Thank you to all who attended and participated in the Memorial Day Ceremony, including the American Legion and VFW members, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies and fire department members. The national anthem and Amazing Grace were sung by Makaelyn Oritz, and Taps was played by Aaron Anderson, both RBCHS students. A presentation of flowers was giving to fallen soldier family members. View more photos here.
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Protect Yourself from Energy Scams |
ComEd regularly receives reports of scammers posing as ComEd employees who threaten to disconnect service so they can deceive customers of their money or personal information. ComEd will never call or come to your home or business to ask for your account number or personal information. Email scams are a problem, too. If at any time you are uncomfortable, or you feel you are experiencing suspicious behavior, call ComEd immediately at 1-800-EDISON-1. Click here to learn more.
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Pet Adoption Event this Saturday |
Nature's Feed's adoption event is from 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., this Saturday, June 5. Some furry friends are looking for their forever home! Petcurean is sponsoring the event and will be offering a FREE bag of pet food with your donation of $5.00 or more. Donations benefit the participating shelters. Thank you for your support! Nature's Feed is located at 2440 Westward Drive.
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Property tax bills for 2020 (payable in 2021) have been mailed out and are due June 7 & September 7, 2021. View a breakdown of each taxing district's tax rate and extension which make up your total tax bill by doing a Property Tax Inquiry on County Treasurer's website here. Simply search on your last name or PIN number to find your tax bill and scroll down to the bottom of the page to view a graph with a breakdown of how much of your tax bill goes to each taxing district.
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This year's Friday Night Fish Boil fundraiser for Hatchery Park will be held at Horse Fair Park on Friday, June 25. Serving all-you-can-eat boiled cod, BBQ chicken & ribs, red potatoes & onions, bread, coleslaw & dessert prepared by Fitzgerald's of Genoa City. Kid's meals available, too. (Serving until 8 p.m.) Three silent Auctions and live music by the Judson Brown Band from 6:30 - 9:30 PM. All proceeds go to the upkeep and beautification of Hatchery Park. View the flyer with more information.
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National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System |
Stormwater runoff is a major source of water pollution. When rain falls or snow melts, it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants and often flows directly into lakes, streams, and wetlands. Effective management of stormwater is a community effort that requires investment in public infrastructure coupled with changes in corporate and personal behavior. The Village has adopted ordinances that contribute to the improvement of water quality and the tracking of stormwater discharges as required by the IEPA. Read more information about this issue here.
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Photo of the Week
These four kits or pups (baby foxes) were seen checking out their new digs on Michigan Drive in the Breezy Lawn Subdivision by Laurie and Tony Brown when they were out for a walk. If you have a photo of Spring Grove you would like to share, email it here.
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LifeSpring Community Church Vacation Bible School |
It's VBS time! Come to Mystery Island to hunt for clues and uncover the truth about our amazing Creator God! Children kindergarten - those entering 5th grade. Runs June 21 - 25 from 9:00 a.m. to noon at LifeSpring Community Church, 2503 Spring Ridge Drive. Register for this free event on their website under events. Registration ends on June 17. Contact susan@lifespringefc.org with any questions.
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Orchard Bluff Neighborhood Garage Sale |
Orchard Bluff's neighborhood garage sale will be next Thursday, June 10 - June 12 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sponsored by Peggy Raynor with Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group and her Assistant Ray Wojciechowski. They are also looking to help sponsor other Spring Grove neighborhood garage sales. Call Peggy at (224) 587-6666, or email her here, or Ray at 815-451-8881 or email him here. |
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RB Helmet Club Golf Outing Registrations due June 11 |
The RB Helmet Club is holding a Golf Outing and Dinner/Fundraiser in support of the Richmond Burton Rockets Football Team on Friday, June 25 at the Fox Lake Country Club. Not a golfer? Join them for the dinner/fundraiser! View and download the registration with more information here and the Sponsorship Donation Form here!
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Illinois is on track to go to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan - which means an end to all capacity restrictions - on June 11. If you want to keep your vacation plans local, check out Visit McHenry County's events calendar at for an outstanding list of activities for kids, families, and adults.
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Blast from the Past - Stevens Family & Chain O' Lakes |
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Andrew Stevens (son of Merrills) with his children and wife, Hannah Montgomery |
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Frances and Burton Stevens, son of Alfred Stevens |
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Merrills Stevens and his brother Alfred Stevens came here from Pennsylvania and took up claims on Section 20 of Burton township in 1837, two of the first pioneers in the area. Merrills had nine children including son Andrew Jackson, who is pictured above with his children and wife, Hannah Montgomery. Andrew met Hannah when she came to Spring Grove to to help in the Stevens' household. She had immigrated to the Chicago area from Ireland.
Merrills' brother Alfred, not to be outdone, also had nine children, including son Burton A. Stevens. Burton was born on the farm and his father, who served as supervisor for the township, which was then called Benton, renamed it in honor of his son when it was learned that there was already a post office and township of Benton in Illinois.
Burton eventually became owner of his parents' homestead, which was comprised of 412 acres. He was a dairy farmer, milking 32 cows and making 150 pounds of butter a week. He was also the Burton Township assessor for 17 years. He was married in 1869 to Frances Stevens, who loved to walk with her dog in the woods on their property. They had three children: Clara, Chester and Cora.
The Stevens family was one of the best known in Spring Grove and did a lot for the development of the area. In 1969, the farm was purchased by the Department of Conservation and is now the Chain O' Lakes State Park. There was some hard feelings in the family about this, as the family had little choice in the matter and didn't feel the compensation was adequate. There is some consolation in the fact that the beauty of the area is now enjoyed by many. So, the next time you're visiting the park, hiking, biking, boating, or camping, take a minute to think about the Stevens family and their contributions to the area.
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