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‘Community of Entrepreneurship’: Search is on for right businesses to go into new incubator spaces

May 7, 2023

When the March 31 application deadline arrived for businesses to occupy the two new incubator spaces inside the renovated Old Courthouse, the city of Woodstock had received three applications. All were from what Woodstock’s Economic Development Manager Cathleen Tracy called “specialty retailers.” “One is a strong contender,” said Danielle Gulli, the city’s executive director of […]

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Lack of inventory pushes up home prices 15 percent

April 25, 2023

If patience is a virtue, then those who are waiting for Woodstock home prices to fall before jumping into the market are becoming exceedingly virtuous. In the first quarter of 2023, the average price for a detached single-family home hit $355,040, up from $308,735 in the first quarter of 2022 – a 15 percent increase. […]

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Downtown dining deals: Restaurant scene on Woodstock Square sees some changes

April 25, 2023

For Orfanel Aviles and Maria Castañeda, an abrupt vacancy on the historic Woodstock Square meant the beginning of a dream that started nearly a decade ago when Cansteñeda was a waitress at the former La Placita Mexican restaurant. The vacancy gave the couple the opportunity to open Mary’s Mexican Grill in the same location – […]

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City Council disbursed hotel-motel tax revenue for tourism activities

April 25, 2023

More than $115,000 in tourism-related grants have been made to 14 organizations for 2023-24 from Woodstock’s hotel-motel tax revenue. The City Council last week approved Tier 1 grants to three organizations based on their history of generating tourism. The Woodstock Opera House received $40,000; the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry received $30,000; and […]

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Die Cast development developing: County provides pandemic relief funds for Woodstock housing plan

April 18, 2023

Senior housing in Woodstock at the former Die Cast factory site in Woodstock would get a boost from an Advance McHenry County grant of $1.9 million. Plans for development of that 10-acre site could be coming “soon.” The grant was part of more than $3.7 million in pandemic-relief funds that were approved recently by the […]

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From vintage to new-with-tags: Woodstock perfect site for family-run Homestead Antiques & Gifts

April 11, 2023

For mother and daughter team Ela Zubek and Nika Zubek-Kieffer, Woodstock was the perfect place to open their vintage shop, The Homestead Antiques & Gifts. “My mom liked Woodstock because it reminded her of her hometown in Poland,” Nika said. “And this space worked really well for what we were looking for.” Homestead Antiques & […]

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Four months later … Habitat Restore in Woodstock reopens after catastrophic damage from flooding

April 4, 2023

By Ruth Raubertas news@thewoodstockindependent.com On the night of Nov. 12, a water main broke at the northwest corner of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore building on Eastwood Drive next to Jewel Osco. No one was there that Saturday night, and the store was closed for the remainder of the weekend. Manager Joe Dziedzic and his […]

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‘Women can do amazing things’: WPBW honors manufacturer Sandra Pierce as Women of the Year

March 28, 2023

From the ashes of a fallen business, Woman of the Year Sandra Pierce rose to be a leader in business and in the community, but it was her unwavering commitment to helping others that gave rise to her dedicated teams of employees and volunteers. The president of Phoenix Woodworking Corp. was named Woman of the […]

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Hotel part of BP development plan

March 21, 2023

“Woodstock needs a hotel.” City Plan Commission member Steve Gavers repeated those oft-spoken words last week after a developer laid out very preliminary plans that could bring a hotel to the 8.7-acre parcel where Graham Enterprise hopes to redevelop an expanded BP property along Route 47 at Country Club Road. The commission voted 6-0 to […]

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‘Something people are looking for’: New 1950s soda shop in Hebron seeks to focus on community needs

March 13, 2023

When Wonder Lake resident Kim Doran, owner of Pixie Dawgs and the former Church Street Café, was looking for another brick-and-mortar site to launch Miss Bella’s Sweets and Eats, she said she felt like the pairing was kismet. After catering a food truck event at Operation Wild Horse in Bull Valley as a fundraiser, board […]

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Larry Lough

Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.

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Janet Dovidio

Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.

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Susan W. Murray

Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.

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Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.

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Success of WNHS ‘23 alum Cholo Ferrolino

By Janet Dovidio news@thewoodstockindependent.com Cholo Ferrolino, WNHS ’23, is currently a student at Augustana College, where he is participating in…
October 28, 2026

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