Oooo, fireworks! Oh my, did Woodstock turn out for the Fourth of July fireworks at Emricson Park. It was standing-room only from left field to right field on the slope around the Dream Field. To the crowd’s delight the magnificent, booming, multi-faceted show lasted nearly 30 minutes. Again this year, Woodstock’s fireworks were by the […]
I celebrated a birthday a few days ago, and it felt like a major one. It wasn’t one of those ending in a 0 or a 5. It was worse. I’m now 77, the age at which my father died. I know, I know… I’m not my father. The thought lurks way in the back […]
Among the things that make Woodstock different – even special – is a willingness to be different and to do things differently. That is on full display every year when Woodstock fully embraces the Pride movement. The City Council approves a declaration of June as Pride Month, and the city hosts a weekend Pride festival, […]
The May 9, 2024 edition of The Independent reported that Mayor Turner and City Manager Stelford’s dream for Woodstock’s Route 47 corridor is to become “the next Randall Road.” I’m inviting our mayor and city manager to clarify their vision. What is it about Randall Road that would improve and appeal to Woodstock residents and […]
Probably no report in The Independent is read as well as the annual list of streets that will be resurfaced, repaired and/or rebuilt during the summer construction season in the city’s annual enhanced streets improvement program. The five-year, $55-million program gives Woodstock residents a fairly quick bang for their tax buck as the city works […]
“The truth is you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.” – Eminem I’m not typically one who quotes rap artists, but the events of the past month and a half have led me to realize how true the above sentences are. This “crazy ride” […]
Spindly whippets in colorful sweaters, and wiry border terriers, and well-trained border collies parade across Edinburgh, Scotland. As summer slowly stretches across the United Kingdom, dogs become part of the furniture in almost all social spaces. Meanwhile, in the United States, summer is in full swing and dog-friendly spaces are full of happy canines ready […]
Some people might have been shocked when the Public House restaurant, a fixture in downtown Woodstock for two decades, closed its doors recently just months after reopening in the extensively and expensively remodeled lower floor of the Old Courthouse Center. But when it came to that project of converting the city-owned Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s […]
During the public comment section at the June 4 City Council meeting, a resident suggested restricting parking to one side of the street on the Square during parades. This would […]
There’s a different dilemma when writing Declarations once a month compared with once a week. My challenge with writing weekly was coming up with something interesting and worthy of your […]
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.
