The
Woodstock
I NDEPENDENT
Jan. 31-Feb. 5, 2024
Published every Wednesday | Est. 1987 | Serving Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Bull Valley, Ill. | www.thewoodstockindependent.com | $1.50
‘We had a brush with Hollywood’ Resident still has vivid memories of ‘Groundhog Day’ filming 32 years ago By Tricia Carzoli
NEWS@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM
Brenda Hoffman, a 1983 graduate of Woodstock High School, remembers the filming of “Groundhog Day” around town in 1992. “I liked to see what was changed,” she said. “Our town was transformed for the movie, but in the movie you can still
BUSINESS
Bank on it: Developer setting the table for new restaurants PAGE 11
A&E
recognize the businesses that used to be there.” That movie, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, is why Woodstock will celebrate its annual Groundhog Days festival beginning this coming Thursday evening. The four-day event will kick off with activities in the newly renovated Old Courthouse Center.
More on Groundhog Day n Woodstock’s signature event is important to the city’s identity. See our editorial on Page 6.
See GROUNDHOG, Page 4
n Count writer Susan W. Murray and family among big fans of the Groundhog Days festival. See her Declarations column on Page 7.
THAT WAS THEN
Hear about Artspace plans; WNHS staging ‘Robin Hood’
PAGE 9
COMMUNITY
In just a little time, MBI made a big impact on Woodstock
PAGE 13
INDEX
Obituaries
2
Opinion
6
Schools
8
A&E
9
Business
10
Community
13
Calendar
18
Service Directory 20 Public Notices
22
Puzzles
24
Sports
25
The Woodstock Independent
671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098 Phone: 815-338-8040 Fax: 815-338-8177 Thewoodstock independent.com
COURTESY PHOTO FROM BRENDA HOFFMAN
During the filming of “Groundhog Day” in 1992, Woodstock was transformed into Punxsutawney, Pa.
D-200 Board recharges solar project By Larry Lough
LARRY@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM
After the low-bid contractor backed out of an agreement to build a solar farm north of Woodstock North High School, the School District 200 Board of Education didn’t hesitate to get the project going again. When board President Carl Gilmore
asked what direction the board should give to administrators, John Headley was the first to say the project should be re-bid. Jerry Miceli quickly agreed. “Sorry it turned out the way it did,” Gilmore said. “We’ll look forward to another option in the not-too-distant future.” While the company was being acquired by Nelnet, GRNE Solar of
Palatine won the contract in July to build a solar array of 3,400 panels to serve the energy needs of Woodstock North. But months later, the company asked that terms of the agreement be revised. After that was approved, GRNE said it couldn’t meet the terms of the contract without a “substantial increase” in price. See SOLAR, Page 5