We’ve been through a lot during these past 15 month. The chart above takes us back to the beginning of pandemic protocols in Illinois, which taught us a new vocabulary, including terms such as “shelter in place,” “essential business,” and “social distance.” We learned to live with “curbside pickup,” “capacity limits,” and “face coverings.” Most […]
Are you ready for summer? Not that you have much choice, as high temperatures hovered around 90 for several days during the first week of June. It seemed to be a comfortable heat (low humidity), however, judging by the crowds that showed up downtown at the Woodstock Farmers Market Saturday morning and the food truck […]
2021 math lesson has long-term implications Do we as a population realize how 1 million dollars compares to 1 trillion dollars? Well, according to Google (the bible of the literate world), if you stacked 1 million one-dollar bills in a pile, it would be approximately 68 miles high. However, 1 trillion one-dollar bills stacked in […]
Build it and they will come. Some disembodied voice famously whispered that line in a fantasy movie about an Iowa farmer who, without really knowing why, tears up his corn field to build a major league baseball diamond. Of course, all of his neighbors questioned his sanity for destroying his crop on the chance that […]
We are overdue for editorial recognition of some of the good folks who make Woodstock the special place it is. So here are some notes of “welcome,” “thank you,” and “job well done” from recent pages of The Independent. The dual-language program of Woodstock School District 200 deserves the national attention and acclaim it receives. And now it […]
By Cheryl Wormley This week’s Declarations, published previously, is being republished for our 2021 graduating seniors. All other readers are invited to read on. This community has the good fortune of having three high schools. So at the end of each school year, we watch with great pride the commencement exercises of three senior classes. […]
By Jan Bosman During the past 16 months, I have heard people say, “I can’t wait until we get back to ‘normal.’” Normal – that expected outcome – but how would that look? I wasn’t clear if “normal” meant “getting beyond the fear of dying from COVID-19” or “going wherever one wants to go and […]
By Cheryl Wormley Little did I know when I asked readers in my April 14 column to send me their memories of Memorial Hospital (promising to publish them) that the response would fill two Declarations and two full pages of The Independent. I shared the first four in my April 28 Declarations. The two-page spread was […]
Back when we thought the world made sense, we had lots of good advice for new graduates. Remember when it was enough to say, “Work hard, play hard, be kind, eat your vegetables, brush your teeth,” and advice like that? But we are at a loss during graduation season this year as to how we […]
Woodstock School District 200 and whoever else was involved deserves high praise and recognition for giving its students an impressive and memorable experience for prom 2021. I have never felt the unique energy like that on the Square and, in my opinion, was the best use of the Square for an event I have ever […]
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.
