By Julie Peters I was going to tell you about the Christmas gift drive for residents of Sheltered Village. Then I was going to ask whether you could find it in your heart to donate to the cause. Sheltered Village is an intermediate care facility for developmentally disabled adults, located right here in Woodstock. Most […]
By Julie Peters “My daughter and I are basically alone,” the woman wrote in a recent post to a special needs Facebook group. “She lives with me and as of right now, I have no one I can leave her with in case of emergency. I might have to go into the hospital for tests. […]
In the midst of grieving the recent deaths of my parents, I read a book recommended by a dear friend. In turn, I’m recommending it to you. Its message about the power of grief to transform us is challenging and beautiful. The book is called “The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the […]
The last time I wrote this column, I wrote about standing at the edge of my driveway and watching the school bus pull away for the very last time. I wrote of looking across the frontier of the unknown, wondering how to navigate an uncertain future for my special-needs son. This time, I’m contemplating a […]
By Julie Peters No sound compares to the sound of a school bus. It accelerates with a roar. It slows with a guttural growl. It stops with a squeal and a sharp hiss. If you’re waiting for it, you can hear a school bus coming a mile away. It almost sounds like a garbage truck, […]
I tend to write about the serious side of being the parent of a special needs child. It seems to come with the territory. My plan this month was to lighten things up a bit and write about an exciting development coming to Woodstock – a playground designed for people of all ages and abilities. […]
Hearts are everywhere this month. There’s no shortage of them – red hearts, candy hearts, homemade paper hearts. But I’d like to talk about another kind of heart: a servant’s heart. I don’t think they’re in short supply, either. Maybe, though, it’s time to celebrate and encourage them. Because we need them, and we need […]
They’re such simple questions, almost trite in a way that makes us wonder sometimes whether they’re even worth asking. Surely there must be something bigger and more important to be done than just reaching out in such an ordinary way. For parents of children with disabilities, especially around the holidays, they could be the best […]
I want to address what some parents said at a recent District 200 Board of Education meeting about why they don’t want their children to have to wear masks in school. Masks are uncomfortable. They make it hard to breathe. Masks are irritating. Children can’t speak or see each other smile. Masks make some children […]
By Julie Peters For the Woodstock Independent I didn’t want to write a column this month about the Illinois budget for people with disabilities. It’s boring. And the news isn’t good. I’d rather write something about enjoying summer or some other light-hearted topic. But the fiscal year in Illinois began July 1, smack in […]
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.
