Earth Hour in Aurora, IL

St. Patrick's Day Checklist and Irish Pubs - Aurora, IL

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Checklist:

- Wear green

- Eat corned beef at ... Patrick's Fine Food & Spirits (they're closing on March 23)

- Drink a beer at ... Ballydoyle in downtown Aurora

- Dinner at ... Chef Amaury at 33 West, 33 W. New York St., downtown Aurora

- Dance at ... Two Brothers Roundhouse on Broadway

- Designated driver

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day in Aurora, Illinois!!! Be safe, be smart, and party hard!

Other green places:

O'Malley's on Hill Avenue in Aurora

Fox and Hound Bar & Grill on New York Street

Aug. 31: Alley Art Festival 2013

DOWNTOWN AURORA - The 4th annual Alley Art Festival will be back on Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora on Saturday, Aug. 31. Email downtownauroran at gmail dot com for more info.

What: Alley Art Fest
When: Last Saturday of August from noon to 5 p.m.
Where: Water Street Mall between Downer and Galena (City Hall, 44 E. Downer or Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena for directions)

Who: Awesome and amazing local artists and fun spectacle for the whole family and the cool kids.

Nov. 7-11: Moving Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial at West Aurora High School

Aurora, Ill. - It has been 24 years since The Moving Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been on display in Aurora. But it’s coming back this Veterans Day through the efforts of the Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club, Vietnam veteran Herschel Luckinbill and an army of volunteers.

The Moving Wall, which is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will rise in the practice soccer fields of West Aurora High School and be on display Nov. 7 through 11. In addition, the traveling replica of the World War II memorial and other military displays will be on display during the “Field of Honor” event.

Luckinbill submitted an application to bring The Moving Wall to Aurora almost a year ago. He recently was notified that the Wall would be scheduled to arrive in Aurora in early November. Although he originally was aiming for a summer date, Luckinbill said he “couldn’t be happier” that The Moving Wall will be in Aurora on the holiday that honors America’s veterans.

The Wall is engraved with the names of 58,282 Americans who perished in the Vietnam Conflict or are still unaccounted for (Prisoners of War and Missing in Action).

“The entire Aurora community is extremely supportive of our troops, they demonstrate respect for our veterans and they take pride in our military,” said Dr. Rudy Keller, co-principal of West Aurora High School and a member of the committee to bring The Moving Wall to Aurora. “The Moving Wall will heighten the patriotism that already flourishes in Aurora.”

When The Moving Wall first visited Aurora 24 years ago, it was displayed on the Fox Valley Park District’s Veterans Island. Former American Legion Post 84 Commander and Army veteran Norris “Doc” Erickson, who died in 2012, was instrumental in bringing the wall to Aurora in 1989. Aurora was the only Chicago-area host of The Moving Wall that year.

Now that the 2013 dates and venue have been reserved for The Moving Wall, Luckinbill’s team is looking for both sponsors and volunteers. The cost of bringing The Moving Wall to Aurora is $30,000.

Luckinbill is estimating upward of 150,000 people will come to Aurora during the four days The Moving Wall is on display. “There will be plenty to do,” Luckinbill said. “There will be a task for every person who would like to help.” A community volunteer meeting is being planned. Those interested in volunteering for the event or being sponsors can call Luckinbill at 630-801-9591.

Like the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., The Moving Wall was paid for solely through private contributions. No tax dollars were spent on either memorial. The concept and actual building of The Moving Wall grew out of the efforts of three Vietnam veterans from California who wished to share the power that one of the men, John Devitt, experienced while attending the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. The Moving Wall was completed in 1984.

The length of The Moving Wall is 254 feet, slightly longer than half the length of the memorial in Washington, D.C.

“We want this to be the biggest event this Wall and Aurora has ever seen, and we want it to honor all veterans,” said Luckinbill. “As a Vietnam veteran, having the wall come to Aurora means everything to me. I served on the first American ship that received direct gunfire in the Vietnam War. I lost a shipmate who slept right above me. I know what war’s about.”

March 16: Beatles cover band at Culture Stock

On Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 7:00pm, Liverpool Acoustic, Chicagoland’s only all-acoustic Beatles cover band will be making their Aurora debut at Culture Stock. Liverpool Acoustic’s concerts are regularly promoted on 93.1 WXRT’s Breakfast With The Beatles show, and band consists Rob Lane on lead vocals & rhythm guitar, D.W. Lang on bass, harmonica and vocals, Bryan Frederick on percussion and vocals, and Ian Shaw on lead guitar.  With a blend of acoustic instruments, harmonies, and the songwriting of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, Liverpool Acoustic plays a fascinating game of “what if the Beatles didn’t use any electric instruments, how would they sound?” Liverpool Acoustic regularly plays coffeehouses and concerts throughout the western suburbs, and Shaw says “we jumped at the chance to play and support Culture Stock. Culture Stock is just doing such a wonderful thing for downtown Aurora.” Culture Stock, located at 43 E. Galena Blvd, is downtown Aurora's Bookstore and Community Center. Culture Stock was recently started as social venture that operates as a hub for cultural activities and community programs while serving as a used book and media reseller, offering a full line of books and media for adults and children. Culture Stock has hosted many musicians as part of their M.U.S.I.C. Monday series, and Liverpool Acoustic’s concert serves as Culture Stock’s entry into hosting music on the weekend. More information on Liverpool Acoustic is available athttp://www.liverpoolacoustic.com/ and more information on Culture Stock is available at https://www.facebook.com/CultureStock?fref=ts

April 13: Aurora Celebrates Week of the Young Child

Sat. April 13 from 9 a.m. to noon at Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illnois Ave. in Aurora

Free event for parents, caregivers, teachers, community members, and children -- featuring entertainment, children's activities, resources for parents and much more!

Brought to you by SPARK, City of Aurora, Waubonsee Community College, YMCA, Aurora Public Library, Kane County Health Dept., Two Rivers Head Start and Day One.

April 21: Recycled Art Workshop

Recycled Art Workshop  4/21/13
Aurora Public Library - West Branch
233 S. Constitution Dr., Aurora  1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Create art from discarded, recycled and found items in this workshop that's fun for the whole family.  Your artwork could even be displayed at Aurora Green Fest! (materials are provided)

March 23: Earth Hour in Aurora, IL

Earth Hour
3/23/13
Culture Stock
43 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  Enjoy a night of fun, family-friendly activities as we turn out the lights and join communities, individuals and organizations around the globe for a symbolic hour of solidarity aimed toward raising awareness of energy consumption and its effects on the environment.  Activities include:  drum circle, yoga, meditation, astronomy, storytelling, live acoustic music and more!

2013 Aurora Electronics Recycling Dates

The City of Aurora is again encouraging residents to safely recycle their old and unwanted electronics this year after collecting more than 275,000 pounds – or the equivalent in weight of a commercial airplane – in 2012.
 
The City began providing free electronics recycling to residents in 2010 and expanded the program year-round in 2012 when a state law took effect barring electronics from being disposed of in landfills.  This year’s collection events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the following Saturdays:
 
·        Customer Service Center, 3770 McCoy Drive: Jan. 12, Feb. 9, March 9, April 6, May 4, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 7.
·        Central Garage, 720 N. Broadway Ave.: Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 23, April 20, May 18, June 22, July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 30 and Dec. 14.
 
Eligible electronics that will be collected include monitors, computers (both PCs and Macs), laptops, televisions, printers, fax machines, scanners, computer accessories (mouses, keyboards and modems), video game consoles, telephones, answering machines, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), MP3 players, cameras, camcorders, servers and networking equipment, DVD players, stereos, and VCRs.  Microwaves are the only kitchen appliances accepted for recycling.  
 
Large appliances such as air conditioners, stoves, refrigerators, freezers; smaller appliances including toasters and coffee makers; and household hazardous waste materials are not accepted.
 
Vintage Tech Recyclers, the City’s vendor, continues to offer front-door collection service to Aurora residents by appointment only.  The list of eligible electronics remains the same, but a maximum of 10 items – with at least one item being a television, computer or printer – will be accepted per pickup. 
 
Appointments can be scheduled by calling 630-305-0922 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Residents will need to provide their names, addresses and phone numbers along with item count for collection.  All electronics should be placed at the front door before 7 a.m. on the scheduled collection day.
 
The home electronics recycling collection is available for those who have front doors at ground level.  The service is not available to second floor or higher units.  For more information, visitwww.vintagetechrecyclers.com.
 
For more information on City of Aurora collection events, call the Customer Service Center at 630-256-INFO.