I’m excited to get a headstart on summer this year. For me, that means squeezing in lots of local events as the weather warms up. I am partial to art and music events, but I also make room for plant sales, markets, and supporting small businesses. I’m already having to
Bosses. You can’t live with ‘em, you can’t shoot ‘em. Well, you could shoot them, but you’d end up in the personnel manager’s office with a black mark on your employment record. Any of us who’ve ever had a job or jobs working for any number of companies or individuals
By Kiri Palm, Aurora Public Library, West Branch manager There were a lot of important questions I was asked while interviewing for my position as the West Branch Manager, but one really stood out: How do you feel about a branch renovation? It was an exciting prospect and an undertaking
If you have followed the recent Winter Olympic Games, dear reader, you will have noted that Murphy’s Law had been highly at play, if anything can go wrong, it will. There were several accidents, both indoors and outdoors, equipment malfunctions, and unwarranted costumes and/or decorations. Some of the medals awarded
This time it hits close to home. Someone I love is struggling with high blood pressure and White Coat Syndrome. White Coat Syndrome is a term that describes someone who has an intense reaction or emotional response when visiting the doctor’s office, with blood pressure spiking up remarkably. Fear of
By Dr. Glenn Mollette Life can have some scary moments. We have all been there or may be there at any given time. Sickness scares us. Dealing with a debilitating illness is scary. Cancer is scary. Heart disease is scary. Dying is scary. We fear having enough food, money, housing
Cathy Hayen is retiring from the City of Aurora government at the end of February. You might not know her by name, but you know her by the gardens, baskets, and planters of vibrant colors that have transformed downtown Aurora over the years into a seasonal paradise. In 2014, Hayen
From the vault, October 16, 2014: A great essay is worth repeating. This piece was originally titled “How I Learned to Stop Chewing Tobacco and Take Up Smoking” and appeared in the 1969 edition of the Wings of the Dawn, Aurora College’s (now Aurora University) annual student-writing competition. It garnered
By Russ George The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley will hold its February “Meet and Greet”, organized by media chairperson, Ann McBride, to expose our Club and our mission, Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Panera Bread, 1330 N. Orchard Road, in Aurora. Plan on stopping by
By Dr. Glenn Mollette Friendship is a two-way street. If a relationship is totally dependent on one person it won’t last very long. If you have to make all the effort a friendship will soon die. One person, does not make a friendship, marriage, or any kind of relationship. The
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, This week, I am continuing with Sacred Heart Parish in Aurora, and my teenage years. At age 17, and an East Aurora High School graduate, I began working a full-time job in Aurora. I was a parishioner at Sacred Heart and became involved with the
If you’ve been reading my blather here for any length of time, you’ve probably perused my Home Alone stories ad nauseam, along with other columns highlighting my memorable experiences as an indispensable part of feature films known as an “extra” or “atmosphere” or “background”. As those names imply, it’s a
By Dr. Glenn Mollette Much of America is enjoying a large dose of winter this week, which I call butt burning weather. Let me explain. When I was around four or five years old I drank too much soda pop before I went to bed. It was a cold January
By Dr. Glenn Mollette Time flies by! Since time goes by so quickly the first New Years resolution we all might consider making is to savor the moment. Every day is a gift and a celebration. Savor your work, family, friends, entertainment, hobbies, church, meals, nature, and every aspect of
By Dr. Glenn Mollette Christmas is good news. Christ the Savior is born. This declaration is embraced daily by billions around the planet and especially on Christmas day. There is more to Christmas day than the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We utilize the day for family gatherings, gift
The year 2025 was a year of celebration, growth, and meaningful connection at the Aurora Public Library District. Together with our community, we marked milestones like Santori Library’s 10th birthday and the Foundation’s 25th anniversary, launched a new reading incentive program for middle school students (100 Books Before High School),
Musings: •The Sins of Donald J. Trump (chapter 14). He has: Announced the revival of nuclear testing; Advised the Republican Party to end the filibuster in the Senate in order to deny the Democratic Party control of the government forever; Dispatched three military aircraft to El Salvador without the approval
If you’ve ever wished for a book fairy godparent, you are in luck! The Aurora Public Library District’s reader’s advisory services are basically that, minus the sparkly wand. Whether you love browsing on your own, want a librarian to handcraft a list just for you, or prefer a little of
By Dr. Glenn Mollette How many more Christmases will you have? Will you have 50 more? Will you have a dozen more? Maybe you will have just one more, maybe. There are no guarantees of a certain number of more Christmases. My grandpa Hinkle suffered with heart issues. I remember
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, This week we’re focusing on Galena Boulevard, the street formerly known as Main Street in Aurora, stretched across what is now part of the downtown area, until the 1960s. East Main Street started east of Stolp Avenue (Island Avenue), heading east, until it turned into
