Skip to main content

The Summer Festival Guide is Here!

Written on .

Resume McHenry County Update!
Through our collaboration with McHenry County, we will continue to share important information on stimulus programs, PPP loans, COVID-19 updates and more through its Resume McHenry County Updates.
Please take a moment to scroll down to see new advancements this week as we move to open 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!

 

The Summer Festival Guide is Here!

It’s festival season! We are so ready for a summer of parades, carnivals, beer tents and roasted corn on the cob dipped in the big vat of melted butter.
We don’t know about you, but we’re ready to make up for lost time – and so are our good friends at Visit McHenry County!
The Visit McHenry County Festival Guide is out, and chock full of ideas for a summer of fun – click here for an awesome list of fun family activities between now and mid-August.
And let’s not forget the fireworks! You can find a list of local displays at https://www.visitmchenrycounty.com/Fireworks.
But don’t forget that fun events happen year-round in McHenry County. The best ways to find them are through Visit McHenry County’s events calendar (which you can find and bookmark by clicking here), and their monthly newsletter, The Insider (click here to sign up). Visit McHenry County also has an app for easy access to activities, dining, lodging and more, which you can download from Google Play here, and from the Apple App Store here.
While we are shamelessly biased in favor of spending local, if you’re planning this summer to expand your options beyond McHenry County, be sure to hit the Visit Chicagoland website at https://www.visitchicagoland.com/, and the Illinois Office of Tourism website at www.enjoyillinois.com.
Let’s get out there and enjoy everything that McHenry County has to offer!

 

Workforce Network an invaluable job resource

The McHenry County Workforce Network is a gold mine of resources for employers looking for workers, and for workers looking for employers.
Job seekers can find one-on-one résume critiques, computer access for job searching, hiring events, reference materials, classroom training, career planning, and much more. The Workforce Network also keeps binders of job notices and the needs of local employers, so if you’re a business owner or human resources director with jobs to fill, let the Workforce Network know!
Visit their website at www.mchenrycountyworkforce.com to learn more; every month, the network publishes a PDF list like this one of all their workshops and resources. To learn more, email them at workforcecenterRR@yahoo.com, or call them at 815-338-7100, ext. 2771.

 

Watching kids? Start a career!

If you’re watching children in your own home for people who are working, you can turn that into a paying job with the help of 4-C – the county’s Community Coordinated Child Care program that we wrote about in last week’s issue.
People caring for children up to 12 years of age can qualify to become a license-exempt family child care – even if you’re watching your own grandchildren. Providers can watch up to three children, including their own; you can watch more if they are all from the same family and you are not also watching 12-and-under children of your own. If you would like to care for more children, 4-C can also provide guidance to become licensed through DCFS.
To become a license-exempt provider, everyone in the house age 13 and older must pass a background check – people age 18 and older must be fingerprinted. Some training is also required, and much of it is offered online.
4-C is a not-for-profit agency that for more than 45 years has sought to advocate for quality, accessible and affordable child care. It is always looking to add to the network of child care options for people who want to enter or re-enter the workforce. The agency helps families through offering resources such as child care financial assistance, food assistance, family support, and help with nursing, social work, mental health and other special needs.
To learn more about the program, visit them online at www.four-c.org, or call their McHenry office at 815-344-5510.

 

Conservation District turns 50 next month

Happy 50th Birthday to the McHenry County Conservation District! Boy, has it been fun watching you grow up!
Since its July 1971 organization (following a successful April voter referendum creating the district), the MCCD now protects more than 25,600 acres of diverse and environmentally significant land that is home to a wide array of plant and animal species, some of them threatened or endangered.
Residents now can visit 35 sites to enjoy outdoor recreation, which became very much appreciated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MCCD maintains 103 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of biking trails and another 45 miles of horse trails, 25 fishing areas, 18 reservable picnic shelters and six campgrounds.
While they’re planning to have an official birthday bash on Saturday, Aug. 14 at the scenic (and oddly named) Fel-Pro RRR conservation area in Cary, you can celebrate nature year-round by visiting their public sites or attending their many public events, classes and workshops. Visit their website at www.mccdistrict.org to learn more.

 

Lakeside Festival returns this weekend to Crystal Lake

With COVID-19 restrictions lifted, Resume McHenry County will continue to highlight the return of McHenry County’s iconic attractions.
For Crystal Lake residents, summer means the Lakeside Festival and Independence Day parade.
Every Fourth of July weekend, more than 50,000 visitors descend on the Dole Mansion and Lakeside Arts Park to enjoy four days of live music, carnival rides and games, and great festival food and drink.
The Lakeside Festival is one of McHenry County’s longest-running festivals, and has repeatedly been honored as Best Festival, as voted on by Shaw Media’s Best of the Fox Readers’ Choice Awards, The festival also is the largest fundraiser for the Lakeside Legacy Foundation’s arts, education, history and community programs.
The doors open at 3 p.m. this Thursday, and at noon Friday through Sunday, ending at 11 p.m. for all four days. The Independence Day parade, which is run by the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce, kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday – you can visit their website for more information.
For a schedule of events and other information, visit their website at www.thedole.org or follow them on Facebook.

 

Shuttered Venue Grant applications (finally) being processed

After months of delays, the Small Business Administration has said it will have most of its Shuttered Venue Operators Grant applications processed by early July. While Congress and former President Trump approved the $16 billion program last December, its rollout has been slow, and marred by technical glitches.
The grant is targeted to help the live entertainment industry, which has been hit hard by COVID-19 closures and capacity limitations. Eligible businesses open to music venues, live theater venues, museums, small movie theaters, zoos, aquariums and other attractions. A total of $16.25 billion has been set aside, at least $2 billion of which is set aside for venues with no more than 50 employees.
Grant funds can be used to cover payroll, rent, utilities, scheduled mortgage payments, worker-protection expenditures, and other expenses. Any venue or promoter that received a Paycheck Protection Program loan on or after Dec. 27, 2020, will have their grant reduced by the PPP loan amount. Click here for a list of frequently asked questions regarding the grant.
You can reach the application portal by clicking here. A checklist of the documentation needed to apply for the grant can be found here.

 
We hope we got your attention. We need your help reaching more McHenry County residents and businesses to share this important information about the COVID-19 response and connect them with vital resources.
Please take these four steps:
1. Share/forward to your email/newsletter contacts.
2. Post information to your website.
3. Follow us on social media (see below); share our posts with your followers.
4. If you are not on the McHenry County Constant Contact list, please subscribe here

 

Follow McHenry County Government On Social Media

Staying connected and informed is more important now than ever! Follow McHenry County on social media for regular updates on COVID-19 in our region, resources to help you navigate the pandemic, safety tips and more!

 

What is Resume McHenry County?

Resume McHenry County is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents. The goal is to ensure a successful reopening of our economy so that we can return to our lifestyles safely and responsibly.