Shortly after Jeanice Nelson moved from Island Lake to Woodstock to take care of her parents, who were battling cancer, Nelson and her mother were out on the Woodstock Square. They stepped into Ethereal Confections, then located next to Classic Cinemas at 203 Main St. Nelson remembers being delighted by both the business and its […]
People who regularly drive on Route 120 have likely noticed a structure going up near the intersection with Thompson Road. The new building is the future home of Bull Valley Farm, a retail store that will offer beef, pork, and chicken raised on Aavang family farms. The Aavangs have been grain farmers, also raising livestock, […]
As the weather turns – slowly – from winter to spring, several projects are underway in and around Woodstock. By summer, the business landscape will have a new look. Train station arrival As reported in last week’s issue of The Independent, MBI Staffing, an information technology firm located at 227 W. Judd St., will open […]
”I love Woodstock,” community volunteer Jackie Speciale said Friday night from the Opera House stage. And for the second time in nine months, Woodstock showed that it loved her. In June, Speciale was named Woman of the Year by the Woodstock Professional & Business Women. This past weekend, she received the Harold Buschkopf Community Service […]
Brad Ball, the new president and CEO of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, remembers being a third- or fourth-grader when his family lived in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. His teacher assigned students to report on U.S. cities. Ball was tasked with writing about Houston. “How do I find out what’s […]
“It’s nice that this will finally be fully used,” said Michael Ervin, co-owner of Ethereal Confections, as he picked his way around construction debris during a tour of the Old Courthouse. Likely, the city of Woodstock couldn’t agree more. Eleven years – and $3.6 million in restoration and renovation – after the city acquired the […]
Twenty-year-old Woodstock resident Alex Toepper says that he wants “to turn 21 for a different reason than everybody else wants to turn 21.” When he reaches legal age, Toepper can qualify for a loan to buy a dump trailer that he would use to haul and deposit mulch for his firewood customers. “It’ll save our […]
Graciela Laureano has been a friend to Angie Reynoso’s family for many years. “She’s like a sister to me,” Reynoso said. Out shopping on the Woodstock Square one day, the two talked about their dream of opening an ice cream shop together. “You give me an idea and I’ll run with it,” Reynoso said. While […]
Staff Report news@thewoodstockindependent.com More than 130 nominations have been made in in nine award categories for which winners will be announced this month during the 77th annal awards gala of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event is scheduled to begin with a “red carpet” arrival at 6 p.m. Friday, March 25, […]
A former director of the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce has been hired as the new executive director of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry. According to a news release, Woodstock resident Brad Ball began his new job Monday after being selected in an extensive search that drew applicants from across the country. He succeeds […]
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.
