Naturally McHenry County Wins Big!

Through our collaboration with McHenry County, we will continue to share important information on services, programs to help our citizens, and events in our county through Resume McHenry County updates.

Please take a moment to scroll down to see new advancements this week as we move forward in McHenry County. If MCEDC can be of any help, please call. Forward this email to your friends and family to help get the word out!

Naturally McHenry County wins big!

We’ve gushed here at Resume McHenry County about Naturally McHenry County‘s visitors guide and other slick printed ads – made even slicker by its rebranding earlier this year.

So, it’s great to see that their peers recognize the same talent that we do – congratulations to Naturally McHenry County for winning first-place honors at the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism!

Naturally McHenry County won first place in the Best Printed Collateral category for agencies with a total operating budget under $750,000; the category covers items such as printed visitor guides, print advertising pieces, and brochures. As a sample of the awesomeness that netted NMC the award, check out their cool Insider Guide by clicking here.

Congratulations again to our wonderful partners – this award is very well deserved!

Voting is open for Light Up McHenry County lights contest!

Voting is open for Naturally McHenry County’s third annual Light Up McHenry County holiday lights contest! It’s going to be hard choosing the best of the best – we swear, some of these displays can probably be seen from space!

Fun categories for residential displays include White Christmas (all-white lights), The Griswold (so many lights that you’re not sure how they didn’t trip the circuit breaker), Disco Fever (best light and music display), and Blow it Up (most inflatables).

Click here to check out more than 40 festive homes and businesses participating this year, and vote for your favorites through Dec. 18!

McHenry County Housing Authority moves into new home

Yet another community initiative funded through the Advance McHenry County grant program is bearing fruit!

The McHenry County Housing Authority has officially relocated from its longtime home in Woodstock to a new and larger office at 1125 Mitchell Court, in Crystal Lake.

The authority received $467,000 from the County Board to help purchase the facility to accommodate the additional staff needed to administer housing grants; its 30-member staff, which administers 15 distinct grant programs, had long ago outgrown its old home, first purchased in 1987.

Visit www.mchenrycountyil.gov/advance to learn more about Advance McHenry County, which is investing tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 recovery funding into projects that directly benefit the community.

Virtual input session for 2050 Comprehensive Plan to be held Dec. 8

McHenry County held three in-person community visioning workshops last week to gather your ideas for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.

You missed them? No worries – a virtual session will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. this Thursday! You can attend by clicking here.

The Comprehensive Plan will serve as a blueprint for McHenry County’s future by setting policies that will direct growth and development for the next 30 years.

You can learn more about the plan by visiting www.hla.fyi/McHenryCounty. Visitors can take a survey about important issues and opportunities that the Comprehensive Plan will address. The page also includes an interactive map tool that allows users to create their own map to highlight issues in McHenry County that they feel would impact the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.

Bring a pet home for the howl-idays from McHenry County Animal Control

Looking to open your home this holiday season to a furry, four-legged friend?

From now through Dec. 21, the McHenry County Animal Control & Adoption Center will offer a reduced price to adopt a pet with the donation of a nonperishable food item.

Visit https://24petconnect.com/ to see the pets up for adoption, and check out some of them on Animal Control’s Facebook page. Let’s help Animal Control empty the shelter and get some loving pets matched up with their forever homes!

MCCD holding holiday family fun event at Glacial Park

Join the McHenry County Conservation District for a day filled with fun at Glacial Park this Saturday, Dec. 10 from noon to 4 p.m.

Events include Holiday at Grandma’s House at the Historic Powers Walker House to learn how 19th Century pioneers celebrated the holidays and prepare for winter, or participate in a scavenger hunt and make your own pioneer ornament at the Lost Valley Visitor Center. The tomahawk toss is full, but you can always watch!

All stations are free, and no registration is required – click here to learn more.