Huntley resident Cindy Spalding spent a recent rainy Wednesday morning walking through Kolze’s Corner Gardens with her parents, Lee and Larry Oelsen of Sycamore. Spalding has been shopping at Kolze’s for a decade, she said, ever since bringing in photographs of her yard so the staff could help her plan her gardens. “I think Kolze’s […]
If Marty Garcia, who sells four varieties of his freshly made salsa at the Woodstock Farmers Market every Tuesday, had any doubts about the quality of his product, a little brotherly competition settled the matter. Marty and his brother Mike learned the art of salsa-making from their mother. While Judy Garcia was of Irish/German descent, […]
Heading into warm weather, The Woodstock Independent takes a look at what’s new on the local business scene. Food Shed Co-op grocery Scheduled to open this fall, the Food Shed Co-op grocery store is now slated for a summer 2023 opening. “Planning and further building of the community member base” account for the delay, said […]
The last time Woodstock had two men’s shops on the Square, the town’s population had not yet cracked 20,000, “the high school” meant Woodstock High School, and the boyish Brian Sager was merely a City Council member. The year was 1998, and Beard & Stovall closed its doors after 113 years in business. Frame’s Apparel […]
A step inside the main entrance at Cedarhurst Senior Living on the west side of U.S. 14, just north of Northwestern Hospital Woodstock, reveals a design for assisted living and memory care as polished as it is practical. Plush carpets, medium-brown wood, acoustic tile ceilings, and hunter-green walls with floral wallpaper accents are nowhere in […]
In what must come as a disappointment for the former patrons who still miss Colemans, a “for lease” sign popped up in front of the empty parking lot on Lake Avenue last month. Listed with Blue Chip Commercial Real Estate, the 3,423-square-foot building and 1.13-acre property are advertised as potential restaurant, retail, office, or daycare […]
The scaled-down retail space at 203 Main St. that Casting Whimsy occupied for nearly three years developed an Alice-in-Wonderland feel that went beyond the cutout Alice and White Rabbit figures that adorned the shop. Just as the 9-foot-tall Alice was too big to navigate the hallway, Casting Whimsy’s success soon outgrew its 600 square feet. […]
Woodstock is home to the only Vera Bradley retailer in the nation to carry a line of military bags from the popular quilted bag company. The Thoughtfulness Shop, 104 Cass St., has long been the go-to Vera Bradley retailer in the area. Both the previous owners as well as current owners Janice Ricci Wilcox and […]
When The Bike Haven owner Josh Arnow was ready to consolidate to one store, he reached out to the manager of Avant Cycle Café in Lake Geneva, Don Thomas. “I live in Woodstock,” Thomas said. “The Bike Haven was so well-known here, and Avant is so well-known in Wisconsin. This was a good fit. And […]
Since Shaun and Brigitte Baker closed April 7 on the purchase of Dusty’s Pizza, they have spent long days at the restaurant at 7613 Howe Road in Wonder Lake. Occasionally, a car pulls into the parking lot and a head pokes through the front door, momentarily halting the cleaning and painting. “Hi,” one visitor said […]
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.
