By Ricky Rieckert
Dear “The Voice” Readers:
As we enter this week, I took our Aurora history tour bus in for a tire repair and decided to get an oil change, also. It should be ready to roll, next week.
•Last week, I touched on building a new train depot back up on S. Broadway, so Aurorans could board the high tracks for Amtrak going west, instead of going to Naperville to board.
Seems sad to not have that access, in a city of more than 200,000. Especially when the one we had was torn down.
There is plenty of vacant land to build the train depot in the same spot, with a new and improved, large parking lot.
This week, I’m going to start out with things to be addressed, with the incoming mayor of Aurora, after the elections.
I called the present mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin, nine months ago, and left a message, along with an e-mail, about changing Galena Boulevard back to Main Street, from Edgelawn Drive and W. Galena Boulevard east through downtown to Ohio Street and E. Galena Boulevard.
Sadly, Main St. Baptist Church was named after the street and was between East Avenue and Smith Boulevard, on Main Street.
Main Street Super Market was just east of Ohio Street on the northside of Main Street. I used to go there as a kid to try my luck with baseball cards. It was sad to get the same cards. My friends and I would take our triples, and put them between the spokes of our Stingray bikes, to hear a fluttering sound while riding.
Today it’s a Mexican grocery store and record shop.
Sadly, I never received any response from the mayor or his office. Very sad.
What do you think people felt like, when going from Main Street to Galena Boulevard?
I have no idea why the Main Street of my childhood was deleted from existing in this great city.
Today, “A” Town has approximately 200,000 residents, but no Main Street. What a shame….
•Attention! A mayoral candidate has stolen my thunder, from years ago, before RiverEdge Park opened.
Seems like after knocking down the newer Y.W.C.A. on N. River Street, just north of W. New York Street, on the Eastside, is where Downtown Alive was held for a couple of years, while work was happening to the original RiverEdge Park.
A City of Aurora gal asked me at the Downtown Alive concert, (where The Village People, were playing their hit song, Y.M.C.A., how ironic, playing it on the old site of the Y.W.C.A.) what I thought of the RiverEdge Park, being built.
I said it was crap. She asked why.
I replied that they have no walk ramp or overpass over IL State Rt. 25. Blocking off Rt. 25 is illegal, it’s a State Route.
I added that the stage should have been on the westside of the Park, with the Fox River running behind it as a pretty background.
She never answered me and left. Guess the Rickster outsmarted her. She than went looking for easier prey to deal with.
Aurora mayoral candidate, John Laesch, was asked how he would work to restore the riverfront along the Fox River, especially north of downtown and RiverEdge Park.
Mr. Laesch replied: “(We) need to build a handicap-accessible walk bridge over Rt. 25 so pedestrians can cross over to RiverEdge from the Post Office or ATC parking lot. The Jolly Trolly is a good idea.”
The Post Office lot is off limits for parking, guess you never attended anything at RiverEdge Park.
It would be paid parking at the Aurora Transportation Center and those people would access the bridge.
I have no idea what a Jolly Trolly is.
My two ideas should have been a reality, at the beginning.
•Kudos to “Wild Bill” for a great article this week.
I’m very proud to call you a friend for many years.
Keep up the good work.
Pink slips for “Wayne’s World Only”, “Charlie (The Sponge) Manson”, and “Lonesome Dave Forever”.
•Happy Valentine’s Day, one and all.
I used to go to the Hallmark bookstore and find a card that read; To the only Girl I’ll ever Love, I’d tell the clerk, I’ll take five of them. Not anymore.
This year, I have a Valentine’s Woman Nurse, that wants to go to Portillo’s, for chocolate cake, in which I told her it’s heart-shaped.
She said “cool.”
She wants curly fries and the biggest hotdog, with all the trimmings.
She’s blonde with tattoos, and full of spunk and really wild.
Maybe more than I bargained for.
I told her when you go with Ricky, it’s dinner and a movie.
Again, she said “cool.”
See you next week, I should have the Aurora tour bus raring to go.
.