Grandpa, Memorial Day is coming up. My dad was dead in Vietnam before I was born. I wish I had known him. That’s all I had to say. Thank you. Grandpa says; Your father wasn’t the only war hero in your family. Your mom is a hero. You are a
We work under the weight of countless tyrannies, large and small, carried out in the name of the national good by an elite class of government officials who are largely insulated from the ill effects of their actions, and inflicted on an overtaxed, overregulated, and underrepresented populace. Consider, for example,
Memorial Day is more than an unofficial first day of Summer with picnics, barbecues, and family gatherings. The fourth Monday in May each year is for a sense of remembering, a memorial. We can pause for a few hours in some way to participate in a memorial. Remembering a loved
The National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. has 100 statues donated by individual states to honor notable leaders in their state’s history. Even before the completion of the present House wing in 1857, the idea of a National Statuary Hall was considered. Representative Justin S.
Weeds have been with us since they first came over on the Mayflower to seek a better life, especially in my yard, so I was all set to repeat my annual ritual of dumping some weed ‘n’ feed on my lawn. I changed my mind when I heard the angry
By Judd Lofchie – I am very concerned about president Donald Trump’s pulling out of the Iran Nuclear Deal. This action, along with pulling us out of the Paris Climate Accord, may have a chilling effect on our foreign policy. It has nothing to do with being anti-Trump or a
Grandpa, I am hearing a lot of different thoughts about this Pride Parade coming up. Why do a bunch of gay people have to prance around in public? That kind of stuff should be kept behind closed doors. I don’t need to know who is sleeping with whom. Grandpa says;
We have no real property rights. Think about it. That house you live in, the car you drive, the small, or not so small, acreage of land that has been passed down through your family, or that you scrimped and saved to acquire, whatever money you manage to keep in
Good health is not a single track proposition. Good food and drug-free living offer the best head start. The two are connected. Last week the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, U.S. Navy, from Indiana, was in Kane County for appearances on the opioid epidemic, which has grown exponentially, recently.
Inhabitants of our beautiful planet are waking up to the truth of climate change and our need to be part of the efforts of the change that we can all find participation. Recently we celebrated Earth Day and we witnessed through videos more evidence of what is really happening to
From the vault, September 12, 2000 (revised): Election season is upon us once again, and this time around a new wind is blowing. It is the wind of populism, not the fake populism Donald Trump peddled two years ago to gain the votes of the disaffected, whom he quickly betrayed
Grandpa says: To all the moms in our readership area, Happy Mother’s Day! To everyone in our readership area, this is a hint: Mother’s Day is Sunday. Don’t let her down. Grandpa, I got flagged down by a fellow who told me that he could see oil dripping from under
IMSA student Rishi Modi, center, is honored by Richard Irvin, mayor of Aurora at the Aurora City Council meeting Tuesday. He recently received the Top High School Innovator Award for GoGo Riders, a ride-sharing service that allows customers to negotiate prices for a ride with nearby drivers. He is joined
U.S. congressman Bill Foster (D. 11th) released the following statement Tuesday on president Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran Nuclear Deal: “I strongly condemn president Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal. President Trump’s announcement shows his diplomatic incompetence and his technical ignorance
What characterizes American government today is not so much dysfunctional politics as it is ruthlessly-contrived governance carried out behind the entertaining, distracting, and disingenuous curtain of political theater. And what political theater it is, diabolically Shakespearean at times, full of sound and fury, yet in the end, signifying nothing. Played
Gina Santori, left, an Aurora Public Library benefactor, and Aliya Husain, with two Islamic organizations which seek cultural understanding, share a hug after they were speakers at the Aurora Public Library meeting Wednesday, April 25. See Carter Crane’s article here. Jason Crane/The Voice
This too shall pass! Even though attribution for the above phrase to the Christian bible is only partially true, it is not a direct quote. In our combined secular and religious world, this too shall pass is used to prevail over conflict, difficulty, disappointment, and troubled times. What does not
When my husband and I arrived at the Paramount Theatre Saturday we were greeted by a lively orchestra on stage. Oh gosh, we’re late! Not so! A pre-show jam session was part of the show. A company of 13 actor-musicians performed all roles and served as the on-stage orchestra in
Can it be? Have the last vestiges of Winter finally drifted off to oblivion? Hardly. Hey, this is the Chicago area. We may have snowball fights in July. In spite of that possibility, I’m looking forward to those above-80-degree days when I can take my lawn chair, sunscreen, and a
By Grace Grzanek – April 15 marked three years that Eddie has lived in his memory care nursing facility in southeast Aurora. Not once in those three years has he been offered a fresh tomato, or a fresh carrot, or a fresh mushroom, or a fresh piece of celery or
