August Chamber Courier 2025 by Canton Area Chamber of Commerce Canton IL

Business

cANTON aREA cHAMBER OF cOMMERCE bOARD OF dIRECTORS

Executive Board Executive Board

President: Chad Holloway - OSF HealthCare

Vice President: Maggie Connell - Edward Jones

Treasurer: Chad Murphy - Spoon River College

Secretary: Renee Lewis - Jim Maloof Realtor

Board of Directors Board of Directors

Tanaya Krulac - COOK Medical

Jay Valencia - Canton High School

Jason Gumbart - Apex Seed Company

Lacey Neal - Rock Valley Physical Therapy

Diane Bell - Di’s Boutique

Alesia Shaw - Graham Health System

Jason Elwell - EATS

Jacque Nelson - MidAmerica National Bank

Emylee Bitner - Bank of Farmington

Executive Director Carla Bobell

Any Time is the Right Time to Join the Canton Area Chamber of Commerce

By Carla Bobell, Executive Director

Whether you're a new business owner, a long-time established organization, or an individual who simply wants to contribute to your community, any time of year is the right time to join the Canton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Our membership is as diverse as our community schools, retail shops, service providers, healthcare professionals, churches, non-profits, and individuals all find value in being part of the Chamber. Why? Because we help members stay on PACE Promote, Advocate, Connect, and Educate.

We Promote your business or organization by sharing job openings through our website, social media shares, Member Minute emails, E Blasts, newsletters, and when you support Chamber community events. New members receive a welcome spotlight, and a ribbon cutting that brings increased visibility to the business community and the community at large.

We Advocate on behalf of our members and our local economy. Whether it’s engaging with local government, supporting initiatives that improve our business climate, or lending our voice to community planning, your Chamber is working behind the scenes to support you.

We Connect members to each other and to the broader community through networking events,

Chamber membership is open to all businesses and organizations that maintain a voluntary annual dues investment, as well as to local citizens who are invested in the betterment of our community. If you know a business or an organization that would like to get involved in their community, encourage them in reach out to us at the Canton Chamber so we can help them stay on PACE, too! We have been doing it for 100 years!

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

LINN STREET LIQUORS

The Canton Area Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome brand new business, Linn Street Liquors, owned and operated by Tim VanMiddlesworth. Entrepreneurship runs deep in this family. If you are from Canton, you may remember Ed's Drive Thru liquor store on south 5 Avenue (maple leaf), which was started by Tim’s great Grandpa Ed VanMiddlesworth after IH bought out his property on south 2 Avenue where he owned a bar called the Tip Up. Ed's drive thru was owned by his son Woodrow "Woody" (wife Nellie), then Woody's son Dennis (wife Sue) then Tim’s parents Don "Bud" (wife Sharon) VanMiddlesworth.

When Tim and wife Christine decided to open his locally veteran owned store, he just knew he had to put in a drive thru which is located at 1001 E. Linn Street in Canton, which is the previous location of where VR Meat Company was located.

Even though the business is located in Canton the property is located in Fulton County jurisdiction and they had one liquor license with gaming open, which Tim was able to acquire for his new liquor store. He will be working with J&J Gaming after being approved for the gaming permit at the September 12th IGB meeting. Illinois lotto will be available starting on August 4 and tobacco products the following week. th

Linn Street Liquors opened on June 14th with a good selection of products and adding new ones every week. Tim stated, “If there is a certain product you would like that we do not have in stock, just ask and we can find out about getting those requests on the shelf ”

Store hours are: Mon-Thurs 6am-1am Fri-sat 6am-1:30am Sunday 12pm-12am. Be sure to stay up to date on their Facebook page at Linn Street Liquors to find out dates for the game room opening and new additions to the store.

DRIVE THRU

The Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development (SRPED) is pleased to announce the launch of the Beyond Local Grant, a new tourism microgrant program designed to support projects that attract out-of-town visitors and strengthen Canton’s tourism economy.

Beginning August 1, 2025, eligible organizations and businesses can apply for $1,000 microgrants to fund events, marketing campaigns, or tourism-related projects that bring in visitors from 40 miles or more outside the area. The program’s goal is to increase overnight hotel stays, local business activity, and regional visibility for Canton.

Funded through the City of Canton’s Hotel/Motel Tax, the Beyond Local Grant supports projects that:

· Promote Canton as a destination for non-local visitors

· Include a clear marketing or outreach strategy

· Contribute to increased hotel occupancy and local spending

· Provide measurable outcomes or impact

Applications will be accepted from August 1 through September 1, 2025, and are open to nonprofits, community groups, small businesses, and public entities. Full grant guidelines and the application form can be found at: www.cantonillinois.org/economic-development OR in office at 48 N. Main St, Canton, IL 61520.

For additional information or questions, please contact SRPED at: 48 N Main St, Canton, IL 61520 | 309-647-2677 Ext 3 | Marketing@cantonillinois.org

SPOON RIVER COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT

The mission statement of Spoon River College is “to provide innovative learning opportunities that enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve.” It’s something we take seriously and our partnerships with other educational institutions are vital to our mission. The Running Start partnership we have with Canton High School is an excellent example.

The program provides the opportunity for academically qualified seniors to enroll in college classes through SRC as part of their high school coursework, allowing them to be fulltime SRC students and to attend college classes on campus while earning both high school and college credits.

A total of 25 Canton seniors were enrolled in the program during the 2024-2025 academic year. Four of those students Paige Anderson, Abigail McCartney, Aubriana Putman, and Brent Skiles were recognized at our Commencement this past May, and we recently did a profile on Running Start student Kaylee Grebner, owner of Kaylee’s Country Cupcakes. We currently have 23 new students participating in the coming academic year.

In athletic news, every team had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, giving the athletic department a GPA of 3.25 with over 100 student-athletes. Starting this fall, cross country will be offered, with Dixon native Chase Fisher as head coach.

We were awarded a federal TRIO Student Support Services grant totaling $272,364 to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities. More than 1,200 SRC students have benefited from this program over the past 15 years.

Classes begin August 25, and we’re excited that our students in Macomb will start the new year in a new campus. Our grand opening is Wednesday, September 3, and you are welcome to attend. ved in making the Bicentennial Celebration a success!

CANTON UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT

Canton School District #66 2025-26

Big Dreams Start with Little Giants!

As summer break nears its conclusion, Canton Union School District #66 is hard at work preparing for the return of our students on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Each new year brings opportunities to grow, and we remain committed to ensuring every child enters a safe, supportive, and high-quality learning environment.

Throughout the summer, our custodial, maintenance, and technology teams have been busy preparing classrooms, upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring all buildings are ready to welcome back students and staff.

Our teachers and administrators have engaged in professional development to enhance instructional practices that maximize student learning.

We have also continued our commitment to capital improvements across the district. Paving in the Canton High School student parking lot is being replaced, and the main drive at Eastview Elementary is being completed. At Canton High School, students will return to a new welding room, expanding opportunities in our Career and Technical Education programs. Ingersoll Middle School’s rooftop air conditioning units have also been replaced to ensure a comfortable learning environment.

We know a strong school system builds a strong community Canton’s economic vitality and growth depend on the success of our students, and we are grateful to local businesses and organizations for their ongoing support. From work-based learning opportunities for high school students to donations for classroom needs, your partnership truly makes a difference.

I encourage all families to check our website and Facebook pages for back-to-school information and events. Thank you for your dedication to Canton schools. We look forward to a productive and inspiring 2025-2026 school year together.

Tad DeRenzy Superintendent

Canton Union School District #66

HOLIDAY LIGHTSHOW TRIVIA NIGHT

The Holiday Light show GET LIT Trivia Night happened on July 19 with 11 amazing tables th sponsors that decorated each table for all of the teams to enjoy for the night, including snacks!

There were several Silent Auction items to bid on throughout the night, 50/50 tickets were sold the length of an oversized candy cane, and fun games between rounds were played where you could win extra points!

We had a goal to raise $3000 to help purchase new moving head beam lights for the Holiday Lightshow this year and we are pleased to announce that we made our goal!

Thank you to all those who came out to play in the Christmas themed

Trivia Night, the creative Table Sponsors, and all those who donated wonderful baskets. This year’s lightshow will really be lit! Look for more details on the Holiday Lightshow soon!