Monday, May 30, 2011

June 11: Aurora Green Fest

Dear Community Residents and Friends,
Please come join us at the Fox Valley’s premier sustainability event:

Aurora Green Fest
June 11th, 2011
Prisco Community Center
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This free event includes eco-businesses, environmental non-profits, demonstrations, speakers, kids’ activities, electronic and styrofoam recycling, medication drop-off, 3D art from recycled materials, fun things to buy, live music, and food.

Urban Green Living Tips – Practical tips for everyday green living in Aurora, from how to energy audit your home to how to tune-up your bike.
Electronic, Styrofoam, and Battery Recycling -- New this year is on-site recycling provided by Get Green, Dart, and Batteries Plus.
3D Sculptural Art Exhibit -- FRAMA, Fox River Art and Music Academy, sponsors our Environmental Art Exhibit. 3D art made from recycled objects.
Outdoor Nature Activities – Nature walks and Spin Cast Reel Fly Fishing.
Gardening and Landscaping Features – Organic vegetable gardening, landscaping with native plants, water erosion management, rain barrels, and worm composting.
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency -- Solar, wind, and geo-thermal
Ways to save on your utility bills -- Be green and save green.
Green Kids Activities – Triple Threat, Aurora Township Youth Program, and others presenting environmental lessons. Kid’s art activities. Cloe the Clown.
Whole Food – Reuland’s Food Service with fresh, natural foods from the grill.
Live Music – Two great local bands, Red Horse Band and Dough.
Our group, Aurora Green Lights, is an independent, non-profit citizens’ group, with a mission to promote sustainable living in the Greater Aurora Area. The City of Aurora is one of our sponsors, and you will have your own booth to meet and greet the public, or just wander around and enjoy our Big Day.

Monday, May 23, 2011

June 4: Help rehab a house!

On Saturday, June 4th from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. the Joseph Corporation will be rehabbing a property at 1010 Superior Street in Aurora. This rehab will consist of a new garage roof, a partial house roof, a back porch replacement, a few new windows, a new dining room and kitchen ceiling replacement due to water damage, etc. The Home Depot of Oswego is providing some of the needed materials along with a grant from NeighborWorks America to help offset some of the cost of this project.

As a Charter Member of NeighborWorks America, Joseph Corporation will be partnering with the Aurora Noon Kiwanis Club, Fox Metro, and Rebuilding Together Aurora to celebrate “NeighborWorks Week 2011”. This is a yearly celebration that promotes homeownership and the revitalization of neighborhoods.

Joseph Corporation of Illinois, Inc. is a local nonprofit in Aurora established in 1991 to educate families and individuals on the home buying process and to help current homeowners in negotiating with their lender on a refinance or modification. They also administer a program called Safety First that assists homeowners on correcting safety issues on their property that is located in the City of Aurora.

Any interested persons, either skilled or unskilled, that would like to volunteer for this project can contact Joseph Corporation for further information at (630) 906-9400.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

May 30: Memorial Day Parade

The City of Aurora will remember the service men and women who gave their lives for our country during the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday, May 30.

A pre-parade ceremony will be held at 11:15 a.m. at the reviewing stand at 20 E. Downer Place. The ceremony will kick-off with the East Aurora High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps honor guard presenting the colors and local Boy and Girl Scouts leading the Pledge of Allegiance. The Waubonsie Valley High School Varsity singers will perform and Jay Harriman will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The parade steps off at noon from River and Benton streets, heads east to Broadway Avenue, turns north to Downer Place and finishes west ending at Middle Avenue. Nine local military groups and nine marching bands including Metea Valley, West Aurora, Waubonsie Valley and East Aurora high schools; and K.D. Waldo, Fischer, Hill, Granger and Still middle schools will take part in the parade.

Other parade highlights include the Kansas-based 1stInfantry Division Mounted Color Guard and Marching Band, which has ties back to the Civil War, the Chicago Highland Rifles bagpipers, floats, local organizations and entertainers.

For more information on the parade, visit the City’s website at www.aurora-il.org. The parade will be shown on Aurora Community Television (ACTV) Channel 10 during June.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

May 20: Art & Life of Ruth Van Sickle Ford


The Aurora Public Art Commission Presents:
Warm Light, Cool Shadows, the Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford

Oil paintings and watercolors on loan from private collections

Date: May 20 - August 12, 2011

Opening Reception:

May 20, from 4:15 - 7:30 pm

Reception Schedule:

4:15 - 5:00: Presentation and book signing by Nancy Hopp, author of the newly published “Warm Light, Cool Shadows,

The Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford”

5:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Reception, featuring music by dulcimer player Bill Robinson, a 2006 inductee into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame.

Location: Aurora Public Art Commission in the David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 3rd floor gallery, 20 E. Downer Pl., in downtown Aurora

Hours: Wednesday - Friday Noon - 4:00 P.M.

Admission: Both reception and daily admission are free and open to the public

Off street parking available one block west at Downer & Stolp, bring ticket to Museum Shop to be validated!

May 20: Churches unite for free service, dinner

AURORA, Ill.—Two Aurora United Methodist churches invite local residents to share food and fellowship Friday, May 20.
Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May St. in Aurora, will host its annual spring Master’s
Meal . The free, public event will open at 3:30 p.m. with a chapel service led by Rev. Juancho C. Campanano, church pastor.
From 4 to 7 p.m., a dinner of ham and fried chicken, vegetables, desserts and beverages will be
served.
A co-sponsor is Aurora's Fourth Street UMC. Wesley UMC also hosts a winter Master's Meal in December.
For information, call (630) 896-1033.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Fire Safety Reminders!

Aurora Fire Department officials remind you to:

* ALWAYS check your smoke detector batteries – Change the battery twice a year when you set your clocks for daylight savings time. Some new detectors have batteries which have a multi-year life, but they should be tested twice per year.

* If you are alerted to a fire by an alarm or detector, immediately exit the building. Make sure to check the door for heat prior to opening it. If the door is hot or conditions do not allow exiting, stay as low to the floor as possible, go to the nearest window, open it, and alert the responding firefighters you need help.


* Never attempt to fight a fire prior to alerting 911. Delaying the response of the fire department could prove to be deadly.


* The safest place is in your apartment is at the window if you are unable to exit the building for any reason. The Fire Department will attempt to secure the stairway and hallway in order to facilitate your exit or they may rescue you from the window. Since heat and smoke rise, you should stay low and attempt to breathe clean air.

June 12 & June 26: Books and Coffee at River's Edge

AURORA – Area mystery writers will appear at two free events in June at River’s Edge Café in downtown Aurora. The events are the first in the River’s Edge Author Series, presented in partnership with the Aurora Public Library.

Authors Patricia Rockwell, Diane Morlan and Karen Gallahue will meet for “A Cozy Afternoon for Mystery” from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 12, at River’s Edge Café, 18 W. Downer Place. The three authors write “cozies,” mysteries characterized by pleasant, often exotic settings and a finite number of suspects.

Besides discussing their books, the authors will speak about the art and business of writing and entertain questions.
Patricia Rockwell of Aurora is the author of “Sounds of Murder” and “FM for Murder,” published under her own company, Cozy Cat Press of Aurora.

Her heroine, Pamela Barnes, like Rockwell, is a university professor specializing in speech and sound. Barnes’ unique training allows her to use aural clues to solve mysteries, including the on-air murder of a radio disc jockey.

Diane Morlan of Sycamore is the author of “Too Dead to Dance.” Her heroine, Jennifer Penny, stumbles upon a dead body while on the way to work at her coffee booth during Hermann, Minnesota’s annual Polka Daze Festival. Morlan was born in Aurora, moved to Minneapolis at age 15 and now resides in Sycamore. She regards both Illinois and Minnesota as her home states. She also publishes with Cozy Cat Press.

Karen Gallahue of Naperville is the author of “Murder with a French Twist.” Her heroes, Dan Elliot and wife Caroline, travel to the Cote d’Azur to attend a friend’s wedding in Nice, only to encounter kidnapping and murder.

The second event, “A Thrilling Afternoon for Mystery” will feature thriller-writers Henry Perez, Shane Gericke, and Michael A. Black. That event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 26.

For more information contact Amy Roth at 630-264-4125.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

May 15: Parade in North Aurora

"Rolling to the River" North Aurora Mothers Club - Community Parade

Sunday, May 15th, 2011
We had so much fun with this event last year, we just had to delight our community again this year, with another parade.

The parade will kick-off at 2pm -- heading east on Oak Street and ending at Island Park, where NOARDA will once again plan a post parade community gathering. As you recall from last year, they did a great job with refreshments, entertainment and games for everyone. We are pleased to be working with them again this year.

New this year = King and Queen Contest --- The winners of this contest will each be awarded a $500 scholarship. See website for details.

May 13: Aurora Historical Society exhibit downtown Aurora

Luxembourg - USA: A Migration Story (and free Oberweis ice cream!)

Join us for a special exhibit opening!

Friday, May 13th, 2011
5:00-8:00 pm
20 E. Downer Place

Did you know that between 1850 and 1900, Aurora was one of the primary destinations of Luxembourgers coming to America? You'd be surprised how many local names have Luxembourger ancestry...Jungels, Hastert, Poss, Oberweis, Lies, and Petit are just a few examples.

The exhibit was funded and created by the government of Luxembourg, and was first shown at Ellis Island in 2007. This will be the first Illinois showing. The exhibit comes to us courtesy of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society.

Reulands will be catering the opening. Oberweis Dairy is providing free ice cream. Former Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert will be in attendance; as will Ethan Hastert, Honorary Consul for the Luxembourg Consulate at Chicago; and Kevin Wester, Executive Director of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society.

If you are unable to come to the opening, the exhibit will run from May 13 through July 31, 2011. The David L. Pierce Art and History Center is open Wednesday-Friday, 12 - 4 pm. For more information, call (630) 906-0650.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

May 8: Mother's Day Fun

Are you visiting Free Things to see what to do with your mother on Mother's Day? You are smart because we have some suggestions for you - starting with this short list from Montgomery Patch of local things to do: Click here!

Here are some additions to the list. And keep in mind that time spent with mom is the best gift of all. Happy Mother's Day!

*Self-guided architecture tour in downtown Aurora
*Phillips Park (zoo, sunken gardens, picnic)
*Picnic and photo shoot at Lincoln Park (pack a picnic and take some priceless photos of mom and/or grandma with the kids by a pretty tree)
*Picnic and concert at Millennium Plaza on Stolp & New York St. in downtown Aurora (pack a picnic and put on a private concert for mom in the band shelter)

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

May 13: Aurora Sports Festival

The Aurora Sports Festival is a multi-sport event for Aurora’s seventh and eight grade students. The goal of the Sports Festival is to provide an opportunity for middle school physical education students to participate and compete in health and recreational fitness related activities and special events focusing on the key values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and civic pride.

The objectives of the Sports Festival are to celebrate May as National Health and Physical month and to provide an incentive day for physical education students who maintain an “A or B” in physical education class and are academically eligible.

The tentative date for the 2011 Sports Festival is May 13, 2011.

For more information contact Youth & Senior Services at (630) 256-3400 or your son or daughter’s physical education teacher.

Monday, May 2, 2011

May 13 & 14: Community-Wide Garage Sale!

Park District to host community-wide garage sale May 13-14

AURORA – Shoppers are invited to take advantage of great deals and savings at the Fox Valley Park District’s Community-wide Garage Sale that will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14, at the Prisco Community Center parking lot in Aurora.

The event was expanded to two days in order to accommodate the growing number of buyers and sellers. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

As many as 40 sellers are expected, assuring a wide selection of sale items and even better deals. The sale also will provide support for a good cause, with all proceeds from rental space benefitting the Creative Play preschool program.

“We’re holding dozens of garage sales all in one central area, so it’s a great opportunity for bargain hunters,” said recreation supervisor Rose Gloor, who oversees Prisco’s Creative Play Preschool program. “Shoppers will find great deals on all types of items without having to drive all over town.”

In the event of inclement weather, the Community-wide Garage Sale will be moved inside the Prisco Community Center.

For more information, call (630) 859-8606.