Former dancer reminisces during Opera House tour
Thor Paglialong graduates from U.S. Air Force Academy
The Woodstock Independent 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098
Phone: 815-338-8040
Fax: 815-338-8177
Thewoodstock independent.com
Staff Report
The Woodstock 2024 street resurfacing program began on June 10 with a goal to finish sometime in October, weather permitting, said Woodstock
Engineering Director Chris Tiedt. The map (page 4) shows the streets in this year’s program divided into four work areas to show what stage of resurfacing is currently underway in a given area. Tiedt suggests that residents on any of this year’s streets
check the page for updates as the work proceeds.
Additional streets and notifications
Tiedt said that when construction bids came in this year, they were lower
By Eileen Millard NEWS@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM
If you’re wondering just how much longer the cyclical brood of cicadas will be calling McHenry County home, we asked Brenda Dahlfors, Program Coordinator for the McHenry County Horticulture Program, and Rachel Gustafson,
Education Program Coordinator for the McHenry County Conservation District, to share a few cicada facts via email.
Dahlfors said the best way to figure out their departure date is to add six weeks to the date they emerged in your neck of the woods.
“At my house on the north side of Woodstock, I had emergence holes starting the first week of May, and they didn’t emerge until June 2,” said Dahlfors. ”I expect that the decibel level will drop off significantly by the 4th of July, and there will be noticeably fewer flying around after that.”
The Independent brings home sweepstakes trophy, winning awards in writing, photography, and design
Staff Report NEWS@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COMStaff members of The Woodstock Independent won a grand total of 43 awards in the annual Illinois Press Association statewide contest held in Bloomington last week. Individual and team award areas included writing, photography, and design.
The accolades included 41 individual awards, the General Excellence award for the Independent’s division, and sweepstakes honors from winning the Harold and Eva White Memorial Trophy.
The count included 13 first-place awards; 14 second-place awards; nine third-place awards; and five fourth-place awards in the competition against other small non-daily newspapers in Illinois for features published in 2023.
Team coverage earned eight awards, including two first-place awards for coverage of the Lincoln Avenue gas explosion, and a special section on the opening of the Old Courthouse Center. Other team awards included: Newspaper Design; Editorial Page; Home, Farm & Garden Special Section; and team coverage on the Hearthstone nursing home.
The General Excellence award included this praise from the judges: “Eye catching front pages; varied stories throughout; each page packed with something interesting and intriguing. Even the more ‘routine’ stories and content are presented in appealing ways.”
“I am very proud of our staff,” said Woodstock Independent Publisher Rebecca McDaniel. “Once again, they have risen to a level of excellence.”
• In addition to contributing to team awards, Editor Larry Lough garnered eight personal awards, including first place in Headline Writing and Community Service. Lough also won awards for News Reporting and School Board Coverage and swept the Editorial category with first, second and third-place
Woodstock Police Department
■ Luke D. Denman, 32, Woodstock, was arrested May 26 at W. Kimball Ave. on charges of driving under the influence/ DUI over and failure to notify of damage to vehicle. Released on notice to appear. Court date June 20.
■ Nicholas A, Miller, 29, transient, was arrested on May 27 at Irving Ave. on charges of driving under the influence, improper lane, operating uninsured motor vehicle, squealing tires, improper turn signal and disregarding stop sign. Release on notice to appear. Court dateJune 27.
■ Terry Steagall, 33, transient, was
Tricia Carzoli won first place for her Portrait/ Personality photo of Woodstock aerobatic aviator Susan Dacy.
awards. For his Old Courthouse Center editorial, the judges commented, “good job holding a lens to a spendy public project.”
• Writer Susan W. Murray won seven personal and team awards, including first-place, second-place and team awards for her investigative series on Hearthstone nursing home. Judges praised the writing as “a thorough deep dive … leaving no stone unturned.”
Other awards included: team coverage for the Lincoln Avenue gas explosion; business coverage; and feature writing.
• Writer/photographer Tricia Carzoli won five awards for her work, including first-place honors for her photo of aerobatic aviator Susan Dacy. She was also recognized with Feature Writing and Spot News Photo awards. One of Carzoli’s two Agricultural Writing awards garnered this judge’s comment: “Great work in covering the struggles of dairy farmers. This story can’t be told enough …”
• Associate Editor Sandy Kucharski won first place for her Single Page Design of Carzoli’s piece on aviator Susan Dacy. The judges “particularly liked the
arrested on May 6 at S. Eastwood Drive on charges of theft and driving with license revoked. Served in McHenry Co. jail. Court date June 3.
■ Christian J. Peetz, 77, Woodstock, was arrested on May 27 at N. Jefferson and E. Judd streets on charges of driving under the influence, failure to yield for pedestrian in crosswalk. Released on notice to appear. Court date July 5.
■ Nathalia C. Cook, 34, Lake In The Hills, was arrested on May 28 on charges of obstructing justice. Released on notice to appear, court date June 5.
■ Angela Ayala, 23, Woodstock, was arrested on May 28 at S. Eastwood Drive
single long shot of the plane in the sky pared with the close up of the details on the plane. Nice job!” Kucharski also won two awards for advertising design.
• Photographer Ken Farver brought home five awards, including first-place honors for a summer music event photo on the Square. “I love this photo!” the judges said. “Even the people in the background are enjoying the impromptu dance session.” Farver also won for Features and Sports photos.
• Photographer Vicky Long won a second-place award for Sports Portrait. Her third-place award for Sports Photo included these judges’ comments: “The atmosphere of this action shot stands out. Her combination of the moment between the players, the dust on the field and the framing of the scoreboard in the background makes for a strong photo.”
• First-place honors went to Lisa Kunzie for her Sports Feature on Woodstock High School sophomore Amina Idris, chronicling her journey as a refugee from Ukraine and her sports achievements. “The imagery of this young athlete and her mother fleeing Ukraine under attack was spellbinding,” the judges said.
• Megan Ivers’ Sports Column piece also won a first-place award. Judges’ comments on her participation in an Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii included “… not about the competition, but about the challenges it presents, and the lessons it teaches.”
• Eileen Millard won first place on her feature about former Woodstock resident Julie Hybel helping Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Judges commented, “just great storytelling, from a person impacted by the war in Ukraine.” Millard also worked on team coverage of the gas explosion story.
• Paul Lockwood won fourth place for sharing his love of puns with the judges in his column about writing his own obituary. The feature included this line: “Hopefully he will be able to rest in peace, or – just like the jigsaw puzzles he enjoyed putting together – rest in pieces. “
on charges of driving while license suspended. Released on notice to appear. Court date July 11.
■ Antonia C. Clinton, 33, Lake In The Hills, was arrested on May 30 at S. Eastwood Drive on charges of driving while license suspended, unlawful possession of cannabis, operating uninsured motor vehicle, expired registration, improper lighting and violating bond condition Kane County. Transported to McHenry Co. Jail. Court date June 27.
Charges are only accusations of crimes, and defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty.
Woodstock Fire/Rescue District
EMS calls for June 6-June 12: 69 Fire runs
Structure Fire: 1
Electrical wiring/equipment problem: 1
Public service assistance: 6
Cover assignment/Stand by at fire station: 3
Dispatched and canceled en route: 2
Controlled burning: 1
Steam, other gas mistaken for smoke: 1
System or detector malfunction: 3
Unintentional system/detector (no fire): 4
Total: 91
“My first observation was at Stickney Run Conservation Area on the south side of McHenry on May 19,” said Gustafson. ”The district has been, and is still collecting, citizen science data for the emergence. You can view the results on a map overlayed with MCCD and public lands sites at: MCCD.me/CicadaData
If you click on the data points, it will tell you the date the observation was submitted. May 17 is the earliest I see right now. I know of a couple residents living in the Woodstock area that are still seeing some emerging, so I’m thinking we will definitely see them into July, but in lower numbers and decibels as Brenda suggested. It appears that the highest densities are closer towards the heart of the county.”
“As for shells and dead bodies, they will become great fertilizer,” said Dahlfors. “Treat them as you would autumn leaves – sweep them off the sidewalk into the lawn
This closeup of a cicada wing shows an intricate structure similar to a stained glass window.
or garden bed (not into the street or sewer, please) and let them get chopped up by the lawnmower (they decompose faster that way) or add them to your compost pile.”
“One more thing to note,” said Dahlfors. ”In mid-to-late August, we may see the tips of tree branches
Up close and personal with Magicicada sp., also known as Brood XIII or the Northern Illinois Brood.
turning brown and dying, eventually breaking off. This is called ‘flagging’ and is completely normal. It is a result of the egg laying and is nature’s way of pruning. It isn’t harmful at all to larger trees, but it is why we have been recommending netting smaller newly planted trees.”
Continued from Page 1
than the amount the Woodstock City Council had budgeted. If engineering can be done in time to add additional streets to this year’s schedule, it is possible that some new streets may be added.
Notices of upcoming construction for each street will be distributed by the contractor prior to any work taking place and are typically handed out to residents 48 hours prior to construction starting.
Work typically runs Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., weather permitting. Some Saturday work will occur but is not anticipated in the early stages of the project. The city website states that access to existing homes may be limited at times but that the contractor will work to minimize disruptions. Street parking will be allowed when driveway access is blocked. Tiedt added
that in rare cases, residents may have to park on nearby streets for short periods but that crews will work to avoid that possibility. Garbage collection will continue as usual during street work. Tiedt said that residents should
The map and schedule for street repair, including updates over the summer, can be found at woodstockil. gov, under the “Street Resurfacing” tab.
• Belair Lane - Melody to Peachtree
• Peachtree Lane - Belair to Clay
• Julie Street - Russel Court to Birch Road
• Sheila Street - Central Parkway bend to N. Seminary
• Charles Street - Central Parkway to Birch
• Birch Road - Charles Street to Roger Road
• St. Johns Road - Route 47/Seminary to Raffel Road
• Powers Road - St. Johns to Butterfield
• Roger Road - Powers to Butterfield
• Irving Avenue - McHenry Avenue to N. Terminus
• Pine Court - Olson to Terminus
• Olson Street - E. Terminus to Irving Avenue
• Hill Street- Margaret Drive to Judd Street
• Becking Avenue - Conway to Quinlan
• Fremont Street - Dean Stree to Lawndale Avenue
• Brown Street - E. Lake Street to Washburn Street
• Bunker Street - Fremont to Schryver Avenue
• Griffing Avenue - Bunker to Jefferson
• Mitchell Street - Forest Avenue to Highland Avenue
• Westood Trail - Moraine to Oakview
• Oakview Court - Oakview Terrace to Terminus
• Hillside Trail - Westwood to Terminus
not place garbagecans in the street but should put them on the grass parkway next to the street. The city also asks that residents exercise patience and caution when driving through construction areas.
• Seneca Court - Westwood to N. and S. Terminus
• Ryan Court - Westwood to Terminus
• Castlebar Trail - Moraine to Ryan Court
• Trinity Court - Westwood to Terminus
• Infanta Court - Castlebar Trail to Terminus
• Dublin Court - Castlebar Trail to Terminus
• Donegal Court - Castlebar Trail to Terminus
• Cobblestone Way - Route 47 to Lake Avenue
Jerry Allen Johnson, 87, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on June 9, 2024. Jerry was born on April 11, 1937, in Eau Claire, WI, to parents Clarence and Georgine (Bergerson). Jerry grew up in Fairchild, Wisconsin, and graduated high school in 1955. He served in Germany in the United States Army from 1956 to 1959, where he received an honorable discharge. After
returning home, he attended college at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. During that time, he married his high school sweetheart Mary (Holman) on July 1, 1961, and started a family. Jerry graduated with a B.A. in 1964 and secured a career in cost accounting with Kraft Foods, and then worked at Motorola for a total of 39 years, during which time he and his family lived in Wausau, Madison, and Antigo WI, Kendallville IN, and then Schaumburg and Woodstock, Illinois.
Jerry had a great love of the outdoors and was not afraid to get his hands dirty. His pastimes with friends and family included fishing, hunting and camping trips, bird watching, and working outside
You may email obituary information to pr@thewoodstockindependent.com, or mail to or drop it off at our office, 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock IL 60098. Obituaries are published online immediately and in the next print edition. For more information, call The Independent at 815-338-8040.
on his 5 acres of land in Woodstock. He would often be seen riding one of his tractors around his land on some kind of mission. He was also very fond of early model Ford Mustangs and owned several over his lifetime, one of which he and his son spent time fixing up together. A lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, he would retell his fond memory of having attended the 1967 NFL championship game at Lambeau Field, dubbed the “Ice Bowl.”
Jerry possessed a gift to be able to strike up a conversation with perfect strangers, and made fast friends with people wherever he went, helped by his good-natured disposition, wit, and sense of humor. He was also devoted in his Lutheran faith and became actively involved in every church for which he was a member, and at one point served as president of the council at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Schaumburg. During church service, he was widely known for stirring up trouble with the young kids.
His personality was only outmatched by his selflessness. Jerry set an example of a life spent in dedication of service to others, with too many examples to list. But above all things, Jerry was a faithful and devoted husband and family man who supported his wife, children, and grandchildren in
every way he could. For him, family gatherings and vacations with good conversation, a great hand of cards, and roaring laughter were most precious to him.
Jerry is preceded in death by both his parents; his brothers John and Jim, and brother-in-law John Holman. He is survived by his sisters Jean (Ron) Holman and Joan Will; sister-in-law Darlene, sister-in-law Natalie; his beautiful wife of over sixty-two years; his children Julie BozzaWills (Dan Wills), Jeff (Sheryl), Jill Gillming (Gregg); grandchildren Casey Bozza (Autumn), Chloe Bozza, Shelby Johnson, Jacob Johnson, Abby Gillming, and Conner Gillming; and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation was on June 17th at Saunders Funeral Home in Woodstock, Illinois from 3pm to 7pm. Memorial Service was conducted on June 18th at Grace Lutheran Church in Woodstock, with visitation at 10 and a service starting at 11. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Grace Lutheran Church or the Woodstock Food Pantry, where Jerry so faithfully served in various capacities.
Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.saundersfhc.com Call Saunders Funeral Home & Crematory for more info at 815-420-3030.
wills
Retired WHS English teachers Caryl Dierksen and Sue Aavang, along with Terry Aavang, brush up their Shakespeare at the Festival Theater in Stratford, Ontario, as passersby mistake The Woodstock Independent for a Woodstock, Ontario, newspaper.
Take The Independent on your next vacation, take a photo, and send it to pr@thewoodstockindependent.com to be featured.
Woodstock, IL • 1987
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 House & Jail for commercial uses, we became immune to shock in the fall of 2021, when City Council members acted like it was no big deal that the project contractor had just told them the completion price would be 40 percent higher than they had expected –close to $17 million, rather than the $12 million the architect had projected.
In the months that followed, this newspaper wore out the headline “Courthouse costs climb” as the council continually approved money from city funds to cover rising expenses –TIF money at first, then a seemingly endless number of loans from the general fund of the city budget.
If we’ve learned anything from this project, it should be the danger of mixing public money with what should be a privately funded
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster 11th Disrict Office
2000 W. Galena Blvd., Suite 303 Aurora, IL 60506 630-585-7672
State Rep. Steve Reick
District Office 1072 Lake Ave. Woodstock, IL 60098
815-880-5340
development. As we found out recently in a settlement the City Council approved with the owners of the Public House, the city will
State Sen. Craig Wilcox District Office 209 N. Benton St. Woodstock, IL 600098
McHenry County Board
Chairman Michael Buehler 1630 Quail Way Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815-334-4224 (work) mjbuehler@co.mchenry.il.us
get about $216,000 in a deal that one councilman estimated would cover only about half of what the owners owe the city from loans and rent
Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner
121 W. Calhoun St. Woodstock, IL 60098
815-338-4302 mturner@woodstockil.gov
Dorr Township
Supervisor Susan Brokaw 1039 Lake Ave. Woodstock, IL 60098 815-338-0125 supervisor@dorrtownship.com
forgiveness. The city tried hard –maybe too hard – to save the restaurant that officials considered “critical to the success” of the Old Courthouse Center. After all, this remodeled complex was to be the crown jewel of downtown development, driving economic activity on the Square for the next 100 years. It might take that long for the city to pay off a $9 million, 20-year construction bond sold to help finance construction costs, which ended up around $22 million. The bond payback was supposed to come from rents paid by tenants of the historic buildings, but less than a year after the complex opened, the Public House has closed, as has Makity Make, a DIY crafts studio that was to provide an arts element to the complex. As part of the city’s settlement with the restaurant owners, the city now has full control over the search for a new restaurant, and the city also owns the equipment and furnishings of the restaurant, which could make finding a new tenant easier. Both the Public House and Makity Make had five-year leases but now they’re out of the picture.
Let us remember that public-private lesson.
n The Woodstock Independent welcomes letters of general interest to the community.
n We reserve the right to edit for clarity, content, and length.
n Include a phone number for verification of authorship only.
n Please limit letters to 400 words.
n Email letters to pr@thewoodstock independent.com, or mail or drop them off at our office, 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098.
n For more information, call 815-338-8040.
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 dogfriendly spaces are full of happy canines ready to soak up the dog days of summer.
While dogs aren’t able to join their owners in many social spaces in the United States, dogs generally get free rein of Scotland. “Sorry nae dugs,” a tattered sign in the window of a post office states, marking itself as the exception to the unspoken social rule in cheeky Scottish dialect. The cafe right next door, however, has a resident border collie that lies in the middle of the floor from open to close. Regulars and strangers alike at the coffee shop gently step over Larry the dog to get to the counter without even questioning.
Border collies, known to be a more hyper and athletic breed, can sometimes need more supervision from their owners than other dogs. However, Larry, and countless others like him in Scotland, are altogether independent creatures. When living in France and the Netherlands, I noticed similar independent canines to Larry. Often introduced to restaurants, bars, cafes, and grocery stores as puppies, dogs like Larry and his canine friends across Europe learn early on to adapt to the same social cues that we
» YOUR VIEW
TWI’s staff photographer
Ken Farver bids farewell
I would like to thank Cheryl Wormley and the entire staff at The Woodstock Independent for allowing me to work as their staff photographer for the past 13 years.
A sign found in Scotland forbiding dogs to enter.
humans do. Recently, my Dutch friend Anna visited America for the first time. An avid animal person, she spent four weeks in Chicago, New York, L.A., and Boston taking in the sights, sounds, and dogs of each city. “Brigid, why are there private dog parks? And what is a doggy daycare?” I was stumped. Since living abroad, I had begun to pick up on the cultural differences in dog ownership in Scotland, France, and the Netherlands, but hadn’t given much thought to the socialization of dogs in America.
After chatting about it some more and some Googling, we noted that the United States generally has stricter laws that limit the amount of spaces that are available for dogs to roam in. A “Sorry, Nae Dugs” sign would simply be redundant in most establishments. With less green spaces and walkable cities, dogs aren’t socialized in the same way because their needs aren’t met by their environment. However, despite America being less dog-friendly in design, Americans do appear to be more obsessed with dogs than the average European.
While it doesn’t happen often, I occasionally get reverse culture shock when visiting America. It often takes me a minute to get used to driving on the right side of the road, or adjust to the noise level of a restaurant. However, in my most recent visits, I have been surprised by how much people talk with dogs in America. I often
observed people stopping owners with dogs to pet their dogs, often talking at the dog rather than the owner. A glance of affection or a collective “aww” might occur in Scotland if the canine companion is particularly cute, but it would be considered odd to speak to someone else’s animal or stop someone on a walk in Scotland.
While on her trip to America, my friend Anna deeply missed her terrier Cookie back in Scotland. Embracing the more open and friendly American attitude, she approached owners with terriers that looked like Cookie to comfort herself. By intentionally seeking out dog-friendly restaurants, she found spaces filled with furry companions and fellow dog lovers, easing her homesickness.
Larry the dog, blissfully unaware as he sleeps on the hardwood floor of the coffee shop, represents a piece of what makes Edinburgh a community rich with connection. Anna tapped into America’s vibrant dog culture, discovering that despite differences in how dogs are integrated into daily life, dogs remain important parts of our lives universally.
Despite the differences in how dogs are integrated into daily life, we all collectively find dogs to be important parts of our lives. Whether it’s the independence of dogs in Scotland or the enthusiastic dog-friendly spaces in America, one thing is clear: dogs are universally man’s best friend. Man’s best friend, they connect us all, reminding us of the simple, universal bond we share with our canine companions.
Brigid McCormack is a former resident of Woodstock who is living and stuydying in Scotland. She is a regular contributor to Declarations. Her email is brigidcatherine98@gmail.com
$80 in Woodstock, Bull Valley and Wonder Lake. $82 in McHenry County. $87 for snowbirds and $95 outside McHenry County.
We strive for accuracy. To suggest corrections or clarifications, email news@ thewoodstockindependent.com.
PUBLISHER EMERITA Cheryl Wormley c wormley@thewoodstockindependent com
PUBLISHER Rebecca McDaniel rebecca@thewoodstockindependent com
EDITOR Larry Lough larry@thewoodstockindependent com
ADVERTISING Jill Flores jill@thewoodstockindependent com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sandy Kucharski sandy@thewoodstockindependent.com
PHOTOGRAPHER Ken Farver ken@thewoodstockindependent com
COLUMNISTS
Paul Lockwood, Lisa Haderlein, Dan Chamness, Patricia Kraft, Nancy Shevel, Julie Peters
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Vicky Long
CORRESPONDENTS
Tricia Carzoli, Janet Dovidio, Susan W. Murray, Megan Ivers, Lydia LaGue, Eileen Millard, Ruth Raubertas, Juel Mecklenberg, Seth Rowe, Julian Senn-Raemont
EDITORIAL CARTOONIST Jim Mansfield
PROOFREADER Don Humbertson CIRCULATION
Beverly Meuch, Dennis Micheletti, Bill Schwerdtfeger, John Wickham
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I hope I gave a warm friendly smile to all of the people I met while capturing some great moments at the many events I covered. My favorite captures were at the sporting events where I didn’t have to pose anyone and the spot news photos where I found people being themselves in the crowd.
A special thanks to my wife, Julie, who always arranged our meal times to meet my schedule.
Thanks to everyone who was so kind to me all of my years here in town. We will miss a lot of people as we leave for a new adventure in Wichita, KS..
Ken Farver Woodstock
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The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County recently announced their 2024 Environmental Scholarship recipients, including a Woodstock High School and a Woodstock North High School student.
Ariel Villavicencio is a WHS graduate, where she helped with roadside clean-ups and a Spanish video on sustainability for District 200. She also volunteered in Costa Rica with local conservation efforts and community projects.
She will attend the University of San Francisco and major in environmental science. She hopes to one day work in environmental policy to help implement changes and regulations that will reduce the human impact on the planet.
Malaika Parpart graduated
from WNHS. She spent time volunteering with the McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program (MCSEEP) assisting with the Youth Groundwater Festival and volunteering with the McHenry County Conservation District. She plans to major in environmental science to one day work in ecosystem restoration to benefit the climate, economy, wildlife and people. Scholarships were also awarded to Prairie Ridge High School graduate Elizabeth Murawski and Huntley High School’s Emma Swiersz.
Emma was the recipient of the Defenders’ first Alice Howenstine Memorial Scholarship in honor of Alice Howenstine’s consistent dedication to the Defenders’ and the environment in McHenry County. Alice passed peacefully in her home at Pioneer Tree
Farm in McHenry on Christmas Eve in 2023. She was a pillar of the Defenders for fifty years and a new scholarship was created in her honor.
Anyone interested in contributing to the scholarship fund can contact the Defenders’ office at 815-338-0393 or envirodefmc@ gmail.com.
Founded in 1970, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a grass-roots organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and educating about the environment. The group provides community residents, in part, with educational programs and volunteer opportunities to assist with pollution prevention, sustainable land use, and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
Jennifer Cundiff, of Woodstock, earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the National University of Health Sciences, a notfor-profit educational institution with locations in Illinois and Florida, offering a wide range of degrees in health science.
Grace Huelsman, of Woodstock, earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Central College in Pella, Iowa. Central College graduated 232 students during its May commencement.
Cody Mrowicki, of Wonder Lake, was recognized in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s showcase of students who are hired before graduation. Mrowicki was hired as a geographic information system analyst with Rock Energy Cooperative in Janesville, Wisconsin, and shortly after, earned his Bachelor of Science in geography.
Student-athletes Hunter Loprino, Woodstock, and Kennedy O’Brien, Wonder Lake, were honored with the Brother David Delahanty award from Lewis University in Romeoville for their academic excellence. Loprino is a men’s lacrosse team member studying exercise science and O’Brien is a women’s lacrosse team member studying history. The Delahanty Award recognizes Flyers who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher while balancing the demands of athletics and academics.
Cesar Ortiz Duran, Wonder Lake, was appointed to the University of Dubuque’s 2024 spring academic dean’s list for earning a term GPA of 3.5 or above.
Isabella D’Amico, Wonder Lake, achieved dean’s list status at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, for the 2024 spring semester. A student must earn a 3.5 GPA and carry a minimum of 12 credit hours to be recognized.
Declan Goad, Woodstock, Finley Rock, Wonder Lake, and Celia Tafoya, Woodstock, were named to the Chancellor’s Honor Roll at the University of Mississippi, which is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.75-4.00. Goad is majoring in economics, Rock is majoring in general business, and Tafoya is majoring in integrated marketing communications.
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point honored three local undergraduate students for attaining high grade point averages during the spring 2024 semester. Aidan Schleutermann, Woodstock, received the highest honors designation awarded to full-time undergraduates who earned GPAs of 3.90 to 4.0. Michael Rank, Woodstock, and Abigail Geis, Wonder Lake, were awarded high honors, a designation for students with GPAs from 3.75 to 3.89.
Brooke Amann, Wonder Lake, was named to the dean’s list at Tennessee Tech University for the spring 2024 semester. To earn this designation, students must earn a GPA of at least 3.1 on a 4.0 scale.
Mr. ‘Meck,’ Rob Mecklenburg in his natural habitat, the school gymnasium at Prairiewood Elementary School. The welltraveled physical education teacher retired at the end of the 2024 school year.
INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER
‘I’ve had a wonderful career’
Like many young men, Rob Mecklenburg dreamed of becoming a major league baseball player. He had worked hard to make it happen. But as he approached college graduation and hadn’t been drafted, he accepted that he was not going to be a professional athlete.
He remembers thinking, “Okay, I guess I’ll be a teacher and a coach.” And he became a major-leaguecaliber physical education and health teacher.
Looking back, Mecklenburg said, “I don’t regret it (his decision) at all. I’ve had a wonderful career.”
Mecklenburg — or Mr. Meck, as many students have called him — retired from District 200 in May after 30 years of service in its elementary schools. He also taught, four years in Elgin before coming home to Woodstock.
Mecklenburg, a Woodstock native, is a 1985 graduate of Woodstock High School. He was very active in athletics, and credits coaches Ed Brucker, John Theriault and Jim Patton with influencing his decision to major in PE. He attended McHenry County College and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Mecklenburg was well-traveled within District 200. His career path took him to, in chronological order, Dean, Westwood, Prairiewood (including time at Creekside), Greenwood, and, again, Prairiewood schools. He said the curriculum was the same wherever he worked, and he enjoyed the variety of colleagues, students, and schools.
He also had opportunities to coach. Then, for his last seven years, Mecklenburg served as WHS assistant athletic director. “I loved supporting the Blue Streak student athletes and enjoyed the different athletic events I got to supervise,” he said.
Like most of his fellow retirees, Mecklenburg believes that kids have changed over the years. It bothers him that many are no longer as physically active. A present-day student might come in, excited to tell him about reaching a new level in Minecraft. In the past, this conversation probably would have involved enjoying a new outdoor game or activity, rather than a video game.
Mecklenburg stressed that the majority of his recent students have been “amazing with supportive parents.” He added, though, there are now more kids who are rude or disrespectful, and parent involvement has diminished.” Nevertheless,” he said, “I tried to bring my A game every day. I am really going to miss it.”
Though retired from teaching, Mecklenburg is not ready to give up full-time work just yet. He said he felt something like a free agent while he looked for a new line of work that he would enjoy. He had to search no farther than 10 miles, finding what he wanted in Harvard School District 50.
In July, Mecklenburg will begin his next career in a newly-created administrative position. He will serve as district wellness coordinator for Harvard students, staff, and the community.
“I’ll be embarking on a new adventure and am excited for the opportunity,” he said. “My goal is to make a difference in a new position in a new town.”
When Nicole Ouimette, former company dancer with Judith Svalander Dance Theatre and 1997 graduate of Marian Central Catholic High School heard that the Woodstock Opera House would be offering a backstage tour in late May, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I had never been in many of the locations at the Opera House – like the basement where the workshop was,” she said. “And I hadn’t been backstage since the late nineties. I was excited to be able to see the places I remembered growing up and the other areas I had never seen.”
Ahead of the major renovations scheduled for
the historic Woodstock Opera House, staff gave the public tours of the building including the backstage area where, Director Daniel Campbell said, most people have only seen if they worked on a show.
“We remained open about 40 minutes later than we had scheduled to be,” Campbell said. “We ran 12 tour groups and staff guided about 150 communities through the building.”
He said the feedback was mostly positive, and that most people said the tour provided a mix of essential history and future plans.
Those plans have been developed over the course of two years when the city was awarded the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity grant and the Rebuild
Illinois Grant totaling just under $3,000,000 for Downtown Square and Opera House Renovation Projects. The grant has allowed the renovations to begin. The city also will contribute $2.3 million, ensuring that the Opera House will continue to be a part of the community for many years to come.
The Opera House has undergone two major recent renovations, the first in 1976 and the other in 2003.
Ouimette, a student and a company dancer with the Judith Svalander School of Ballet, performed on stage at the Woodstock Opera House for many years during the 90s – before the 2003 annexation of the Stage Left Café and
the accompanying extension of the backstage area, elevator, staff offices, freight elevator, and second floor bathrooms was complete.
“I walked on stage during the tour,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Wow! There is so much space back here!”
The building of the Stage Left Café brought almost 200 additional public and private events each year, and the second and third floors above Stage Left Café significantly expanded the backstage area.
Ouimette recalled a space that once had difficulty holding the dance company to stand in the wings prior to their turn on stage. Last month, as she searched for the stairwell she had once treaded carefully upon to ensure her pointe shoes would not distract the audience, she recalled her years of dance with fond memories.
She began dancing at age 3 and studied under Opera House resident ballet company director Judith Svalander beginning in fifth grade.
“I focused on ballet and pointe,” Ouimette said, “along with character, jazz, modern, and lyrical.”
In middle school, she was an apprentice company member, and in high school she transitioned to the full dance company.
“The level of professionalism we were treated with at the Woodstock Opera House was incredible,” she said. “Looking back, we were so young, but we were performing in full costume, with makeup and lights to an audience dressed to the nines.”
As she traveled down the hallways of memories, her mother, Beth Scott, was with her.
“My mom has never been backstage,” Ouimette said. “It was really nice to be able to experience this with her – to see things I’ve never even seen – with her beside me.”
Over the years she had performed in Svalander’s abbreviated “Nutcracker” as well as the fulllength “Nutcracker” and the spring shows.
“When I walked into the dressing rooms all the memories came flooding back,” she said. “I could feel the energy and I could see the bags and the counters filled with makeup and the moms caring for
the costumes making sure they were ironed and ready for the performance.”
As Ouimette listened to Campbell talk about the changes that were coming, including the transformation of one of those dressing rooms into a remote orchestra room, she found herself with reservations tempered with excitement.
“I have a hard time with change,” she said. “So, this is hard, but I understand that in order for building like this to remain, it must adapt and change to stay relevant. And we are so lucky to have this building here.”
“Community theatre is such an important aspect of our community,” she stressed. “I’ve personally taken an interest in the Gilded Age, and I am so sad that some of the beautiful architecture from that period has been lost. We are so blessed to have live theatre here – and this beautiful historic building to perform in or to see performances in. … It is so special because it is so intimate. When you perform, you can feel every person in that audience.”
She said the renovations would keep the Opera House relevant and allow for more performers to utilize the facility.
That is exactly what Campbell hopes to achieve with the current renovation project.
“We are investing in the arts in our community,” Campbell said. “Music and arts are part of what makes us human.”
The comprehensive plan includes the restoration of 49 historic windows and two historic doors which is currently underway.
On July 1, the Opera House will be closed while further renovations begin. Those include the replacement of lighting, audio and video equipment, and repair of the stage floor – including a spring-loaded floor which will be better for dancers – something Ouimette didn’t even dream of when she was a company dancer.
The exterior of the historic building will see improvements in tuckpointing, lighting upgrades, and lobby improvements. The community room will see an expanded bar, a new tin-type ceiling and improved access points to the auditorium.
The south annex will include upgrades to the second and third
floors including new business suites, conference rooms, dressing room, and improved ADA access.
These renovations will ensure that performers will continue to create memories like Ouimette’s, who stood at the entryway to the main floor by the window and reminisced about one of her most vivid experiences.
“I was standing here using the window ledge as my barre while warming up before the full-length production of ‘The Nutcracker,’ she said. “The snow was falling, the lights in the Square were turned on, people were coming into the opening night gala … and I just felt the magic. I couldn’t believe that they were coming in to see us – it couldn’t have been a more perfect Hallmark movie moment.”
Full closure is scheduled to begin July 1 and continue through October 1.
Ouimette recalls being backstage at a time when the wings could barely hold the dancers as they prepared to go onstage.
With the hum of cicadas in the background, business is also buzzing in Woodstock as June heats up. Two vendors have joined the line-up at the Farmers’ Market, while comings and goings around town continue without pause.
The power of the flower
Jai Dewith brought her line of natural skincare products, deodorant, aromatherapy sprays, perfumes, and insect repellent to the Farmers’ Market at the beginning of June. The Rocio Sagrado (“Sacred Dew”) booth is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
“Everything I work with is flowers,” Dewith said.
She and husband Juan Jones live in Argentina most of the year, where they have a quarter-acre garden with oregano, basil, aloe vera, thyme, and rosemary plants. A friend grows the roses that she uses in her products.
Dewith’s interest in natural skincare began when she was a 13-year-old growing up in Springfield, Illinois.
“I was allergic to the smell of anything synthetic,” she said.
But like any teenage girl, she worried about acne.
Dewith started experimenting with natural ingredients. Her first try was a facial mask made of clay and mixed herbs. After removing the mask, she treated her face with steam and finished by applying egg white, a trick she had learned from an 85-year-old woman with very young skin.
Dewith knew that the treatment was successful when her friends didn’t ask what she did to her face, but rather, “What did you do for your face?”
Jai Dewith began selling her Rocio Sagrado natural skincare products at the Woodstock Farmers’ Market at the beginning of June. “You are what you ingest and put on your body,” Dewith said. Her products are made from plants and flowers that she grows in her home in Argentina.
Soon, her friends were asking her to create facial masks for them.
Before Dewith turned her hobby into a business, she spent 17 years working in corporate marketing in Chicago.
When she decided to change her life, she poured her energies into natural skincare. She took courses in plant therapy and Chinese medicine. In addition, she became an instructor in yoga, Tae Kwan Do, and Tai Chi.
In the garden, Dewith learned patience and process - which plants are best pulled in the morning, which at night, and how a plant’s leaves and branches dictate the processing that Jones runs in a facility on their land.
“He helps with everything,” Dewith said.
Most popular with her customers, Dewith said, are Oleoface, a replenishing serum, and Oli, a deep facial moisturizer that she created for a friend’s daughter.
From a continent away, her booth at the Woodstock Farmers’ Market came “by the grace of God and the universe,” Dewith said.
Dewith’s sister moved to Woodstock two years ago. When Dewith and Jones visited, they decided to extend their stay and sell the Rocio Sagrado line at the farmers’ market.
“Everyone knows about the Woodstock Farmers’ Market,” she said.
Dewith also sells her products online, at Seleta Scents in the Old Courthouse Center, and at the farmers’ market at the Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake.
A trip that Tara Neilsen’s 16-year-old son made to a gas station to buy “overpriced snacks” laid the foundation for Arctic Snax, new to the Saturday Farmers’ Market.
“I think we can do this cheaper,” he said, upon arriving home.
Neilsen, who homeschools her children, used his suggestion to create lessons in business and economics.
Over the course of the past year, she and her children have learned to freeze-dry candy, fruits, and vegetables. See BIZ BUZZ Page 14
Transactions filed in the McHenry County Recorder’s Office May 10 to 14.
■ Residence at 965 Greta Ave, Woodstock, was sold by Richard J. Balcerak, Wayne, to Kane Peterson, Woodstock, for $370,000.
■ Residence at 405 Blackberry Drive, Bull Valley, was sold by Justin Peter Smith, Bull Valley, to The Four Horses Trust, Bull Valley, for $1,600,000.
■ Vacant land at Lot 19 Flagg Lane, Woodstock, was sold by Fairview Estates of Woodstock LLC, Crystal Lake, to KLM Builders Inc., Richmond, for $40,000.
■ Vacant land at Hickman Lane, Woodstock, was sold by Fairview Estates of Woodstock LLC, Crystal Lake, to KLM Builders Inc., Richmond, for $37,500.
■ Vacant land at Lot 27 Tia Trail and Ann Lane, Woodstock, was sold by Openlands, Chicago, to Wayne Kowalczyk, Woodstock, for $32,600.
■ Residence at 3520 W. Lake Shore Drive, Wonder Lake, was sold by Ronald J. Kahoun, Tomahawk, Wis., to Harriet B. Sanchez, Wonder Lake, for $470,000.
■ Residence at 10810 Pheasant Lane, Woodstock, was sold by Benjamin D. Hibbs, Woodstock, to Michael Boyce, Woodstock, for $339,000.
■ Residence at 400 Pleasant St., Woodstock, was sold by Lindsey Wett, Austin, Texas, to Rachael Lynn Garrison, Woodstock, for $225,000.
■ Residence at 1808 Powers Road, Woodstock, was sold by Kristen J. Gallagher, Crystal Lake, to Fnu Gowri, Woodstock, for $250,000.
Neilsen now works out of a commercially-licensed kitchen to create the company’s products that include freeze-dried Skittles, Milk Duds, Lemonheads, gummi bears, bananas, watermelon, and varieties of green beans.
“The freeze dryer pulls out all the moisture,” Neilsen said. Scientifically, she added, “the candy gets bigger as the sugar molecules divide, making the candy light and airy.”
For those whose dental work makes chewy candy problematic, freeze-drying lets them experience the taste again.
When fruits and vegetables are freeze-dried, Neilsen said, taking out the liquid keeps up to 98% of the vitamins and minerals.
Freeze-dried snacks are “nice for people who are on the go all the time,” Neilsen said. And with fruits and vegetables, “it’s a unique way to eat something healthy.”
Nielsen, who has lived in McHenry County for 35 years, said that people told her that the Woodstock’s Farmers’ Market is “one of the best in Illinois.” On the first Saturday in June, she nearly sold out of all of her inventory.
“Every week, my goal is to provide different flavors so people can try different things,” Neilsen said.
In a Facebook post, Annette Gast announced that after 11 years in business and seven years at 124 Cass Street, she is closing her Silver Prairie Natural Soap shop at the end of June.
Gatt’s herd of Swiss dairy goats provides the milk for her soaps, skincare, and hair care products.
And while the Woodstock location will close, the business will continue online after Gatt and her husband move to Austin, Texas.
“The response [to the Facebook post] has been heartwarming,” Gatt said. “My business has been very personal for all these years.”
Gatt valued her small store, “where you could really talk to the customer,” and trained her staff to know their customers well so that they could provide personal assistance.
INDEPENDENT PHOTOS BY KEN
Tara Neilsen and daughter Jessica brought Arctic Snax to the Woodstock Farmers’ Market on June 8. The freeze-dried snacks include candy, fruits, and vegetables. There’s a science behind the freeze-drying process, Nielsen said, but she likes to tell customers, “It’s magic!”
occupying
“Moving to Texas and doing my business a new way will be a new adventure,” she said.
Woodstock Jewelry and Pawn, at 116 E. Calhoun Street, will close on July 18.
The business opened in 2005 across the street. Catherine Moran purchased Woodstock Jewelry and Pawn from her business partner in 2011 and moved to the current location in 2018. “Multiple factors” led to the decision to close, Moran said, but Illinois’ Pawnbroker Regulation Act of 2023 that increased fees and capped interest rates on pawned items sealed her decision.
Moran said she’ll miss her employee, Marco Santillan, and “working with all the people.”
She will work at B and B Jewelry and Pawn with her former business partner for a while but hasn’t decided what will come next.
“I’m not retiring,” Moran said.
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Sara Lemke opened Revival Therapy in Crystal Lake in 2021, just as the National Institutes of Health reported increased rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder since the the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lemke’s practice has already expanded in Crystal Lake, and she opened a satellite office at 228 N. Benton Street at the beginning of June.
“It’s in the epicenter of Woodstock,” Lemke said of Jackass Soaps’s former location. “It makes seeking help normal and inspirational for people.”
Lemke said that she sees people of all ages at Revival Therapy, including a large number of teens.
“COVID opened up people’s eyes about how important mental health treatment is,” Lemke said. “And younger people are more open about their struggles and more willing to seek help.”
Paulie’s Italian Bakery and Deli is now open at 132 Cass Street.
Scheduled to open on June 7, Pop-a-Doodle-Doo, at 201 Main Street, does not yet have a new opening date. Owner Dan Annen said that the delay is due to “wrapping up some building repairs.”
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Woodstock’s founding in 1844 means that we have a wealth of older homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Houses from that era have a variety of design styles, but one thing many of them have in common is the classic American front porch. This spring we tracked down some of Woodstock’s unusual and unique porches.
The word “porch” is a Middle English word coming from the Old French word, “porche,” which in turn is from the Latin “porticus colonnade,” and “porta,” meaning “passage.” The name is fitting, as the front porch is a passage from the public face of the house to the private indoor space.
Front porches flourished in America in the early 1800s through the mid-1900s. They had multiple uses, including providing shade and cooler air to escape the heat of the day before air conditioning was commonly available. It was also a place to socialize with neighbors, as well as a way to embellish the front facade of a house.
New homes built in the post-World War II era started eliminating elaborate front porches. Cars and driveways had shifted the focus from the front of the house to the backyard and backyard deck. Air conditioning and TV also shifted family activities back inside homes.
Kristin Theerman’s brick home was built in 1910, in a design style called “Foursquare,” meaning “cubical-shaped, two-story house, square in plan and elevation.” Her house has an interesting porch that extends across the entire front facade, covered by an overhang. The front stairs are on the side of the house so the lines of the front porch are not broken up.
Craig Hallenstein’s colorful yellow home has a distinctive double-decker front porch, built as an homage to the architecture found in one of
his favorite places on Earth, New Orleans, La. The presence of columns supporting the upper porch means that it is a gallery, not a balcony. The ornamental trim on the railings and balusters are also evocative of New Orleans.
In the neighborhood near St. Mary Church, there is a home with a unique design feature in the oversized fieldstones that make up the tapered porch pillars. The heavy chains connecting the support pillars to the shorter pillars on either side of the front stairs are also an unusual feature. The owner said his home and the home next to his were built at the same time for two sisters who wanted their homes to be side-byside. The house on the other side of his is also an older house. The story goes that it was once used as a boarding house and that Orson Welles may have stayed there while he was appearing in plays at the Woodstock Opera House.
In the Woodstock Historic District, there is a plaqued Victorian house with an impressive wraparound porch which would have provided ample seating for household members and neighbors to gather on a nice evening. One of the current homeowners can often be found sitting on the front porch, playing his guitar to entertain people passing by.
The next time you are out for a walk, keep an eye out for some beautiful porches of times gone by.
Marie Adkins, sponsored by Rocket Fizz, is returning for her third year to compete for Miss Woodstock 2024. Representing Woodstock has strengthened her desire to participate again. Marie, 21, has lived in Woodstock since eighth grade and
the community. She works
in McHenry as the Care Transitions Coordinator.
Cora Albrecht, 17, is entering her nal year at Woodstock North High School and MCC, where she will earn her associate’s degree next spring. A varsity athlete on her state-qualifying dance team, she values involvement in Best Buddies, Class Council, Student Council, French Honor Society, and Key Club. Cora aspires to be an early elementary teacher and volunteers at church withyoung children.
Jocelyn Cruz, 20, is an ambitious senior at Illinois State University, pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice Sciences with a minor in Spanish. As President of the Multicultural Council of Sorority and Fraternity Life, she oversees activities of ve organizations. Jocelyn is also an active member of Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc., where she has served as Vice President and Secretary, advocating for underrepresented communities.
Jessica Forester, 20, is a college student excited about her future. A 2022 honors graduate of Woodstock North High School, she was active in band, softball, National Honor Society, and Spanish National Honor Society. Now an upcoming junior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Jessica is pursuing an early childhood education degree to become a preschool teacher.
Rebekah Forester, 17, is an upcoming senior at Woodstock North High School. She has been on the Varsity Dance Team for four years and is involved in Class Council, National Honor Society, and Spanish National Honor Society. Rebekah will graduate from MCC next spring with an associate’s degree and plans to pursue a Bachelor’s in Nursing.
Kendra Heidtke, 16, is the second daughter of Brian and Kate Heidtke and attends Woodstock High School as an honors and AP student. She serves as vice president of Thespian Troupe 991 and has held leadership roles in Legendary Pioneers 4-H. Passionate about the arts, Kendra participates in high-level choir and band and is a member of the varsity dance team, aspiring to become a music educator.
Sophia Klein, 17, is an upcoming senior at Woodstock High School. She is captain of the WHS cheer team and a member of the girls’ track team. Dedicated to her community, Sophia gained over 50 service hours in her freshman year and excels academically in honors and AP classes. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
Join us at Woodstock High School to see the 2023 Miss Woodstock & Little Miss Woodstock crown the 2024 winners!
Miss Woodstock 2024 will receive a $2,500 scholarship from the Scholarship Award Partner Sponsors. The Miss Woodstock first runner up will receive a $750 scholarship from Woodstock Professional & Business Women. Little Miss Woodstock 2024 will be awarded $250 provided by Prairie Community Bank.
Anne Victoria Perez is a rising senior at Woodstock High School who takes pride in her Filipina heritage. She maintains High Honor Roll and is a member of the National Honor Society. Anne is active in Girls Varsity Tennis, theater, and the Math Team. She serves as Vice President of Student Council, Business Club, and National Honor Society, and is Secretary of the Thespian Troupe. She founded Be Aware, a club raising awareness of global issues.
Dominique is the adventurous, ambitious, and kind daughter of Adam and Tamera Diaz. Dominique plays for her high school basketball team as well as her track team. She is also proud to sing for her high school choir. She loves to spend time with family, friends and nature as she goes for walks to enjoy the sun and get a nice tan.
Kaghan is a highly motivated upcoming senior at Woodstock High School. She leads the Woodstock Dance Team and participates in the school’s top choirs. Kaghan has been dancing since she was 16 months old and enjoys helping with kids’ camps hosted by her dance team. Over the summer, she works as a camp counselor for the City of Woodstock Playground Program.
Evangeline will be in 3rd grade dual language at Olson Elementary. She is involved in tap, ballet, jazz, and swing choir. She has previously been in a musical production at the Opera House, right here in Woodstock, and is excited to share her dance and vocal talents. She is excited to make new friends, share her love of music and be part of an amazing community tradition.
Gia Galli is 12 years old embarking upon seventh grade as an honor student at Northwood Middle School. She is active in student council, Challenge Corps, orchestra, choir, cheerleading, basketball and 4-H. Gia is passionate about the arts: playing the cello and piano, making jewelry, baking, painting and crafting. She loves spending time (especially outdoors) making memories with her family and friends.
Emily A. Graf is the daughter of Paul and Cynthia Graf. Emily will be a 6th grader at Creekside Middle School in the fall. She is involved in chorus, band, chess club and a House Leader. As a member of Theatre 121, Emily participates both on and behind the stage. She was last seen on the Woodstock Opera House Stage as Susan Waverly in T121’s White Christmas. Emily is a scout in BSA Troop 1329 and has been a scout since kindergarten.
Lila Jackson is in 4th grade at Westwood Elementary School. Her favorite subject is math. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially while hiking and swimming. In her spare time, you can nd her singing and dancing to Taylor Swift. You can also nd her during the summer supporting her brothers, living her best life in the baseball sister era. When she grows up, she wants to be a hairstylist. She hopes to own a salon of her own one day.
Cassidy’s active imagination inspires her every day. She enjoys acting, drawing, singing, and playing piano. Cassidy participates in many athletic programs including basketball, softball, Girls on the Run, Pedalpalooza, and the Woodstock Triathlon! Cassidy is entering 5th grade at Prairiewood Elementary, where she is a House Leader and dual language student.
Myla McAdow is a 3rd grade dual language student who attends Olson Elementary school. Her favorite foods are mac and cheese with bacon bits, pretzels of all kinds, strawberries and coconuts. She loves to tumble, play basketball, soccer and cheer competitively. When she grows up she wants to be an Olympic champion in gymnastics and an artist. She loves dogs, cats, and studying math.
Carmen is 10 years old and will be in fth grade next year. She loves to sing, dance, play basketball, and create art. She has a passion for musical theater and performing. Carmen lives on a farm in Woodstock with her parents and brothers, her beloved dog Brisa and axolotl Bubbles, and helps to care for her goats & chickens. She is proudly bilingual and loves learning new languages and traveling to Spain in the summer to spend time with her family there.
The Miss Woodstock Scholarship Pageant is hosted by the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Come see our large selection of in stock carpet and vinyl ready for install!
I came to Helping Paws from a kill shelter in Southern Illinois. I am all up-to-date on my vaccines, microchipped, and spayed. I’m a talkative and ‘compact girl,’ weighing in around 10lbs. I have recently been exploring the cat room; I enjoy sitting up high and making observations. The staff say that I am a really sweet girl, and I like to flop over when I am happy. I don’t understand toys yet. I am friendly, a little curious, and always ready for scratches.
If you are looking for a best friend, I’m your kitty! Call Helping Paws to meet me!
Experience a day of gorgeous gardens, education, and fun at Garden Walk 2024, presented by the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and McHenry County College. Garden Walk will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting at the outdoor Demonstration Garden at MCC, 8900 Hwy. 14, Crystal Lake.
Attendees will enjoy a self-guided tour of twelve gardens (two demonstration and ten residential) in Crystal Lake, Woodstock, Lake in the Hills, and McHenry. Master Gardeners will be on-site at each garden to answer questions
Enjoy a selfguided tour of twelve gardens in Crystal Lake, Woodstock, Lake in the Hills, and McHenry as part of Garden Walk 2024 on July 13.
The New Orleans-style home and gardens at 481 W. Judd
as participants walk through colorful gardens studded with artwork, edible plots, and more. Advanced tickets ($15) may be purchased now – June 27 at www.mchenry.edu/gardenwalk. All tickets must be picked up the day of the walk. Tickets may be purchased day of for $20 at the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at MCC—Parking Lot C. No ticket sales will be available from Friday, June 28, through Friday, July 12.
The event will be held rain or shine. No pets are allowed.
For more information about Garden Walk, visit www.mchenry.edu/gardenwalk, email conferencecenter@mchenry.edu, or call (815) 479-7570.
have been chosen as June’s Garden of the Month by the Woodstock Garden Club. Owned and maintained by Craig Hallenstein, Kendri Duran, and Debbie Dietrich (not pictured), the garden is currently filled with containers overflowing with colorful begonias and geraniums. A landscaping highlight are two weeping white pines arching the brick sidewalk.
The Garden Club is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this year and can be found on Facebook at WoodstockIllinoisGardenClub.
Craig Hallenstein, left, and Kendri Duran bloom with pride over their Garden of the Month recognition.
Photo Detectives, this Don Peasley picture takes us back 25 years to July 25, 1999. The groundbreaking for an addition took place at Assembly of God Church, 1201 Dean St. We’d like your help in identifying the people who were part of the ceremony. If you can attach a name to a face, please contact our intrepid Photo Detective, Maggie Crane, at MaggieC@woodstockil.info.
Join us for a revamped McHenry County History Museum Car Show! Come for the car show and stay for our annual Heritage Fair from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, at 6422 Main St. in Union. No admission fee to view the cars! 50/50 raffle, door prizes, DJ, and multiple food vendors on site. Judging begins at 11 a.m. Participants of all makes, models, and years are welcome. Preregister at gothistory.org to skip the lines and save $5! The first 75 registered cars will receive a goody bag, dash plaque, and door prize ticket.
“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” of life –like amusement park rides you wait an hour in line for – can easily be over way too soon.
Let’s start with a literal ride I took on the first Saturday in May. For the first time in decades, at the stables near the entrance of the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, I left the horsepower of my car for the horse power of, well, a horse. A trail ride, to be more specific, bringing up the rear on an occasionally slow but beautiful fourlegged creature named “Joker.” For an aging punster like me to be astride a “Joker” on a muddy, manure-strewn path, it just felt right. How many times has the path not been smooth in my life? How many times have I unsuccessfully
The City of Woodstock and the Woodstock Opera House are thrilled to announce the return of the beloved annual Movies in the Park series, transforming the charming Park in the Square into a magical open-air cinema on select Thursdays in June and July.
Gather with family and friends at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of community and fun, with the movie beginning around 8:30 p.m. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chair, blanket, and favorite snacks— alcohol is not permitted.
dodged the smelly potholes of adversity? And how few times have I taken a leisurely stroll through the woods to admire the beauty of trees and wildlife? It wasn’t a stop-and-smell-the-roses moment, but it was a pleasant memory nonetheless.
This was a getaway weekend for me and my wife. At the time of my ride, Diane was enjoying the luxury of our suite at the resort, and later that evening we both appreciated the musical ability of a trio of Rat Pack tribute artists.
Almost four weeks later, I flew to Washington, D.C. for a different kind of weekend getaway: a brother’s wedding festivities. It would have been too difficult for Diane to easily make the trip, so we had decided months ago that she’d relax at home. The only thing “crazy” about my airplane ride to the nation’s capital was that we had a celebrity on board who I had the chance to speak briefly with: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Back at home, our pet sitter had come early Friday evening to feed our cat, Lucy, change her litter box, and put our garbage can at the curb for a Saturday morning pickup. After she left, Diane used her walker to go to the garage to see if the garbage can was still inside. With our cat following her,
she quickly closed the door to our laundry room to keep Lucy inside, but Diane lost control of the walker and went “flying” onto the garage floor. Where Diane stayed for over 13 hours. In the dark. Nobody outside the garage hearing her cries for help. A monitoring device around her neck not working the one time it was most needed (a dead battery, apparently). Fearing she might not survive the experience.
Saturday morning, our pet sitter returned for another cat feeding and found Diane, bruised, chilled, but alive. She called 9-1-1. The EMTs who responded took Diane on a not-so-crazy ambulance ride to Northwestern Medicine’s Woodstock Hospital.
When I received a text from the pet sitter that Saturday morning that Diane was on the garage floor, I was frantic and felt useless hundreds of miles away. I talked with the pet sitter, one of the EMTs, and a church friend. They all did their part to keep me informed and to take care of Diane, who I also spoke with. I made plans to fly back late that evening after my brother’s wedding ceremony. I was grateful to God that Diane hadn’t lost a lot of blood or suffered a severe head injury in the fall. Either would have resulted in a very different outcome.
In the meantime, back in Woodstock, bloodwork, X-rays, a CTscan, and an MRI later, Diane was taken on another ambulance journey to Huntley. Days later, a surgeon who replaced Diane’s right hip last September determined that she had fractured her left hip in the garage accident; at the time of this writing, Diane’s getting her strength back after a new hip replacement operation.
I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I hope it’s something enjoyable like a horseback ride. But it might be another challenge that I – or someone I’m close to – will need to face. Clearly, I need to do what I can to make the “crazy ride” a little less bumpy for others, steering them around those smelly potholes of adversity. Eminem is right: “nothing is guaranteed.” Not even another day with someone you love.
Paul Lockwood is a Communications Consultant at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) in Chicago, an enthusiastic storyteller, singer, constant punster, occasional local theater actor, active Grace Lutheran Church and Toastmasters member, theater reviewer, and more. Paul has lived in Woodstock for over 23 years with his wife, Diane.
This year, moviegoers can indulge in delightful treats from POP-a-doodledoo, the newest gourmet popcorn shop coming to Woodstock, savor delicious slices from Antioch Pizza, and enjoy preentertainment by RC Juggles, ensuring an unforgettable night under the stars.
Here is the summer movie schedule:
June 20 - ‘Lilo & Stitch’
“Lilo and Stitch” is a heartwarming tale of an unlikely friendship between a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo and a mischievous alien named Stitch, who learns the true meaning of ‘ohana’—family.
June 27 - ‘Flubber’
“Flubber” is a whimsical and hilarious
adventure featuring Robin Williams as a bumbling scientist who creates a mischievous and bouncy green substance that leads to chaotic yet heartwarming antics.
July 11 - ‘How To Train Your Dragon’
“How to Train Your Dragon” is an epic tale of friendship and courage, as a young Viking named Hiccup befriends a misunderstood dragon, Toothless, and embarks on a journey to defy tradition and forge a bond that will change their world forever.
July 18 - ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
“Guardians of the Galaxy” is a thrilling cosmic adventure that follows a ragtag
group of misfit heroes as they band together to protect the galaxy from imminent destruction, all while rocking out to an iconic soundtrack.
July 25 - ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’
“Mrs. Doubtfire” is a heartwarming comedy that follows the hilarious escapades of a devoted father who disguises himself as a British nanny to spend time with his children after a difficult divorce, teaching valuable lessons about love, family, and the importance of being true to oneself.
For more information or any last-minute updates, please visit www.woodstockoperahouse.com.
Seniors: $24 A seats, $18 B seats
Students: $16 A seats, $10 B seats
woodstockoperahouse.com
19 WEDNESDAY
MEMORY MAKERS STORYTELLING GROUP
Woodstock Public Library
414 W. Judd St. (in person)
9:30 a.m. to noon
815-338-0542, ext. 14125
WOODSTOCK CITY BAND
Park in the Square
“Wide Open Spaces”
Ice cream social
7 p.m.
KARAOKE NIGHT
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
7 to 9 p.m.
woodstockoperahouse.com
20 THURSDAY
SLC TRIVIA NIGHT - PUB TRIVIA USA
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
7 p.m.
woodstockoperahouse.com
MOVIES IN THE PARK
‘LILO & STITCH’
Woodstock Square
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
21 FRIDAY
‘SWEENEY TODD’
Woodstock Opera House
121 W. Van Buren St.
7:30 p.m.
Adults: $26 A seats, $20 B seats
JAZZ NIGHT
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
8 p.m.
woodstockoperahouse.com
22 SATURDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET
Woodstock Square
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
woodstockfarmersmarket.org
Music: Gunslingers and Montana
Suede
‘SWEENEY TODD’
Woodstock Opera House
121 W. Van Buren St.
2 and 7:30 p.m.
Adults: $26 A seats, $20 B seats
Seniors: $24 A seats, $18 B seats
Students: $16 A seats, $10 B seats
woodstockoperahouse.com
STAGE LEFT PRESENTS
FEATURING CASSANDRA & FRIENDS
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
8 p.m.
12 (including fees)
woodstockoperahouse.com
23 SUNDAY
‘SWEENEY TODD’
Woodstock Opera House
121 W. Van Buren St.
2 p.m.
Adults: $26 A seats, $20 B seats
Seniors: $24 A seats, $18 B seats
Students: $16 A seats, $10 B seats
woodstockoperahouse.com
25 TUESDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET
Woodstock Square
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
woodstockfarmersmarket.org
Music: TBA
26 WEDNESDAY
KARAOKE NIGHT
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
7 to 9 p.m.
woodstockoperahouse.com
WOODSTOCK CITY BAND
Park in the Square
“For Kids from One to Ninety-Two” Ice cream social
7 p.m.
27 THURSDAY
SLC TRIVIA NIGHT - PUB
TRIVIA USA
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
7 p.m.
woodstockoperahouse.com
WOODSTOCK FIRE/RESCUE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2900 Raffel Road
7 p.m.
MISS WOODSTOCK 2024 SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT
Woodstock Opera House
121 W. Van Buren St.
7 p.m.
To submit calendar items, email pr@thewoodstockindependent.com
‘SWEENEY TODD’
Woodstock Opera House
121 W. Van Buren St.
7:30 p.m.
Adults: $26 A seats, $20 B seats
Seniors: $24 A seats, $18 B seats
Students: $16 A seats, $10 B seats
woodstockoperahouse.com
MOVIES IN THE PARK ‘FLUBBER’
Woodstock Square
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
29 SATURDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET
Woodstock Square
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
woodstockfarmersmarket.org
Music: TBA
JULY
2 TUESDAY
WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL
Council Chambers, City Hall
121 W. Calhoun St.
7 p.m.
woodstockil.gov
3 WEDNESDAY
WOODSTOCK CITY BAND
Park in the Square
“From Coast to Coast” Ice cream social 7 p.m.
KARAOKE NIGHT
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St. 7 to 9 p.m.
woodstockoperahouse.com
4 THURSDAY
INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS
Emricson Park
1313 Kishwaukee Valley Road
Gates open at 5 p.m.
6 SATURDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET
Woodstock Square
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
woodstockfarmersmarket.org
Music: TBA
SHAKESPEARE IN THE SQUARE
“A Bit O’ The Bard’ Woodstock Square
2 p.m.
OSCAR MIKE FOURTH ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE RIDE
Woodstock Harley-Davidson 2235 S. Eastwood Dr.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CHILL MURRAY COMEDY SHOW
Stage Left Café
125 W. Van Buren St.
8 to 10 p.m.
$15 online, $20 at the door
7 SUNDAY
OFF SQUARE MUSIC PRESENTS SUNDAYS ON THE SQUARE
Featuring South for Winter Woodstock Square 5 to 7 p.m.
■ Alex Roberts resigned as Woodstock’s recreation coordinator in order to take a job at Aurora University.
■ Paradise People staged its ninth annual musical revue, “Treasures,” at the Opera House.
■ The Woodstock School District 200 Board of Education decided to present four building/construction options to the public. The board planned to use public opinion to help it decide which option to put on a referendum ballot.
■ The 10th annual Dick Tracy Days parade, with about 100 entries, made its way from Emricson Park to the Square.
■ After 20 years in downtown Woodstock, Main Street Shoes announced it would be closing.
■ Dick Cross, a Woodstock attorney, was honored by the Illinois State Bar Association for his 50 years as an attorney.
■ After lead, arsenic, and other pollutants were found on city property that had been leased to the Woodstock chapter of the Illinois Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs, a gun club, the city found it could be on the hook for more than $400,000 in cleanup expenses.
■ Stockwood, Woodstock’s own Beatles Tribute band, had appeared throughout the Midwest, at national Beatles fan festivals, raised $40,000 for an injured Huntley soldier, and been covered by media outlets including the BBC. Collin Berg, 16; J.D. Fuller, 16; John Morefield, 14; and Evan Berg, 12, portrayed John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, respectively.
■ With Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn
JUNE 22, 1994 – Honoring Mayor Kuhn – Everett Kuhn, husband of Frances Kuhn places a plaque on a granite rock in front of City Hall. Inscribed on the plaque are the following words: “Frances M. Khun, 24 years of community service, 1957-1985. 12 years City Council, 12 years Mayor.” The memorial tribute by the Woodstock Rotary Club also included the planting of an English oak tree.
looking to ax $9 billion in spending from the state budget, local social service agencies receiving state funding were preparing to make massive cuts. Agencies affected included Family Alliance, Pioneer Center, Options & Advocacy, Youth Service Bureau, Family Service & Community Health Center, and Turning Point.
■ Dan Kremske won the 5K and 10K runs at the annual Woodstock Challenge Road Race. He finished the 5K
in 17 minutes, 16 seconds and the 10K in 32:48.
■ When Dr. Jerry Genge started making plans to retire, he also started the process of selling Hartland Vet Clinic. It was an opportunity Dr. Shannon Moore and her mentors Shawn Costello and Chuck Svoboda couldn’t pass up. On June 11, Moore became the primary veterinarian at
the small-animal practice at 15015 U.S. 14.
■ WNHS runners swept the 37th annual Woodstock Challenge Road Run in Emricson Park. Of the more than 300 participants, WNHS junior Jesse Long won the 5K in 17 minutes, 32.6 seconds and WNHS 2014 graduate Sergio Rodriguez won the 10K with a time of 38:54.7
■ District 200 announced the retirement of 25 teachers and staff members.
■ The Woodstock Garden Club named the garden of Lou Ness on West Jackson Street as its June Garden of the Month. The garden covered two lots and featured a small greenhouse, garden shed retreat, and a Little Free Library in addition to flowers, vegetables, and fruits.
■ Former WHS cross-country standout Spencer Hanson, 19, finished first in the 42nd Woodstock Challenge. His time for the 5K course was 17 minutes, 34.6 seconds. The top female overall was Ella Tyrell, 14, Louisville, Colo., with a time of 23:33.
■ Maggie Adams was named Miss Woodstock and McKenna McAdow was crowned Little Miss Woodstock at the 74th annual Miss Woodstock Scholarship Pageant at the Opera House. Thai Tolentino was Miss Congeniality, and Marie Adkins won the talent award.
■ Special Olympics athletes from Woodstock School District 200 brought home 17 medals, including 13 golds, from the State Championship Summer Games at Illinois State University. Medal winners were Jalen Means, Aubrey Zientek, Blake Svitak, Kailyn Hedke, David Gruett, Olivia Covell, Madison Kniola, and Easton Freund. Grace Durante and Maddie Durante also participated in a recognition parade at Creekside Middle and Prairiewood Elementary schools.
ASSUMED NAME
Public Notice is hereby given that on MAY 30, 2024 An Assumed Name Business Certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk in McHenry County, IL under the following business name and address, and setting forth the names and addresses of all persons owning, conducting and transacting business known as Beltran ProCleaners located at 3103 S. WOODS AVE. MCHENRY, IL 60051. Owner Name & Address: ALEJANDRO LEAL PORCAYO 3103 S. WOODS AVE. MCHENRY, IL 60051.
Dated: MAY 30, 2024
/s/ JOSEPH J. TIRIO (McHenry County Clerk)
(Published in The Woodstock Independent June 5, 2024, June 12, 2024, June 19, 2024)L11802
ASSUMED NAME
Public Notice is hereby given that on JUNE 3, 2024 An Assumed Name Business Certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk in McHenry County, IL under the following business name and address, and setting forth the names and addresses of all persons owning, conducting and transacting business known as WORTH HER SALT SOURDOUGH located at 517 DEAN ST. WOODSTOCK, IL 60098. Owner Name & Address: JENNIFER FRASER-CHESKI 517 DEAN ST. WOODSTOCK, IL 60098.
Dated: JUNE 3, 2024
/s/ JOSEPH J. TIRIO (McHenry County Clerk)
(Published in The Woodstock Independent June 12, 2024, June 19, 2024)L11805
ASSUMED NAME
Public Notice is hereby given that on JUNE 3, 2024 An Assumed Name Business Certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk in McHenry County, IL under the following business name and address, and setting forth the names and addresses of all persons owning, conducting and transacting business known as J & A ROOFING AND GUTTERS SOLUTION located at 221 S. DRIFTWOOD TRAIL MCHENRY, IL 60050. Owner Name & Address: JULIO TORRES 221 SS. DRIFTWOOD TRAIL MCHENRY, IL 60050.
Dated: JUNE 3, 2024 /s/ JOSEPH J. TIRIO (McHenry County Clerk)
(Published in The Woodstock Independent June 12, 2024, June 19, 2024)L11806
IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT MCHENRY COUNTY
PUBLICATION NOTICE OF COURT
DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE (ADULT)
Request of JASMINE PERIGRINA BALDRIDGE
Case No. 2024MR000091
There will be a court hearing on my Request to change my name from:
JASMINE PERIGRINA BALDRIDGE
To the new name of: JASMINE PEREGRINE MARTIN
The court date will be held on August 6, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. at 2200 N. Seminary Ave. Woodstock, McHenry County in Courtroom TBD.
Dated at Woodstock, IL June 7, 2024 /s/ Jasmine Perigrina Baldridge
(Published in The Woodstock Independent June 19, 2024)L11807
Gallagher
Sudoku puzzles are formatted as 9x9 grids, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box.
Thor Paglialong, a Woodstock resident and Marian Central Catholic graduate, had the type of college football career most athletes can only dream of.
The recent United States Air Force Academy graduate, now a commissioned Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, was involved in four bowl games. All four were USAFA Falcon wins.
And while bowl games end the season, that is only part of the story. The rest of the story is every year that Paglialong was on the offensive line, the football-playing Falcons ended every season with a winning record, both overall and in the Mountain West Conference.
As a senior, the starting center earned the USAFA Falcon Offensive Player of the Year and will spend the next year as a graduate assistant football coach, passing on his knowledge to the athletes at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School.
Thor Paglialong holds the trophy for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl December 23, 2023. The Falcons defeated #24 ranked James Madison University 31-21.
“The best thing about being an offensive lineman is knowing that we are the start of each play and how we perform as a unit is a big reason for the outcome on each play,” said the Second Lieutenant. “My favorite position on the line was center because I got to touch the ball on every play. It is also like the “quarterback of the offensive line”. I love that term. I knew that if a skill player made a great play, had a great game or had a great season, it was partially because of what I did and what my four offensive line brothers did upfront.”
In his final year, the 6-foot-4, 305pound center helped the Falcons win the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl for the second consecutive year. They downed James Madison University 31-21. At the time of the game, JMU was ranked 24th among the NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision. It was the ninth win of the year for Air Force, who finished 9-4. They were
5-3 in the Mountain West Conference. Paglialong, who started every game for the second year in a row, helped the Air Force score 362 points in 13 games, an average of 27.85 points per game. They would finish with 4,765 yards of offense and were the definition of three yards and a cloud of dust as 3,660 yards were on the ground. They passed for 1,105 yards. Those offensive yards led to 256 first downs,
189 of which were rushing and 43 were through the air. The other 24 first downs were gained through penalties. Of the touchdowns, they scored 36 rushing touchdowns and passed for seven.
“That last bowl win was so much fun for me and the most satisfying,” said the former Hurricane player. “It allowed us to cap off our season with a win and go out on top. My senior season was also my favorite season of the four as we were close friends, especially on the offensive line, and we had a lot of fun away from the field as well.”
Paglialong, who started four games as a sophomore, started every game as a junior and senior. He would enter the Air Force Academy at 6-foot-3, 285 pounds. Four years later, he was 6-4, 305 pounds. The Air Force Officer has since concentrated on slimming down and now weighs less than 240 pounds. During his sophomore and junior years, the Falcons were 10-3 overall. They were 5-3 in the Mountain West during his junior year and 6-2 during his sophomore season. As a sophomore, he played in nine games and made four starts on the offensive line.
Overall for his three-year varsity career, he helped Air Force put 1,127 points on the scoreboard in 39 games. They would finish with 786 first downs, 640 of which were rushing and 146 of which were passing first downs. They finished with 15,437 yards of offense They rushed for 12,194 of those yards. They won two Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowls and one ServPro First Responder Bowl. All three were played in Texas.
For his play as a senior, he was named the MWC First Team as a center. Previous to his senior season, he was also on the Lombardi Award Watchlist and the Outland Trophy
See COLLEGE REPORT, Page 31
The son of Rodney Paglialong and Kristin Abrahamsen, both of Woodstock, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management. Academically, he finished with a grade point average of 3.1 and earned Mountain West Conference All-Academic Status during his three-year career.
Marian memories
“I had the benefit of having a high school teammate on the team with me in Jayden Thiergood,” said Paglialong. “Playing on the same team as Jayden for four years in high school and then in college was an awesome experience. At Marian Central Catholic, I learned so much, mainly through my friends, coaches and teachers. I am grateful to the people who helped me along the way. My coach at the time, Mike Maloney, went out of his way to help me develop as a football player and as a person.”
Dan Chamness writes The College Report for The Independent.
The Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 team brought back 19 awards, including nine gold, four silver, and three bronze medals from the Illinois Special Olympics Summer Games the weekend of June 7-9 in Bloomington-Normal.
The athletes and coaches had a team dinner on Friday before the opening ceremonies and the Parade of Athletes with their District 200 banner.They also attended a Saturday night Victory Dance in Uptown Normal.
District 200 coach Jennifer Moskowitz said Special Olympics Illinois is getting closer to its pre-COVID numbers. More than 3,400 athletes, 1,300 coaches, and 50 Unified Partners from 444 teams/agencies qualified to compete at this year’s Summer Games.
District 200 athletes,who qualified for state at previous events, medaled in powerlifting, track & field events, gymnastics, and swimming.
“It’s always amazing to see all the growth our athletes achieve year after year — not only in their sport, but also in their social, communication and independence skills.
“We love all the friendships that our athletes, families and coaches develop through participating in Special Olympics,” Moskowitz said.
Other coaches include Cory Knopik, Jeanine Vetter, Tamera Tillman, and Michael Vorderer, along with volunteer Elizabeth Moskowitz.
Knopik thanked all of the coaches, parents, volunteers and athletes. She also thanked the District 200 Transportation Department for helping get the athletes and coaches to their events.
“We’re one big family and so proud of everyone’s success,” Knopik said. “The smiles are contagious and show the pure joy in appreciation of our athletes’ hard work.”
Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 Special
a State Walk during summer school
The following is a list of the winners and results from the District 200 Special Olympics team: TRACK AND FIELD
Alex Colin-Estrada - Life Connections - Bronze - 100 M Run, 4th place Mini Javelin
Easton Freund - Olson Elementary - Silver - Tennis Ball Throw
David Gruett - Woodstock North - 6th Place - 200 M Run SWIMMING
Grace Durante - Creekside Middle School - Silver - 25m freestyle
Henry Carney - St. Mary - Gold - 25m freestyle, Silver - 50m freestyle POWERLIFTING
Blake Svitak - Alexander Leigh Center for Autism - GoldBench Press - lifting 95 pounds; Gold - Deadlift - lifting 185 pounds; Gold - Combination - lifting a total of 280 lbs
RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS
Level 1 Ball
Aubrey Zientek - Olson Elementary - Gold
Madison Kniola - Life Connections- Bronze
Level 1 Ribbon
Aubrey Zientek - Olson Elementary - Gold
Madison Kniola - Life Connections - Bronze
Level 2 - Ribbon
Katie Thomas - Woodstock North - Gold
Olivia Covell - Life Connections - Gold
Level 2 - Clubs
Katie Thomas - Woodstock North - Gold
Olivia Covell - Life Connections - Silver
,
Monday-Friday, the week of June 24-28
Instructor: Challenger Sport Staff Location: Bigelow Soccer Field, Emricson Park
Tiny Tykes Soccer
Age: 3-6 from 8:00-8:45A
This introduction to soccer includes games and activities that introduce and develop coordination, balance, running, stopping, turning, kicking, dribbling, throwing & catching.
$123 R / $143 NR Program Code: 116191-A
Half Day Soccer Camp
Age: 6-14 from 9:00A-12:00P
Coached by our team of international and US-based staff, our soccer camps improve your child’s soccer skills while providing a unique cultural experience. Camps are designed for all ability levels, from beginner to advanced. We help players develop at their own pace and learn new skills.
$212 R / $232 NR Program Code: 123033-A
Marian Central Catholic High School is hosting their annual U.S. Baseball Summer Camp, something they have done for the past five years. The new Marian head baseball coach, Matt Schmidt, is the site director working in conjunction with the U.S. Baseball Academy. USBA has the largest network of programs with 225 camps across the nation. With USBA, players get to improve their skill in a fun-filled environment from high school and/ or college coaches from their area. These boys not only come from Woodstock, but also Crystal Lake, St. Charles, Huntley, and more in hopes of developing solid fundamentals and proper technique while
they’re still fairly new players.
The main highlights of the camp are skill development, situational baseball games, competition drills, the Wiffle Ball World Series, and a free T-shirt.
Marian’s varsity coach sums these highlights up with “we just want to give the kids a fun opportunity to play baseball,” but of course, all athletes –ranging from ages 7-14 – are aiming to hone their skill as well.
Coach Schmidt, with the help of four Marian baseball players and a college-level player, are working to help the boys improve their game in the most fun way possible. They like to mix the varying ages in drills and games in hopes to make teams fair by distributing skill levels. Coach
Schmidt believes “there are some lessons that can’t come from a coach and have to come from another kid or teammate.”
They may also improve from plain experience by playing with better skilled players, and learning to work with different teammates. Overall, the parents say their kids really enjoy the camp, and seem to believe that the baseball interaction is good for their kids socially, skill-wise, and it gets them out of the house for a bit.
Each day, they complete various drills to improve their game, play small games to encourage teamwork building, break for lunch – of course – and hold a small tournament to spark some competition among the boys. The winning team is awarded medals at the end of the
camp session to not only lift their spirits but to motivate the rest to try their best. They also award a medal to a “camper of the day” who shows heart, good sportsmanship, work ethic, and really stepped up at practice.
At the end of the day, having fun and trying one’s hardest is the best anyone can do, which is what this camp and Marian is trying to teach. Session one ran for six hours, June 10-13, on Marian Central’s baseball field. The school will host the second camp session from July 8-11.
The camp is a great way to spend these beautiful days of summer, and Marian looks forward to hopefully seeing more campers in the July session.
