Energize Elizabeth!

You are invited to attend Energize Elizabeth! —the unveiling of a long-range vision and action plan for community and economic development—on Saturday, February 22, 2014, 6:30 PM at the Elizabeth Community Building. Please consider attending and becoming a part of our community’s determination to achieve our vision of the future.

Last autumn, a diverse group of Elizabeth citizens enlisted the help of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University to take a proactive approach to “MAPPING” the future of the community. They identified five high-priority goals, formed a committee for each goal, and drafted action plans. Elizabeth has completed the formal MAPPING program, but the real work associated with each goal has just begun.

The Energize Elizabeth! Town Meeting will share the vision and plans with the entire community. The celebration will include presentations, booths to learn more about each goal committee, as well as a “Taste of Elizabeth” featuring the best of the local restaurants, caterers, and wineries.

Entrance is FREE! A $10 ticket provides access to the food and tastings. Tickets can be purchased at Apple River State Bank and Elizabeth Banking Center. MAPPING individuals will also be selling tickets door-to-door.

We would be honored by your attendance and support at the Energize Elizabeth! Town Meeting. Hope to see you there!

A New Era for G.E.A.R.

G.E.A.R. has long been shaping the physical fitness of the youth in the Elizabeth-Hanover region. They organized seasons for basketball, soccer, and baseball. They made these sports fun for kids and gave parents the chance to see their sons and daughters playing on teams.

But the creators of G.E.A.R. envisioned something beyond youth sports, which becomes apparent when you learn what G.E.A.R. stands for:  Greater Elizabeth Arts & Recreation. 

Arts—this could be anything from traditional art classes to community plays, from writing retreats to music festivals. What have you always wanted to do but never had the opportunity to try? The possibilities are endless if the interest is there.

Recreation—this is about healthy living for all ages. It could refer to a walking/biking trail or an indoor recreation center. It could mean sports tournaments, weight-lifting, swimming, martial arts, yoga, aerobics, new playground equipment, snowmobile trails, and so much more. Again, the possibilities are endless if the interest is there.

So why hasn’t G.E.A.R. offered more of these things in the past? The interest wasn’t there. Or if it was, the citizens of Elizabeth didn’t know where to go or who to ask to turn interest into reality.

That was the old era. This is the new. Elizabeth is changing. In September, the town began a MAPPING project. The purpose of MAPPING is to improve Elizabeth now and in the future. Citizens met and decided on five main goals for the town. The number one goal: Improve indoor and outdoor recreation. Thus the Goal 1 Committee was born.

We decided it was best for everyone if the Goal 1 Committee combined forces with the already established G.E.A.R. Now we are all working together—energized, excited, and eager to make a difference in Elizabeth. The changes we want to see won’t happen overnight, but they will happen. The first steps we are taking toward change. . . .

Step 1: Develop the identity of our organization. We are already doing this in many ways:  creating this blog; sharing the Facebook page; spreading the word about our new goals; and sponsoring a logo contest at River Ridge. You can help us by following the blog, liking us on Facebook, and letting others in the Elizabeth area know about the transformation we are starting. We need your interest!

Step 2: Open the Highland Community College gym for public use. This is a work in progress, but we hope to have news for you soon. Click HERE for more information.

Step 3: Determine the goals we want to focus on next. This will help us decide which steps we should take and how exactly we’ll achieve our goals.

We hope you are as excited as we are. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas? Leave a comment on this post, or send us an email. We look forward to bringing you more information and working with you in the future! Thank you so much for your support—together we can put Elizabeth in G.E.A.R.!