Read this week’s Resume McHenry County for great information!

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!

Norge ski tournament postponed because of (lack of) weather

The 118th Annual Norge Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament has been pushed back to the weekend of Feb. 11-12.

The unseasonably warm temperatures have meant that it hasn’t stayed cold enough for Norge to make the snow needed to cover Norge’s ski jump and hill. Norge has put together an informative Q&A about their decision on their webpage.

The rescheduled event runs from noon to 4 p.m. on the new date, and the gates open at 11. Admission buttons that have already been bought are still good for the new dates. The buttons, which can be bought online by clicking here, are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children 12 and under get in free. Click here to learn more.

The Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove, which opened in 1905, is the oldest operating jump in the nation – and after 118 years, the annual winter tournament has spawned a lot of traditions. Our friends at Naturally McHenry County have distilled them all into a blog post that will teach you how to Norge – you can read it by clicking here.

Housing Authority cuts ribbon on new home

The McHenry County Housing Authority held an open house yesterday to officially show off its new home in Crystal Lake!

A $467,000 grant from Advance McHenry County helped purchase the facility at 1125 Mitchell Court. The housing authority had a staff of 16 when it bought its former Woodstock location in 1987 – it has since grown from 16 employees to more than 30, who administer 15 grant programs a year. The space constraints had forced the housing authority to turn down state funding opportunities.

Advance McHenry County is a groundbreaking program investing tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 recovery funding into projects directly benefiting the community. Click here to learn more.

People in Need Forum takes place on Saturday at MCC

As a friendly reminder, McHenry County College’s annual People in Need Forum will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday.

The annual forum, free to the public, showcases the many resources and services available to county residents needing assistance.

Exhibitors and speakers will cover issues such as immigration, senior care, caregiver resources, food insecurity, mental health, employment and many more. Besides helping people seeking assistance, the forum is an excellent resource and networking opportunity for social service agencies, faith-based organizations, civic groups, law enforcement, elected officials and others.

Registration is encouraged, but not required; you can visit www.mchenry.edu/pin to do so, and to download a PDF directory, in English and Spanish, of local resources.

The forum is still in need of volunteers – if you want to lend a hand, click here to sign up!

Track your Metra train on your smart phone

Those of you who rely on Metra to commute to work and get around will soon have a versatile tool to see precisely where your train is and when it will reach your stations.

Though the new website www.metratracker.com, passengers can see where their trains are located along the line, in real time, via an interactive map. Even better, users can check arrival and departure times of current and future trains at any stop.

The site also includes a feature to help people plan a trip using Metra.

The GPS equipment to allow tracking of the trains has been installed on about half of Metra’s lines, and will soon go live on the Union Pacific-Northwest line serving McHenry County.

Nominate a senior for the Illinois Senior Hall of Fame

Do you know an outstanding and selfless McHenry County senior citizen who deserves recognition?

The Illinois Department on Aging is accepting nominations for the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame, which is open to adults age 65 and older who excel in the categories of community service, education, arts, and the labor force.

If you know a great McHenry County senior who deserves this honor, click here to submit a nomination before the June 1 deadline.

For the record, the last McHenry County resident to be inducted was Bob Blazier, aka “Mr. Crystal Lake, in 2007. Let’s bring this honor to another deserving resident.

Looking for Super Bowl fun? McHenry County’s got it!

If you don’t have plans to watch Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, Naturally McHenry County’s website is the only playbook you’re going to need.

Looking for a great bar or restaurant to watch the game? Or a new place to order pizza if you’re watching from home? Their lists of great local establishments, and their event calendar, is right there for you, and easy to use.

And don’t forget about the championship games this Sunday. The NFC championship pitting the Philadelphia Eagles against the San Francisco 49ers kicks off at 2 p.m. on Fox. The AFC championship – a rematch between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs – starts at 5:30 p.m. on CBS.