A Newsletter for the Forsyth Community July 25, 2019

ILLAGE ISIONVV

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Team takes trophy in impressive fashion

Grand opening party July 27

Mayor Marilyn Johnson poses with the state champs. Congratulations to Illinois Force Futures from Southern Illinois on their state championship!

Bringing Symetra Tour back falls by one vote

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They came, and they conquered … in a big way! The Illinois Force Futures dominated the 10u tourna-ment at Forsyth Park by posting a perfect 7-0 record and outscoring opponents 64-4. The team wrapped things up by earning the champi-onship trophy with a 15-0 win on Sunday, July 7.

The team is led by Coach Brian Crompton and made up of girls from Southern Illinois.

IL Force Futuresare 10u StateChampions!

A new business at Hickory Point Mall, called A Crafting Experience, will host a grand opening party from 5-7 p.m. on July 27. Come by to meet instructors, enjoy appetizers and beverages while celebrating “this new adventure into learning, sharing, and doing!”

Owner-director Angie Sagha, a Decatur native, has a whole slate of classes on the calendar for the re-mainder of the summer. You can take your pick from: crewel, crochet, glass fusion, knitting, painting, pottery, sewing and more.

A Crafting Experience dubs itself a “creative gym.” Sagha’s vision,

A Crafting Experience now open at mall

At the July 1 meeting, trustees got a second chance to fund the Symetra Tour stop at Hickory Point Golf Course. This turn of events, something of a surprise, came about when an event planner from Spring-field (with Decatur roots) got in-volved. The discussion even inspired a former trustee, Steve Hubbard, to return to Village Hall to speak in sup-port of bringing the tournament back.

Stephanie Endsley of Having a Ball Productions presented a new strategy for keeping the tournament viable. In this new iteration, one which Endsley said the Symetra Tour supported, the Village would remain the title sponsor with $100,000 of ho-

tel/motel tax money committed to the total purse of $200,000. The differ-ence, Endsley said, was that she had lined up commitments from corporate sponsors from around the region — not just in Decatur and Macon County — that would help grow the tournament beyond a local event and could potentially involve people and businesses from places like Spring-field and Bloomington-Normal. Endsley said she was confident that she could come up with $400,000 for an operating budget.

“This would be an inaugural event in the same footprint as the

Library News

Quick SurveyWith just a few more weeks of the summer reading program left, take a few minutes to let us know what you thought about the summer events. Please go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/7PGF2C3 to take a short survey. Help us make next summer even bet-ter! Story TimeDon’t miss our last story time of the summer, Ferocious Dragons! Come to Forsyth Public Library to listen to sto-ries, sing songs, play games, and create a craft to take home on Friday, July 26 at 10 a.m. Story times are for ages 2-5, with siblings welcome. No registration is required. As summer winds down, we’ll be taking a break from story times, but they will resume on Friday, September 20. Story TableLooking for something to do with your preschooler during our break from story time? Check out our story table in the children’s section where you can listen to stories and engage in storytell-ing and imaginative play beginning August 12. Baby TalkParents and caregivers of children ages birth to 3 are welcome to join their youngsters for a time of interaction through story, song and play. Baby Talk is at the library every Wednesday morning from 9:30-10:15 a.m. No registration is required. Terrific TuesdaysCelebrate the end of summer read-ing with us on Tuesday, July 30 at 2 p.m. during Sundae on Tuesday with Sally the Clown! Enjoy Sally’s show followed by balloon animals and ice cream sundaes. All ages are welcome. No registration is necessary. QR Code Scavenger HuntOur last Monday QR Code Scavenger

Hunt is July 29. Stop by between 10 a.m. and noon to discover a new clue at the library for a chance to win a prize! Once you crack the clue, use a device to scan the QR code. The scavenger hunt is open to all ages, and no regis-tration is necessary. ZumbaJoin us for Zumba on Monday, July 29 from 10-11 a.m. in the Community Room. From beginners to advanced, all adults and teens are welcome. Please wear tennis shoes and clothes suitable for workout. Family LEGO DaySaturday, August 3 is Family LEGO Day at the library. Drop in between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to build and create with our LEGO blocks, but remem-ber it’s also the last day to claim your summer reading prizes! Make sure you have your reading log completed so that you don’t miss out on prizes or being entered into the grand prize drawing.

Back-to-School CraftIt’s almost that time again! Go back to school in style with your own deco-rated notebook and pen. Stop by the library any time from August 12-17 to add these personalized items to your new school supplies.

Teens and tweens mix cake and icing together to make cake pops at Forsyth Public Library.

Community WatchCommunity Watch meets on Monday, August 5 at 1 p.m. in the Community Room at Forsyth Public Library. This month’s speaker will be a representative from the Macon County Health Department, who will talk about the department’s role in protect-ing community health and safety, then answer questions about ser-vices. Community Watch is open to everyone and sponsored by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, with support from Forsyth Public Library.

Book Discussion GroupsFood for Thought Book Club’s title for Thursday, August 8 is White Dresses: A Memoir of Love and Secrets, Moth-ers and Daughters by Mary Pflum Peterson. Join us at 6 p.m. to discuss this memoir of three generations of women and the white dresses that connected them. Bookkeepers Book Group meets Friday, August 16 at 10 a.m. to discuss Harry Truman's Excel-lent Adventure by Matthew Algeo, the true story of the former president and his wife taking a road trip while trying (unsuccessfully) to stay incognito. Both groups are open to all adult read-ers, and no registration is necessary.

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Library Assistant II – Youth Services

The Village of Forsyth is seeking applicants for the posi-tion of part-time Library As-sistant II – Youth Services. This position performs clerical and customer service duties in sup-port of library operations, with specialization in youth services.

The ideal candidate will have skills in the following areas: interpersonal relations, service to patrons, oral communication, knowledge of children’s and young adult literature, experience working with children and fami-lies and the ability to use comput-ers and learn the computerized circulation system.

Apply by submitting a résumé and three professional references online through Indeed.com or directly to Rachel Miller, Forsyth Public Library, 268 S. Elwood, Forsyth, IL 62535 by August 19, 2019.

per her website, is to offer “space for personal growth, creativity, ideas and community.”

The business, which opened a few weeks ago, is located near TJ Maxx in what shoppers will remem-ber as being home to a couple of bookstores. A Crafting Experience is available for one-time visits, ongoing subscriptions and parties.

A Crafting Experience has a noble philosophy: connecting, people, creativity and happiness.

A Crafting ExperienceStore hours: Monday through Sat-urday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; open Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m. Phone: (217) 330-6535 Website: acraftingexperience.com

beautiful 35-year event,” she said.The advantage to the Village,

according to Endsley, along with exposure brought by the tournament and being its main sponsor, would be the relationships made by expanding sponsorships to nearby communi-ties. A potential “relationship bridge” could form that might benefit the Vil-lage in future projects.

“We want something sparkly and new,” she said. “It makes it special to go to these national brands that want to be a part of something that big.”

However, because this would technically be a new event (including having a new name), Village Attorney Jeff Jurgens’ legal interpretation was that this would be “outside of the norm of what’s been done in the past … different event, different purpose, different people.”

As a new event, he advised it would need five Yea votes to pass.

After much discussion, it was fairly apparent how the votes were going to come down. Sensing that five votes in favor of a $100,000 commitment for each of the next two years — the time frame requested by the tour — was going to be a chal-lenge, Trustee Jim Peck made a mo-tion for $50,000 plus $1 (the amount

being significant so that the Village would be the largest sponsor) for two years.

Trustees Bob Gruenewald and Jeremy Shaw, along with Mayor Marilyn Johnson, held to their previ-ous positions that they did not agree with committing that much money to the event.

“I have to think with my head and not my heart,” Gruenewald said. “I know it doesn’t bring the dollars and cents back to the community. It’s hard to quantify quality of life.”

Shaw said money was the decid-ing factor for him.

“I struggle with the dollar amount,” he said. “Is it really going to bring people in when a 35-year tournament couldn’t?”

Gruenewald, who has made clear his priorities for hotel/motel tax funds are on the proposed community center and sports complex projects, added those revenues are not free money.

Trustee David Wendt disagreed, calling it “a rock-solid, defensible use of the hotel/motel tax as the law is written. It’s what we’re supposed to spend it on, to get people here.”

In the end, the vote fell short of the five votes needed, with four Yea votes coming from Peck, Wendt and Trustees Kerry Denison and Jeff London.

Photo courtesy of Symetra Tour When Jillian Hollis won the Forsyth Classic at Hickory Point Golf Course in June, it looked like the last chance for the area to host the tournament beyond the 35-year mark. But, a last-ditch effort to save it came before the Board of Trustees on July 1.

Village of Forsyth Mayor and Board of TrusteesMayor Marilyn J. Johnson 195 E. Ruehl St. .............................433-3655Kerry Denison 873 Cara Chris .............................. .330-0795 Bob Gruenewald 718 W. Forsyth Pkwy. .....................520-5489Jeff London 255 S. Elwood St. ..........................855-4242Jim Peck 335 Forsyth Parkway .....................433-5700Jeremy Shaw 1274 Raptor Lane ................ (309) 830-0509David Wendt797 Christopher Drive ....................877-2935

Village Hall ....................................877-9445301 S. Rt. 51, Forsyth, IL 62535Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed 12:30-1:30 p.m. for lunchwww.forsythvillage.usEmail: Info@forsythvillage.usTwitter: @ForsythILInstagram: ForsythIL

Forsyth Public Library .................877-8174 www.forsythlibrary.com

Public Works ................................877-1653

for 23 years

Forsyth Fast FactsItems of interest from village staff and recent board meetings

Local Postal PatronForsyth, IL 62535

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage

PAID Forsyth, IllinoisPermit No. 2

Millikin University Director of Golf Sam Osborne spoke to trustees during the public comment portion of the July 15 meeting. Osborne expressed his displeasure at the Board for backing away from the Village’s sponsorship of the long-running Symetra Tour event at Hickory Point Golf Course. Osborne said he was appalled telling trustees they “owe families in this community an apology” for rejecting a “quality-of-life event” that attracts families and businesses. He asked that the matter be reconsidered, adding that the Symetra Tour is growing and will be on television someday. (See Page 1 for related story.) BP Gas, at the corner of U.S. Route 51 and Shafer Street, applied for a special use permit for its new electronic message sign, which the station put in place before receiving

full approval and for which it was subsequently fined. Trustee David Wendt made a motion that the item be tabled and put on a future agenda once the fine has been paid. Community and Economic Development Coordinator Nik Duffle’s July 15 report to trustees noted that he recently had a discussion with developer Reed Sullivan regarding the Prairie Winds development. Duffle wrote that Sullivan is making progress on the project’s infrastructure and hopes to start building homes this fall. The next regular meeting of the Forsyth Board of Trustees is scheduled for Monday, August 5, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. in Village Hall at 301 S. Route 51 in Forsyth. Board meetings are held the first and third Mondays of the month and are open to the public.