New ownership, openings, and expanded services dominate the news By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com The Quality Inn, at 1785 S. Eastwood Drive, sold in late December for $2.2 million to Mukt Hotels LLC. The 50-room hotel was built in 1997, last sold for $1.9 million in 2011, and was renovated in 2023. The loopnet.com listing […]
Many local buyers’ agents still get paid by seller By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com It was supposed to be the great cataclysm in the real estate world. On March 15, 2024, the National Association of Realtors announced that it would pay $418 million to settle more than a dozen antitrust lawsuits that contended that NAR’s […]
By Susan W. Murray thewoodstockindependent.com Faced with the usual January – February dropoff in business after the Christmas holiday season, retailers and restaurateurs might share the sentiment of Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in “Groundhog Day”: “It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be gray, and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.” That […]
Woodstock resident Josh Downey behind Chicago Johnny’s sauces and spice mixes By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com When Josh Downey was 9 years old, he wrote a story about having a restaurant when he grew up giving his future eatery the name, Chicago Johnny’s. So when Downey began selling his homemade giardiniera as an out-of-work college […]
The Gift Wrap Place opens on the Woodstock Square By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com From being “The Gift Wrap Girl” at Bergner’s at Spring Hill Mall to wrapping gifts for clients during a career in executive positions, Susie Frank has long known her way around boxes, scissors, tape, and wrapping paper. But it’s what gifts […]
Local real estate market gathering strength for a busy spring? By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com We’re still 10 days away from knowing whether Woodstock Willie is going to predict an early spring, but some local real estate agents are emerging from the holiday season with the sense that spring will arrive early this year for […]
Dordan welcomes the fourth generation, securing multi-generational growth Provided by Dordan Manufacturing Dordan Manufacturing, the 62-year-old custom thermoforming company, is welcoming the fourth generation of the Slavin family, positioning the designer and manufacturer of thermoformed packaging solutions for multi-generational growth. Julian Slavin, grandson of Dordan CEO and president Daniel Slavin, is the first of the […]
Tell us, dear Santa, what’s in your bag for local businesses By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com Peeking into Santa’s sack, we find a mixed bag at the end of 2024 for some local businesses – a search for a new location, a closing, a delayed move, and a merger that fell apart. With the knowledge […]
New rental units in former Goins Chiropractic fill need for affordable housing By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com Built in 1952, the former Goins Chiropractic office with an attached home at 1140 Dean St. had been so well designed for its original purpose that it confounded potential buyers. “No one really knew what to do with […]
Emily Côté’s Remnant Trading Co. offers fine clothing and home goods By Susan W. Murray news@thewoodstockindependent.com Emily Côté’s Remnant Trading Co. popped up a couple of times during the summer season at the Woodstock Farmers Market. Beginning Dec. 21, her booth will be a constant at the market’s winter home at All Seasons Orchard. Côté’s […]
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.
