so we can take another step closer this Friday to an eventual full re-opening.
See more COVID-19 information below and in the COVID-19 Update section.
Mark Eisenberg,
Village President
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McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is currently vaccinating the priority Phase 1A group.
After completing the enrollment form and once a clinic becomes available to each group, additional information on how to schedule an appointment will be directly emailed to those who complete the form.
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Business Relief Grant deadline extended to Friday |
McHenry County has extended the deadline for small businesses to apply for the Immediate Business Relief Grant to 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 15.
The grant awards $15,000 to eligible businesses in the food service, accommodation, arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors that have suffered financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To be eligible, businesses must employ between two and 25 employees, and be able to demonstrate at least $25,000 in lost revenue for any six-month period between March and October.
A complete list of eligibility requirements and restrictions can be found at here. Time's running out, and the grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so spread the word!
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Census Bureau Positions Available |
In addition to the decennial count, the Census Bureau conducts more than 130 surveys and programs each year, including the American Housing Survey and the Economic Census. They are currently seeking candidates to fill the open positions of Field Rep for McHenry County. View the recruiting flyer and a link that contains job-related information here.
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Second Round of PPP Underway |
A second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans opened Monday for small businesses hurt by the pandemic.
Businesses that received PPP loans under the first round are eligible to reapply for a second round. Also, more businesses are eligible for the loans because Congress relaxed the criteria; you can learn more by clicking here. Collecting a PPP loan does not make a business ineligible for other state and local business assistance.
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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.
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Photo of the Week
This pup enjoyed a walk at Hatchery Park in December when the temperatures were still in the 50s. Submitted by Britonya Krakowski. If you have a photo of Spring Grove you would like to share, email it here.
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Build a BETTER Bowl at Nature's Feed |
The new year is always a good time to start anew; improving your health and wellness by eating more fresh food and less processed foods. Why not improve your pet's bowl? Improving their diet can be easy by adding one or more of the following Primal products to their bowl and SAVE!
- Raw Goat's Milk - Filled with over 100 strains of probiotics it helps build a better immune system! Over 70% of your pet's immune system is in the gut.
- Bone Broth - Supports a healthy immune system and aids in digestion and joint health.
- Fresh Food Elixirs - Target skin and coat, digestion, and joints.
- Raw Toppers - A great way to introduce some raw fresh food to your pet's bowl!
All Primal bowl builders are included in the Astro Loyalty Program. You will receive a FREE product after 12 purchases in each product category. SAVE 20% on one bowl builder in each category when you purchase any kibble during the month of January. Located at 2440 Westward Drive.
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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. |
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ComEd Outage Map Enhancements |
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.
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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.
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Visit the Little Free Library in downtown Spring Grove, which is maintained by Girl Scout Troop 1888. In addition to children's books, there are books for adults, DVDs and audio books. Contact Frances Mai-ling with questions or donations and visit the Little Free Library Facebook page.
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McHenry County is currently vaccinating the priority Phase 1A group which includes health care workers & staff and residents of long-term facilities. MCDH s preparing for future COVID-19 clinics for those identified in Phase 1B and Phase 1C. Vaccine enrollment will be used to determine the vaccine needs for those identified in the Phase 1B and Phase 1C groups. After completing the enrollment form and once a clinic becomes available to each group, additional information on how to schedule an appointment will be directly emailed to those who complete the form. View the list of industries and individuals in Phase 1B & 1C.
The Illinois Department of Health has FAQs regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. View information about getting tested here.
Anyone who develops loss of taste and smell and has a fever, cough or other respiratory symptoms might be coming down with COVID-19. That person should be tested as soon as possible and contact health professionals for next steps.
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.
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Blast from the Past - Cole Family |
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Mandana Cole was born in 1825 in Hill, New Hampshire. She came to Burton Township with her parents Miles Cole and Sally Bixby (whose story was last week) in 1838 in their covered wagon at the age of 13. On April 18, 1844 she married Lewis Hatch. She was 19; he was 30, and already established, owning many acres of land in Wisconsin, Lake & McHenry Counties.
A son, Lewis Fayett, was born on October 3, 1844 and died two years later in October 1846. His brother, Miles, was born in 1847 and was soon followed by Fred in 1848. In April 1850 at the age of 37, Lewis left his farm, (which was located 801 Main Street and is now the Kattner Farm), and family and joined the California Gold Rush, a journey that took four months.
Those who joined the gold rush were called "Forty-niners" and faced hardship and often death on the way. Lewis kept a journal, and in the beginning, the entries were about poor food and high prices. He had reached the Mississippi Rivers by April 13 and stayed at an inn where the fare was good and the "bill high". He paid $1 for a ferry across the river with his team and wagon and wrote of Iowa, "The fare good for Ioway" but the land was "rolling and wet."
Moving on through the prairies of Nebraska and Wyoming he noted, "Great buffalo country here. Plenty of carcasses on the prairie that those before us have killed. Plenty of chips (used for cooking)". Later on in his journey, he was mostly concerned with finding water and grass for his team and himself. "Fifteen miles without water, 25 without grass," he wrote on Aug. 9, 1850. On August 16, close to the end of the journey in Nevada, he wrote, "Great destruction of wagons and stock. Men dying on sand. Got across desert to Carson River at 10 a.m." Throughout all his entries, he never once mentioned seeing any Native Americans, even though attacks by them were probably the second leading cause of death on the trail, after diseases like cholera.
Gold Rush Lewis prospected for three years before returning home where he immediately tried to persuade Mandana to accompany him with their sons back to the goldfields. She said no to that idea and soon they were waiting on the arrival of another child (a girl this time and then later another boy).
Apparently, Lewis gave up all hope of returning to the creeks and mountains of California. Instead, he set about to running his farm and purchasing land (with gold nuggets?), like the map above showing a downtown block of "one of Lewis Hatch's Additions to the Village of Spring Grove".
Maybe his tales of California inspired wanderlust in his son Miles, who years later set out west to California himself, and whose story we'll learn about next week!
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