Just two weeks ago, The Woodstock Independent’s quarterly “Business Buzz” hummed with details of openings, closings, and new ownership. Since then, a few new items have come to our attention. Not quite two years ago, Avant Cycles took over The Bike Haven’s spot at 132 Cass St. The store, which exclusively sold the Trek brand, […]
Woodstock resident Kelly Ciskowski can quickly name her favorite vacation – a trip she and her husband, Bill, took to Costa Rica, where they stayed in a National Geographic lodge on a rainforest property on the Osa Peninsula. For Bill, a vacation in St. Thomas in the Caribbean inspires dreams of an island retirement home. […]
Just as the groundhog popped up his head a few days ago to sniff for signs of spring, new businesses are poking out around Woodstock. Here’s a roundup of what has come to the attention of The Woodstock Independent. Let’s eat (and drink) For nearly five years, the former Swiss Maid Bakery on the Square […]
Walking through the second set of doors in the former Harris Bank at 101 S. Benton St., you can still imagine the teller stations to the left and bankers’ offices on the right. Harris Bank relinquished the three-story brick edifice on the Woodstock Square more than six years ago, consolidating operations at its Jackson Street […]
About this time last year, Ryan and Val Sass contacted Berkshire Hathaway Starck real estate agent Tessa Jania and told her they wanted to buy a home in Woodstock. Ryan grew up and farms in Woodstock, and Val is a teacher at Olson Elementary School. The couple, who own a home in Marengo, hoped to […]
Annual Chamber awards nominations due Feb. 14 Nominations are due Feb. 14 for annual awards of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry to recognize businesses and community leaders in several categories for excellence, achievement, and community service. In addition to the Harold Buschkopf Community Service Award, the chamber will present eight other honors […]
“People came in and they bought stuff” is how Jennifer Jorgensen, manager of operations at Studio D, summarized the holiday-buying season. Most retailers on the Woodstock Square who spoke to The Woodstock Independent reported that sales for the period from Black Friday through Christmas Eve were up from 2022, or better than what they had […]
Natalie Sujack began practicing yoga regularly 15 years ago. When a friend told her about hot yoga – a form of yoga done in a hot and humid studio – her reaction was immediate. “Absolutely not,” she told her friend. “I’m not interested.” Eventually, she allowed herself to be persuaded to try a hot yoga […]
By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com A banner trumpeting the name Highlight Healthcare stretches across the front lawn of the nursing home at the intersection of Route 120 and Route 47. A healthcare management company owned and operated by Joseph Tsadok, Highlight operates a senior care facility in Aurora and took over the former Crossroads Care […]
Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted interruption on businesses, shuttering some and causing others to retrench, 2023 might go down as the year when normalcy returned. New businesses debuted, retiring owners found someone to take over, familiar operations grew and moved, and home prices kept rising. On the cusp of 2024, more new businesses […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
