Access to strong and reliable Internet has been oh so elusive in Elsah!  We’ve had to just “go with the flow” (or lack thereof).  But hear this, folks — Elsah is about to graduate from

“wanna-have” to “gonna-have” connectivity status! Susan Young, Village Communications Chair, reports that a Connect Illinois grant has just been awarded to Grafton Technologies to install fiber optic cable in the Village!  Installation in Joywood, Elsah Hills and part of Lockhaven will follow.

The fiber optic cable will be laid above ground on the utility poles, making it faster and more affordable to install and easier to repair. End of the summer is the target time-frame. Thanks to the grant, there will be no installation cost to the residents or the Village. Wisper internet will continue to offer its service for anyone preferring not to switch.

The awarding of the grant is the result of intensive work over several years by Connect Elsah!, headed by Susan. The group took an online course on how to advocate for connectivity, met weekly via Zoom during Covid, created and distributed a needs survey, and collected and presented the data to groups across the state and Internet providers.