From the time she was 5 years old Michelle Pineda remembers hanging out at her family’s diner, Town & Country Restaurant, in Harvard. Taking advantage of those years of experience, she recently opened the doors to her own restaurant. Tierra Caliente Restaurant & Bar opened Aug. 15, right on the scheduled date Pineda had planned. […]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors’ offices were necessarily careful about which patients to see in person. Physicians developed a “phoneside” manner, using Facetime, Skype, or Google Hub to “see” a patient electronically on a patient’s smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. As the gravity – if not the prevalence – of the coronavirus has ebbed, local […]
Downtown Woodstock bakery to close this week The Sugar Circle in Woodstock will close after the business day this coming Saturday. Owner Lauren Hamilton announced the closing last week in a Facebook post. “I want to thank EVERY single person and business that has supported The Sugar Circle over the past nine years on the […]
After more than a month of ferrying carloads of merchandise to Woodstock from her Ridgefield store, Deb Corcoran opened the door to The Peacock Shoppe at 120 N. Benton St. – the former home of Soul Focus – on July 26. The store carries antiques and vintage items, as well as handcrafted goods – “and […]
On July 26, a key vacant parcel in the downtown area moved significantly closer to development. MBI Staffing CEO Tom Wilson bought the 1.13-acre property at 200 E. Judd St. – the former Richard’s Building Supply – for $525,000 from Porkies Pig Roast owner Jakes Dioguardi. Wilson’s immediate goal is to demolish what remains of […]
By Julia Eastham news@the woodstockindependent.com The Clothing Closet on Calhoun Street has shut its doors for good after the thrift store struggled to find volunteers to work. Peggy Maher, president of the Clothing Closet, said the store had difficulty finding volunteers during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. “When COVID hit, it was impossible to get […]
Planning a vacation? If so, according to the people behind the TripAdvisor website, 67 percent of you will use the travel research platform to read reviews of hotels, restaurants, and activities. And if you were to consult more than 600 TripAdvisor reviews of the Best Western, Super 8, and Quality Inn in Woodstock, you would […]
When Jessica Cook was enrolled in a home economics class at Hoffman Estates High School, the students each made a mini cheesecake. “I loved the response when I gave it to family members or made it for events,” Cook said. “I still make it to this day.” The joyful reaction to her dessert sparked Cook’s […]
It’s probably safe to say that none of the business owners who took out $5,000 loans from the city of Woodstock in the spring of 2020 lay awake at night thinking of how to spend the money. Approved at an emergency meeting of the City Council just after the governor’s stay-at-home order went into effect […]
Shortly after the First Church of Christ, Scientist building at the southwest corner of Dean and South Streets went on the market for $289,900 in October 2020, Compass real estate agent Kim Keefe toured the nearly 75-year-old building. The Woodstock congregation had found that the ordinary tasks of maintaining the buildings and grounds and planning […]
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.
